Robertson Construction has started work on the £30m Sir Bobby Robson Institute at Freeman Hospital in Newcastle.
The contractor is delivering the scheme through the Procure23 framework, working alongside Newcastle Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and P+HS Architects to construct the three-storey Sir Bobby Robson Institute.
Once complete, the building will bring together the Sir Bobby Robson Cancer Trials Research Centre with oncology and haematology research teams under one roof, creating a dedicated facility to support more integrated cancer research and clinical trials.
Located next to the Northern Centre for Cancer Care, the development is expected to ease pressure on existing research space and increase clinical trial activity by up to 50%, according to project partners.
The scheme forms part of a wider strategy to strengthen cancer research capacity in the north east, north Cumbria and north Yorkshire, improving access to innovative treatments for patients across the region.
Plans for the scheme were first submitted last September, and planning approval for the institute was granted in December, enabling construction to move forward after formal sign-off from Newcastle City Council.
Completion is scheduled for 2028.
How fundraising has made the project possible
Fundraising for the £30m Sir Bobby Robson Institute has been led by The Sir Bobby Robson Foundation, which has worked with supporters over several years to progress the project.
Around £20m was initially raised through public donations, community fundraising activity and charitable giving from individuals and organisations, with a further £6.5m secured more recently from founding donors, taking the total to approximately £26.5m.
Efforts are now focused on raising the remaining £3.5m required to complete the project and fully equip the facility.
Mark Robson, Chair of The Sir Bobby Robson Foundation and son of Sir Bobby Robson, said reaching this stage marked a significant milestone in the project, while noting that fundraising still needs to be completed to meet the full £30m target.
Healthcare teams involved in the development have previously highlighted that existing research facilities at the Freeman Hospital are operating at capacity, limiting the number and scale of clinical trials that can be delivered.
The new institute is expected to provide additional clinical space to support larger and more complex studies.