The University of New Brunswick will build a new, $38 million Health and Social Innovation Centre at its Saint John campus as part of the provincial government’s larger bid to revamp its flagging healthcare system with the help of innovative practices and technologies.

The New Brunswick government will provide $12 million of funding and the federal government $15.2 million, with UNB paying the balance. The new building is part of the university and province’s Integrated Health Initiative.

As well as housing UNB’s bachelor of health program, the centre will include state-of-the-art research facilities and will have a mandate to find innovation-driven ways to reform healthcare practices, including via social innovation.

“The Health and Social Innovation Centre is the hub for UNB’s Integrated Health Initiative, an ambitious program designed to transform health care through education, research, partnerships, innovation and knowledge transfer,” said university president and vice-chancellor Paul J. Mazerolle in a statement.

The announcement comes as Atlantic Canadian healthtech and medtech startups continue to grow in prominence, thanks to companies like Halifax-based ABK Biomedical, which last month closed a US$30 million Series C funding round, and industry groups like Newfoundland’s Bounce Health Innovation.