Queen’s University Belfast has appointed GRAHAM to construct the new iREACH Health clinical research innovation centre in Belfast under a £39m contract.
The £64m iREACH Health programme is being delivered through the Belfast Region City Deal, in partnership with Belfast Health and Social Care Trust and the Health and Social Care Research and Development Division.
GRAHAM was appointed to the project in 2024, and main structural work started in February 2025.
In January, a £1.2m grant from the Wolfson Foundation was also given towards the project to support an ophthalmology suite within iREACH Health and accelerate eye research and translation of new treatments into clinical trials.
The facility is now expected to officially open in spring 2027.
Located adjacent to Belfast City Hospital, the 8,500 sqm development will comprise two interconnected buildings designed by TODD Architects.
The facility will bring together clinical researchers, healthcare professionals, industry partners and trial participants under one roof to expand Northern Ireland’s capacity to deliver clinical research and commercial trials.
The centre is expected to accommodate around 360 staff and provide specialist laboratories, clinical trial facilities and collaborative research spaces to support the development and testing of new treatments.
Once complete, iREACH Health is expected to support more efficient delivery of clinical trials while strengthening collaboration between academia, the NHS and the life sciences sector.
The project is also forecast to generate more than 1,000 direct and indirect jobs and contribute an estimated £750m to the Northern Ireland economy over its lifetime.
