The construction of the multi-million pound health and wellbeing innovation centre in Truro has now been completed.

The £13m Health and Wellbeing Innovation Centre, operated by Plymouth University, will create more than 80 new jobs and will be at the heart of a group of international health institutions on the Royal Cornwall Hospital Trust site in Truro.

The aim of the innovation centres is to provide businesses with access to a supportive and exciting communal environment in which they can develop their ideas, accelerating the growth of these businesses to create more and higher value jobs.

The HWIC is the third innovation centre in Cornwall, all operated by Plymouth University on behalf of Cornwall Council. The Pool Innovation Centre (PIC) opened in July 2010 while The Tremough Innovation Centre (TIC) opened in January this year.

Cornwall Council is leading the project, supported by Cornwall Development Company (CDC), which has received almost £10 million of European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) Convergence investment and £3.3 million from Cornwall Council.

 Stephen Rushworth, the council’s portfolio holder for economy and regeneration and a member of the Convergence Local Management Committee, added “I am delighted to see the completion of this pioneering project that will create high-value, highly-skilled jobs in this exciting sector of the Cornish economy. Young companies need access to the right kind of space and facilities if they are to grow and provide high quality jobs.

"This investment in the Health and Wellbeing Innovation Centre is a vital part of the suite of ERDF Convergence investments in innovation – at Pool and Tremough as well as here at Treliske, all designed to turn innovation and new ideas into business success.”

Dr Upton, Medical Director at the Royal Cornwall Hospital NHS Trust, said 'The innovation centre will help the Trust with its plans of developing clinical research and further supporting our ambitions for safer, better, good value care.'

Centres director Bernard Curren of Plymouth University said: "The Professor Colin Roberts, Chairman of the HWIC Strategy Board which is overseeing the development of the project, said: “The creation of this Centre will enable Cornwall to take a leading role in the increasingly important field of Health & Wellbeing.

"The Centre is likely to attract clients not only from Cornwall, but also from further afield and will play an important part in the national health and wellbeing innovation agenda. Having been involved in this project since its inception I look forward to sharing the excitement that this will bring.”

Construction of the HWIC was completed at the end of October, with the formal opening ceremony due to take place in March 2013.