SHEFFIELD OLYMPIC LEGACY PARK
Sheffield is the only city in the world with an Olympic Legacy Park that has not hosted the Olympics, and yet it is the physical embodiment of the transformation of the city.
The park is delivering a tangible legacy from the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games through a combination of world class sports facilities, education, new skills, research and innovation, environmental improvements and opportunities for the local community.
Built on an old brownfield industrial site, it is now home to Sheffield Hallam University's 'Advanced Wellbeing Research Centre', a University Technical College, state of the art training and physical performance centres, and the chosen destination for the world's first ever Centre for Child Health Technology.
What this all means is that health meets innovation; investment meets outcomes; and education and research meet digital and tech. Public, private and not-for-profit organisations can plan, research, innovate and produce at rapid pace with superior technology, making this a place truly worthy of carrying the heritage of London's 2012 Olympics.
The Sheffield Olympic Legacy Park is the catalyst for the economic regeneration of the Lower Don Valley, bringing investment and relocation opportunities to a deprived area of the city with a strong industrial and manufacturing history.
It now represents the beginning of Sheffield's Innovation District, which stretches all the way down this geographical corridor to the University of Sheffield's Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre, which is home to McLaren and produces some of the world's most advanced light-weighting facilities.
However, there is still a strong presence of place, community and neighbourhood here. The regeneration story is about more than facilities and property, which is why the Sheffield Olympic Legacy Park is home to one of the city's Junior Park Runs as well as The English Institute of Sport where numerous GB athletes train, alongside local teams and groups, giving the local area access to not just jobs but healthier lives and wider opportunities.
Advanced Wellbeing Research Centre
Sheffield Hallam University’s Advanced Wellbeing Research Centre, opened in 2020 and employs a unique model of collaboration, co-production and systems thinking to address the challenge of physical inactivity. They bring communities, businesses, clinical services and the public sector together with academic expertise in health, engineering, robotics, software design, psychology, sport and exercise science and the arts to create meaningful partnerships that co-produce innovations that help people move.
The AWRC is also the research hub for the National Centre for Sport and Exercise Medicine in Sheffield, translating knowledge from elite sport into the health sector to drive innovation in the promotion of physical activity as part of the London 2012 Olympic Legacy.
Their research and innovation utilises Sheffield as a ‘living laboratory’ to explore ‘what works’ to promote physical activity, health and wellbeing and scale these innovations to the rest of the UK and internationally.
Governments, employers and individuals around the world invest incalculable sums in treating the consequence of the ageing population. Through our Advanced Wellbeing Research Centre (AWRC), South Yorkshire has become renowned for wellness, for prevention of health issues and the prolonging of our quality of life.
The AWRC harnesses multi-disciplinary research and industry expertise, bringing together designers, digital technologists, charities and the local community, for the common purpose of undertaking research and co-designing new technologies, products and services that advance healthcare delivery and help people move. Its vision is:
- To lead in research and innovation that increases physical activity to prevent disease and helps people prepare for and recover from treatment quickly.
- To develop collaborative community, academic and industry partnerships that co-design products, interventions and services that assist people in initiating and maintaining physical activity.
- To create and test new technologies, digital innovations, services and products that lead to improvements in the social, behavioural and environmental determinants of health as well as healthcare services.
South Yorkshire also has one of the UK’s largest concentrations of orthopaedic and medical device companies, making it a lead in medical diagnostics. The region provides exceptional access to clinical trials, research collaboration and new product development, with strengths in advanced wound care, orthopaedics, surgical instruments and medical equipment. The AWRC is seeking international partners to collaborate on health and well-being project to help to solve global healthcare challenges.
The AWRC, which forms the centrepiece of the Sheffield Olympic Legacy Park, is dedicated to improving the health and wellbeing of the population through innovations that help people move. Its mission is to prevent and treat chronic disease through co-designed research into physical activity – whilst also attracting new jobs and investment to the region.
The Centre is supported by a number of strategic partners including Canon Medical Systems, Westfield Health, and Parkrun. These partnerships provide cutting edge equipment and technology, expertise in the health and wellbeing sector and research and development opportunities.
National Centre of Excellence for Food Engineering (NCEFE)
The Centre's vision is to be internationally recognised for excellence in sustainable innovations for the global food system.
Based in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, the research-led centre includes pilot-scale production facilities, laboratories, workshops and teaching spaces.
Sheffield Hallam’s open innovation space offers a 'living lab' approach to accelerated knowledge exchange.
National Centre for Child Health Technology
The National Centre for Child Health Technology (NCCHT) will be a world-class facility on the Sheffield Olympic Legacy Park. It will bring people together to work in a way that has never been seen before, all under one roof here in South Yorkshire.
The National Centre will focus on addressing some of the biggest health challenges of our time: obesity, mental health problems, long-term conditions, health inequalities, disabilities and cancer.
Most importantly, the Centre will be powered by the needs of our children and young people and their families – they are at the heart of all we do.
“Children are 25% of the population and 100% of the future. “They will be the leaders, parents and workforce of the future and the people who drive change. For them to have the best chance at doing that we must improve children's health and healthcare now. “We are excited about the ways the NCCHT is going to change young people’s experience of healthcare through developing the most advanced health technology in the world.” - Professor Paul Dimitri Clinical Director of Technology and Innovation Sheffield Children’s NHS Foundation Trust