The AWRC is set to become the most advanced research centre in the world for developing innovations that will improve population health and physical activity levels and will look to increase people’s mobility through lifestyle change and technological innovation to reduce the risk and consequences of chronic diseases.

Due to open in 2019, the AWRC has been supported by the Department of Health and Social Care, which has committed £14million of funding to the project.

The centre will feature indoor and outdoor facilities for 70 researchers to carry out world-leading research on health and physical activity in collaboration with the general public and private sector, with a focus on taking services and products from concept to market.

In 2015, Canon Medical Systems (formerly Toshiba Medical) and Westfield Health were announced as the first major, private sector partners of the AWRC and will provide cutting edge equipment and technology to assist with research. parkrun became the AWRC’s third major partner in 2016 and will work together with their two million registered runners to improve their health and wellbeing.

Sheffield Children’s Hospital Charity and the Sheffield Children’s Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, Wosskow Brown Foundation and the Sheffield Health and Social Care NHS Foundation Trust have also become partners.

The AMRC’s close links with the National Centre of Sport and Exercise Medicine will enable researchers to work with the population of Sheffield and use local communities to explore and test the potential of new innovations and products.

Professor Alison Metcalfe, Pro Vice-Chancellor of the University’s Faculty of Health and Wellbeing said: “Mobility is fundamental to a person’s physical and mental health. Finding new and diverse interventions to increase people’s mobility and engagement with physical activity and exercise across their lifespan can transform their health significantly.

“Bringing together public and private sector organisations is vitally important to developing products and services when it comes to growing our economy and UK productivity and our own practitioners, scientists, engineers and designers here at Sheffield Hallam regularly collaborate to address global health concerns.”

Richard Caborn, Project Lead for Sheffield Olympic Legacy Park said “Seeing the steelwork on the AWRC rise six storeys above Sheffield Olympic Legacy Park is another key milestone in the redevelopment of Attercliffe.

“We are bringing wealth creation and job opportunities to the region, providing tangible evidence of how Sheffield is delivering the Olympic legacy of economic regeneration.”