Next steps for Leeds’ Old Medical School
Plans spearheaded by Scarborough Group to transform one of the city’s most significant heritage buildings into a flagship healthtech innovation hub have taken a major step forward following the signing of partnership agreements between HiVE Places, the NHS, and two of the city’s universities.
HiVE Places has signed a series of memoranda of understanding with Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, Nexus at the University of Leeds, and Leeds Beckett University to support the redevelopment of the grade two*-listed Old Medical School at Leeds General Infirmary.
The project will see the historic building repurposed as a health technology innovation hub, bringing together clinicians, researchers, entrepreneurs, and investors within a single city-centre innovation environment.
The Old Medical School is one of the founding projects of HiVE Places and is set to become the centrepiece of the emerging Leeds Innovation Village, one of four neighbourhoods planned within the £2bn Leeds Innovation Arc regeneration programme.
Located adjacent to Leeds General Infirmary and within walking distance of the city’s universities and research facilities, the scheme is intended to create dedicated space for healthtech businesses to develop, test and commercialise new products alongside NHS clinicians and academic researchers.
HiVE Places will lead the redevelopment and long-term management of the building following its acquisition of the site, with the partners collaborating to create what they describe as a world-class health innovation ecosystem.
The project is expected to act as a catalyst for wider investment within the Innovation Village, a key component of Leeds’ ambitions to strengthen its position as a national centre for health and life sciences innovation.
Backed by the £160m West Yorkshire Investment Zone, the Leeds Innovation Arc aims to connect the city’s universities, hospitals and commercial districts through a series of regeneration, infrastructure, and innovation projects.
The Old Medical School is the first major scheme within the Innovation Village to move into delivery. Under the partnership, Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust will establish its Innovation Pop Up facility within the building as an anchor occupier, providing businesses with access to clinical expertise, patient insight, and testing environments.
Nexus will connect occupiers with research facilities and commercialisation support from the University of Leeds, while Leeds Beckett University will contribute applied research and enterprise expertise.
The redevelopment is expected to preserve and repurpose a landmark heritage asset while creating new commercial accommodation for the fast-growing healthtech sector.
According to project partners, West Yorkshire’s health technology sector already contributes more than £3bn annually to the regional economy and supports more than 16,000 jobs.
With the partnership agreements now in place, HiVE Places said it will work with stakeholders to progress the scheme through planning, funding, and delivery stages later this year.
Deb Hetherington, COO at HiVE Places, said: “Our vision for the Old Medical School has always been about more than restoring a historic building, it’s about creating a genuine engine for innovation. These partnerships turn that ambition into something tangible, connecting academia, the NHS and industry in a way that gives real structure and momentum to the region’s health innovation ecosystem.
“I’m incredibly grateful to our partners at Leeds Teaching Hospitals, Nexus at the University of Leeds and Leeds Beckett University for their openness, energy and shared belief in what we’re building together. Following completion of the acquisition of the Old Medical School, we’re now focused on working closely with our partners and stakeholders to keep things moving at pace as we progress through the next stages of planning, funding and delivery.”
Cllr James Lewis, leader of Leeds City Council said: “Leeds is one of the top three global locations for healthtech companies, so bringing together these core Leeds anchor institutions with HiVE Places is a fantastic step forward. This partnership further reinforces our leading role in national and global health innovation. We’re proud to be setting the pace and shaping the future as a city where breakthroughs are born, ideas are tested at speed, and where bold partnerships turn research into reality.”
Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire, said: “West Yorkshire is a global leader in health technology, and this partnership is a shining example of how we’re driving innovation through collaboration. By uniting world-leading clinicians with our outstanding universities and pioneering businesses, we’re creating a powerhouse of new ideas that will transform patient care.
“This collaboration will be a catalyst in our mission to combat health inequalities and improve lives, as we work to create a brighter, healthier future for everyone across our region.”
