Wedoany.com Report-Nov. 12, A Midlands-based construction firm, G F Tomlinson, has been appointed to deliver a new research facility at the University of Nottingham, set to house the UK’s most powerful MRI scanner. The project involves an extension to the Sir Peter Mansfield Imaging Centre at the University Park Campus, spanning 250 sq metres and designed to accommodate an 11.7 Tesla Ultra High Field MRI scanner. This 70-tonne system aims to advance research into brain function and neurological diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.

Funded by UK Research and Innovation, the facility is expected to strengthen the UK’s leadership in brain imaging and research innovation. Professor Richard Bowtell, director of the Sir Peter Mansfield Imaging Centre, said: “It’s a huge moment to see the building starting to take shape after months of meticulous planning for this complex project and we’re delighted to be working with GF Tomlinson. We’re extremely proud to be building on Sir Peter Mansfield’s legacy that started here with the invention of MRI in the 1970s. The Ultra-High field scanner is the next generation in technology and will provide a step change in the capabilities of imaging research, opening up new opportunities for collaboration and innovation to bring new understanding to a range of diseases.”

The development includes an iron-shielded Magnet Hall, clinical spaces, and welfare areas, with significant structural reinforcement to support the scanner and its surrounding infrastructure. The design was developed in collaboration with the University’s leading academics, Tesla Engineering (magnet supplier), and Philips Healthcare (scanner supplier), while IMEDCO engineered and installed the iron shielding. This project continues a long-term partnership between G F Tomlinson and the University.

Andy Sewards, group chairman at G F Tomlinson, commented: “It’s a privilege to once again be supporting the University of Nottingham in delivering a facility that will have a lasting legacy in clinical research. Having previously completed landmark schemes such as the Biodiscovery Institute, we are proud to be working once again at University Park Campus – as well as delivering projects across the University’s Castle Meadow and Jubilee Campuses. The Sir Peter Mansfield Imaging Centre extension will become a cornerstone of medical excellence in the UK, and we’re pleased to be contributing our expertise to such a nationally significant facility.”

Construction began in July 2025 and is scheduled for completion in January 2027. The new facility is expected to enhance the University’s research capabilities, provide cutting-edge imaging infrastructure for collaboration with academic and clinical partners, and support the development of new understanding and treatments for neurological conditions. The project underscores the UK’s commitment to maintaining global leadership in medical imaging and research.