Queen’s University Belfast has awarded Graham a £39 m construction contract to build two new buildings described as ‘state-of-the-art’ beside the Belfast City Hospital as part of the planned 8,500 m2 iREACH Health facility.
IREACH Health, a new £64 m integrated clinical research ‘innovation centre’ led by the University, will be developed in partnership with Belfast Health and Social Care Trust and Health and Social Care Research and Development Division. The project is funded by the Northern Ireland Executive and UK Government through the Belfast Region City Deal, and part funded by Queen’s University Belfast.
Queen’s University Belfast says the new facility ‘will provide major health, social, and economic benefits for Northern Ireland, making clinical trials more effective, efficient, and interconnected, while supporting the improved health of the population’. Over the project’s lifetime, it is estimated that iREACH Health will provide over 1000 new, permanent jobs and over £750m additional GDP for the region.
Professor Sir Ian Greer, President and Vice-Chancellor of Queen's University, said: “For 180 years, Queen’s has been at the forefront of innovation, delivering major impact and benefits for people in our region and across the world. This spirit of innovation continues today through initiatives like iREACH Health, which will be transformational for our clinical trial ecosystem. This new facility will enable ground-breaking clinical trial capability, and ensure that Northern Ireland remains at the forefront of life and health sciences, addressing some of the most pressing health challenges of our time.”
Professor Judy Bradley, Director of iREACH Health, added: “The appointment of Graham marks a significant milestone in realising our vision for a revolutionary clinical trial research facility. REACH Health will harness Queen’s and Northern Ireland's research strengths, and create a cutting-edge environment to improve patient outcomes, accelerate inclusive innovation, and support our health and life sciences sector in achieving local and global impact.”
Planning permission was granted last March, with the main construction having commenced in December. iREACH plans to be operating from the new facilities by 2026, accommodating up to 360 staff.
Gary Holmes, Regional MD – Graham Building North, added: “We are delighted to be working with Queen’s on the new iREACH Health facility, which will help define the future of clinical research in Northern Ireland. Our team is committed to delivering a state-of-the-art space that matches the ambitious goals of Queen’s and its partners. With our team currently delivering Belfast’s first-ever Passivhaus-certified student accommodation on Dublin Road on behalf of Queen’s, we have a long-standing relationship with the University that we look forward to building on.”
Queen’s says its three regional innovation centres – focused on clinical research, advanced manufacturing, and advanced digital technologies, will deliver up to 4,000 new jobs, and provide positive impact across the region, ‘increasing productivity, driving inclusive growth, and contributing towards Queen’s commitment to Net Zero by 2040’.
Pictured, left to right, are: Orla Carew, Queen’s BRCD Estates Programme manager; Kevin McNaull, director at Turner and Townsend; David Quinn, Executive director of the Belfast Region City Deal at Queen’s; Cormac Maguire, iREACH Health Estates manager; Gary Holmes, Regional MD – Graham Building North, and Professor Judy Bradley, Director of iREACH Health.
