The University of New South Wales (UNSW) in Sydney, Australia, has opened the Integrated Acute Services Building (IASB) at the Prince of Wales Hospital.
UNSW described the opening of the $100m IASB as a 'significant milestone' in the integration of healthcare and academia.
Developed by UNSW Sydney, the facility is designed to foster collaboration between researchers, students and clinical care professionals.
It is situated within the Randwick Health & Innovation Precinct alongside the hospital's Acute Services Building.
This strategic location is intended to strengthen connections between UNSW and the hospital, promoting a seamless exchange of knowledge and expertise.
IASB has a range of facilities, including four floors dedicated to clinical education and general research, three Physical Containment Level 2 laboratories, and three floors for health engineering and clinical prototyping.
UNSW vice-chancellor and president professor Attila Brungs said: “Being together on every single hospital floor means researchers and clinicians can share insights into current healthcare practice.
“Ultimately, it means patient healthcare will improve, and improvements will happen faster.”
Prince of Wales Hospital general manager Jennie Barry said: “The integration of research and education into our acute clinical environment will lead to the development of new models of care, opportunities for patients to help co-design research, and enhanced education and interprofessional learning for staff.
“As a proud partner of the Randwick Health & Innovation Precinct, we are excited to see what can be achieved within this community of world-class education, health care, clinical research and innovation.”
IASB is one of two new projects by UNSW at the Randwick Health & Innovation Precinct.
The second project is the UNSW Health Translation Health, a 15-storey hub for health education, research and training integrated with clinical services.
The 35,600m² facility is currently in development and is scheduled to open late next year.
UNSW is providing $500m over the next ten years for the development of these two projects.
