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Steel signing marks major milestone in Teesside University’s latest ambitious development

12 December 2022

 

Staff, students and contractors gathered for a special event to celebrate a key point in the development of Teesside University’s new cutting-edge science, health and medical facility.

A steel signing ceremony was held to mark the final steel beam being put in place on the £36.9m BIOS project.

Attendees were given an update and overview of the development and were then asked to sign their names on the final steel beam – providing a permanent memento before the project is completed next year.

BIOS will further transform the learning experience for students at Teesside University, with cutting-edge new laboratories for the sciences and clinical subjects at the heart of the Middlesbrough campus.

Supporting the University’s thriving School of Health & Life Sciences, BIOS will house four floors of lab space for subjects including anatomy, imaging, microbiology, chemistry, allied health and food sciences.

For BIOS, the University is continuing its partnership with Wates Construction, which successfully delivered recent projects including the award-winning Cornell Quarter student accommodation and the National Horizons Centre, based at the University’s Darlington campus.

The Steel for BIOS was sourced locally from a firm in Newton Aycliffe, reaffirming both the University’s and Wates’ commitment to supporting the regional economy. Professor Tim Thompson, Dean of Teesside University’s School of Health & Life Sciences, said: “We are delighted to see such swift progress on our BIOS development and were pleased to be able to welcome some of our health and science students to join our steel signing ceremony.

“BIOS will be transformational in terms of revolutionising the learning experience on our health and life science courses – so it is fitting to welcome some of our current students to be involved in this landmark development.

“We are really excited about what BIOS has to offer and the facility will enable us to grow and enhance our provision across key areas, aligning with the skills needs of the region and the country.”

Antonio Chew, 32, is studying MSc Occupational Therapy and was one of the students invited to the steel signing ceremony.

He said: “This is a really positive development. Students appreciate first-class facilities and having something like this at Teesside University is great and will encourage more people to engage with the profession.”

BIOS will be transformational in terms of revolutionising the learning experience on our health and life science courses.

Professor Tim Thompson.

David Wingfield, regional director for the North East at Wates Construction, said: “This is our third project with Teesside University and our largest and most complex yet. BIOS will support Teesside’s health and medical students for years to come and will be a cornerstone to grow the region’s economy in life sciences. We’re proud to partner with the University once more to deliver it.

“We’re experienced in building complex science and research projects across the country - including the University’s National Horizons Centre in Darlington – and this prior knowledge will be vital as we progress through the build.”

The £36.9m BIOS development includes specialist equipment to enable new and interactive forms of learning for core health and allied health provision, including a growing postgraduate medical offer. Key features will include:

  • A clinical skills floor, incorporating an innovative immersion suite for digital teaching.
  • A purpose-built Operating Department Practice suite to support the development of these key workers.
  • A wellbeing floor to assist new provision in Oral Health, as well as expanded provision in the Food Sciences.
  • Flexible facilities to support the ongoing development of Occupational Therapy degrees.
  • A range of new life sciences laboratories which will support subjects of key importance to the region, including Pharmaceutical Science, Human Biology and Biomedicine.
BIOS is the latest development in the University’s Campus Masterplan, with ongoing projects including the £13.1m Net Zero Industry Innovation Centre, putting Teesside at the heart of the UK’s green industrial revolution, as well as the £5m Postgraduate Student Hub, a dedicated space for postgraduate students and researchers to study, collaborate and connect.

Situated between The Curve and Centuria Buildings, BIOS is due to be completed in autumn 2023 in time for the 2023/24 academic year.


In the News

Teesside University's £36.9m cutting-edge new facility celebrates milestone
B Daily, Web, 12/12/2022
A steel signing ceremony was held to mark the final steel beam being put in place on the £36.9m BIOS project

 
 
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