Why it’s in the news?
Council has approved a new brand for the economic health-care cluster to help create an identity for the cluster that will be developed around Royal Columbian Hospital and to raise awareness about opportunities in the cluster.
Why is the city creating an economic health-care cluster?
Royal Columbian Hospital, the largest employer in the Royal City, is already a key contributor to New Westminster’s economy. Blair Fryer, the city’s economic development manager, notes that the hospital generates $66 million in annual economic output in New Westminster and $495 million in B.C. through operating expenditures, visitor spending and investment in research.
“With planned expansion activity at RCH now underway, last year a mayor’s task force was established to examine how best to leverage RCH campus expansion investment by the provincial government in order to maximize economic benefits locally, while at the same time contributing to the delivery of excellent care for British Columbians,” Fryer said.
How does the city plan to market the economic health care cluster?
Dead Famous, a brand and marketing firm, worked with the city to develop a brand that tells “the story” of what the cluster is really about.
So, what’s the story?
“This is a regional health care story, as we endeavour to make the economic health-care cluster a reality,” said Mike Fiorentino of Dead Famous. “This story will be about Royal Columbian Hospital, Fraser Health Authority, the province of British Columbia, health associations and unions, patients from Burnaby to Boston Bar.”
It’s also a story about research and technology, dealing with post-secondary partnerships, research and tech organizations, start-up companies in health, research and technology companies and more.
“This is also an economic development story,” Fiorentino said. “It’s about a Sapperton renaissance, the evolution of New Westminster. New real estate development, new businesses and amenities and public and private investment.”
Why should New West residents care about this?
Planned in tandem with the province’s $1.4 billion commitment to redevelop Royal Columbian Hospital, Fryer the cluster represents a vision to champion new ideas for improving the quality of health for all citizens – achieving practical, real-world outcomes that advance care.
Hundreds of names were considered for branding of the economic health care cluster. And the winner is?
Idea Centre – an acronym for Innovation, Discovery, Education and Advancement.
So, why isn’t the word health included in the name of a centre that’s focused around health?
Chris Kostyal of Dead Famous said health is a pivotal piece in the development of an economic health care cluster, but research and technology sectors, real estate development and economic development are also part of the plan.
“I think the reason we ended up with a name that didn’t explicitly have health in it was ultimately to keep the door open to allow the economic health-care cluster to evolve and develop around strengths that will emerge from, not just Royal Columbian Hospital redevelopment, but also from the evolution of the area, from other initiatives like the Intelligent City,” he said.
