LANCASTER University has announced a major investment that looks set to help improve advances in health care.

The Health Innovation Campus will be focused on tackling the biggest challenge in healthcare today - helping people to live as long and as healthily as possible.

The campus will be funded by the university and through the Lancashire Enterprise Partnership’s Growth Deal Fund and the European Regional Development Fund.

Construction of the £41million first phase of the building, adjacent to the University’s campus, has started on site with completion in 2019.

The campus will create new jobs by supporting 300 Lancashire-based small and medium enterprises to develop new and innovative digital and technological solutions targeting around the prevention and early diagnosis of illness and access to care.

As well as digital innovation, this will include the design, development and evaluation of healthy places to live and work, improving quality and value in health innovation systems, and the development of new materials to improve health.

Lancaster University’s deputy vice-chancellor Professor Andrew Atherton welcomed the development, which will drive business innovation.

“Lancaster University’s role as an economic anchor and driver of innovation has been recognised nationally and we have helped thousands of businesses grow, especially in the North of England," he said. "The Health Innovation Campus is an ambitious and exciting extension of our partnerships to improve productivity through innovation, and promises to boost the region’s prosperity and help us all live longer and healthier lives.”

The campus will work by co-locating academics from a broad range of different backgrounds in a new building alongside businesses and other partners. The building will also provide a new home for the university’s expanding work in in health and medicine.

More information is available by visiting http://www.lancaster.ac.uk/health-innovation/