Part of a major investment that 'will transform the way students, professionals and employers experience simulation-based education', the University of Gloucestershire is set to open a brand-new Centre of Excellence for Immersive Learning Environments.
The creation of the centre, which will be named FutureSim, has been given the go-ahead after the university secured £2.5 million in funding by the Office for Students.
Set to open at the university's Oxtalls Campus in Gloucester in April 2026, FutureSim will bring together and expand the university's existing simulation facilities into one integrated hub – increasing its simulation capacity by 25 per cent.
The hub will feature five modular zones 'designed to replicate real-world environments' such as clinical, community, forensic, custodial and outdoor settings, while the existing buildings will also be refurbished to 'deliver the new facilities in a way that is both environmentally sustainable and economically efficient'.
Learners will have the unique opportunity to practice, experiment and innovate in immersive environments that include virtual patient pods and a Hydra command suite for crisis leadership, alongside state-of-the-art manikins, wearable technologies, XR/VR platforms and AI-enabled analytics.
Developed in alignment with the Gloucestershire Local Skills Improvement Plan, the NHS Long Term Workforce Plan and the National Police Chiefs' Council's Digital Strategy, FutureSim will 'play a crucial role in addressing digital skills gaps across health, social care, policing, cyber, AI and education' – all key sectors for the region and beyond.
Chief operating officer at the University of Gloucestershire, Matthew Andrews, said: 'We are delighted to be one of only five institutions to be awarded the maximum funding allocation of £2.5m in the Office for Students’ Capital funding competition for 2025-26.
'FutureSim represents a bold step forward in how we prepare our students and partners for the future of digital and professional practice.
'By investing in cutting-edge simulation and AI-ready environments, we’re not just enhancing how people learn, we’re strengthening our region’s ability to meet national workforce needs and drive innovation across public services and industry.'
