Bournemouth University’s (BU’s) Orthopaedic Research Institute is to benefit from further Dorset Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) funding.
The information was revealed as a part of a £19.5 million Local Growth Deal funding announcement to help create jobs, develop housing and boost growth in Dorset. The funding will also support the regeneration of the Lansdowne area of Bournemouth, in the area of Bournemouth University’s Lansdowne Campus.
BU’s Orthopaedic Research Institute (ORI) works across the university and with hospitals, industry partners and academia to produce high quality research and educational outputs that have a proven impact for patients, clinicians and society.
The funding given to the Institute will increase international investment and boost business opportunities. Previously, growth deal funding secured by Dorset LEP for the Institute allowed for a new GRAIL gait laboratory to be installed, to increase research opportunities.
Tom Wainwright, Associate Professor of Orthopaedics and Deputy Head of Orthopaedic Research Institute, said, “We are grateful for the continued support of Dorset Local Enterprise Partnership as we look to create a research hub for the advancement of orthopaedic knowledge. It is our hope that this facility will become an integral part of the healthcare sector in Dorset and beyond.”
Conor Burns, MP for Bournemouth West, said, “I am thrilled with this announcement. Having made the case for Bournemouth, this funding means my constituency will get a major boost as a result of these projects. The Lansdowne is a major opportunity for commercial revival and growth, whilst every driver will welcome work to ease the nightmare that is the Wallisdown Road. And the support for Bournemouth University will further lock in its role as a major driver in the economy of Dorset and a critical asset to Bournemouth which is the economic powerhouse of the county.”
Lorna Carver, director of Dorset Local Enterprise Partnership said: “”BUORI’s work will not only deliver more effective treatments for osteoarthritis but will also attract key local and international investors into Dorset. We are delighted to have secured £950,000 of additional capital investment through our local growth fund to support this pioneering project which is expected to generate new jobs and investment into Dorset.”
An Inaugural Public Lecture about ORI is due to take place on Wednesday 12 April, as Professor Rob Middleton, Head of ORI, will share research into developing virtual reality training for surgeons and some of the research pioneered by the Institute. Tickets for the Public Lecture can be booked through Eventbrite.
For more information about ORI, visit: https://research.bournemouth.ac.uk/centre/orthopaedic-research-institute/