The Centre for Process Innovation (CPI), the U.K.’s technology innovation provider for process manufacturing, has begun construction of its National Centre for Healthcare Photonics, which will focus initially on novel technologies for imaging, diagnostics and therapy. Set to open in December of 2018, the National Centre for Healthcare Photonics will provide open access facilities and expertise to help companies develop technologies that use light for health care applications and turn them into commercially viable products. By reducing the barriers that commonly prevent early research and inventions reaching market, this will ultimately provide novel and improved ways to diagnose and treat disease. Health care photonics technologies can have applications in the early diagnosis and monitoring of chronic diseases such as diabetes or acute diseases such as cancer or brain injury. Lasers are now widely used in the treatment of various eye conditions and in surgical procedures. Once opened, the centre will present the North East as a global hub for the health care photonics industry. “Photonics is a key enabling technology for a range of health care products related to imaging, diagnostics and therapy,” said Tom Harvey, strategic program manager for health care photonics at CPI. “The new center will provide expertise and facilities to help companies bring these products to market more quickly, with less risk and at lower cost, which will ultimately benefit patients.” The project will be supported with an £8.3 million ($11.2 million) grant from the Local Growth Fund through the North East Local Enterprise Partnership. “The impact of the work at the National Centre for Healthcare Photonics will undoubtedly be far reaching,” said Phil Wilson, the member of parliament for Sedgefield. “The work done here in Sedgefield, with technologies that help the diagnosis and monitoring of diseases from diabetes to cancer, can ultimately improve the lives of patients locally and much farther afield.”