The University of Windsor and Windsor Regional Hospital are exploring a potential partnership around a new health and innovation park on lands purchased for the future Windsor-Essex acute care hospital.

UWindsor president Rob Gordon is looking forward to the expanded opportunities the Health Innovation Park will bring to the region.

“Through the years, we have continued to build on the vital connections between our institutions,” he said. “Students, especially those at the Faculty of Science, School of Nursing, and the Schulich School of Medicine, have all benefited from our long-standing relationship through experiential learning — and we have also been exceptional partners in research, innovation and outreach including the WE-Spark Health Institute.”

The project will position Windsor-Essex as a leading region for education, training, and research in the health-care sector for years to come. The ambitious plans follow many years of discussion and exploration of opportunities to enhance regional health research capacity and strengthen the partnership between the University and hospital to benefit the community.

“Research and education has always been one of the main drivers behind the need for a new acute care hospital in the region,” said David Musyj, WRH president and CEO. “Windsor Regional Hospital looks forward to this planning work with the University of Windsor to advance this concept further. The relationships developed by WE-Spark Health Institute naturally transition into this exciting planning.”

The Health Innovation Park may include:

• dedicated space for collaborative research and training;
• expanded government and private sector health service providers and collaborations; and
• space for business to assist in research, from innovation through to commercialization, supporting new ventures and startup investors.

The Health Innovation Park could also include hotel space for short-term accommodations, residential housing for staff and students, a long-term care facility, a wellness centre, and professional medical office space for health-care providers.

Preliminary planning has discussed the creation of a “livable and vibrant” work area surrounding the new acute care hospital which will support healthy community living, and the development of open green space for trails.

Discussions with local partners will continue as plans for the new Windsor-Essex acute care hospital are developed, with plans to time the opening of the Health Innovation Park to coincide with that of the new hospital.