Collaborative Digital Delivery Drives Health Innovation Dudley to Completion

Dudley’s flagship Health Innovation Dudley (HID) project has reached completion, marking a significant milestone for the borough’s regeneration ambitions and for the continued use of Integrated Project Insurance in the UK construction sector.

The £26 million Health Innovation Centre at University Park Dudley, delivered using the innovative Integrated Project Insurance (IPI) model, is a key element of Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council’s regeneration vision and levelling-up journey. Developed to help build a skilled local workforce and support the local healthcare sector with trained staff, the centre represents a major investment in the borough’s future.

The centre is only the fifth project in the UK to be delivered using the IPI model. This collaborative approach brings the client, designers, contractor and key project partners together from the outset, creating the conditions to identify opportunities, encourage innovation and manage risk collectively.

On HID, this collaborative environment was supported by Building Information Modelling (BIM), lean design and implementation practices, and a structured approach to digital information management. Stephen George + Partners (SGP) was appointed as Lead Digital Coordinator, helping the Alliance work from a shared digital model throughout design and construction, improving coordination and project efficiency.

SGP’s role focused on the structured capture, exchange and management of digital information. This helped improve coordination, reduce inefficiencies and provide a clearer basis for decision-making across the project team.

Joe Marlow, Service Lead for Information Management and BIM Coordination at SGP, explains: “Under the IPI model, the client, designers, contractor and key project partners are brought together from the outset, with suppliers and end users engaged early so their knowledge can inform the project. On HID, digital coordination gave that wider team a shared view of the building.

Working in 3D allowed the Alliance to use the model as a live project tool, not just a design output. It supported design workshops, helped make interfaces easier to understand, and gave the team a clearer basis for coordination and clash avoidance.

That visibility then carried into the 4D Build in a Day workshops. By linking the 3D model to the construction programme, the team could review the build sequence visually and test sequencing, logistics, access and design interfaces together.

Bringing Alliance members and key suppliers into the same room helped identify potential time savings, reduce waste, challenge assumptions and agree more efficient ways of working before issues reached site.”

This approach turned digital coordination into a live project tool rather than a tick-box exercise. The model gave the team a common reference point for design discussions, coordination reviews and programme planning, helping interfaces to be understood earlier and providing the Alliance with a stronger basis for collaborative decision-making.

For SGP, HID demonstrates the value of combining collaborative procurement with robust digital information management. IPI creates the conditions for shared decision-making; digital coordination helps provide the visibility, structure and evidence needed to support those decisions.

A catalyst for education and employment

Funded by the Government’s Towns Fund, the Health Innovation Centre is a partnership between Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council, Dudley College of Technology, and the University of Worcester.

Joe concludes: “The completion of Health Innovation Dudley shows what can be achieved when collaborative procurement is supported by clear digital coordination. IPI created the environment for integrated teamworking, and the digital process helped make information, interfaces and decisions more visible. Through partnership, innovation and a shared commitment to project outcomes, HID will leave a lasting legacy for Dudley and its residents.”

IPI creates the culture for collaboration, but digital coordination gives the team the shared evidence needed to identify opportunities, drive innovation and manage risk collectively.