From the development of goal line technology - which was used during the football World Cup, to an app designed to encourage communities in Sheffield to 'Move More' - Sheffield Hallam University has always been on the cutting edge of health and sporting innovations.

Now, this expertise will be brought together in the Advanced Wellbeing Research Centre (AWRC) which will work with partners such as Sheffield City Council and Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust at Sheffield's Olympic Legacy Park, which is led by Legacy Park Ltd.

The 35 acre Olympic Legacy Park is situated in the Attercliffe area of Sheffield and is comprised of The English Institute of Sport Sheffield (EISS), UTC Sheffield, the Oasis Academy, a community sports pitch and arena, and the forthcoming AWRC - which forms the centrepiece of the Park.

While developments in modern technology have engineered activity out of our lives, populations across the world are facing an epidemic - nearly three quarters of men and two thirds of women in the UK will be overweight by 2020. A sedentary lifestyle is one of the main causes of obesity, bringing with it major health risks such as cardiovascular health problems, cancer, diabetes and mental health problems.

The AWRC, directed by Professor Steve Haake, will bring together expertise from academia, industry, and the medical profession from across the region and internationally, to deliver innovations including technology that will enable people to become more active and adopt healthier lifestyles.

This work will meet national and international public health challenges caused by physical inactivity, which will not only improve healthy lifetimes, but also have a huge positive impact on communities and commerce.

The AWRC has already attracted high profile commercial partners including Toshiba, Westfield Health and Park Run, which will support and contribute to the success of the Centre.

The AWRC is looking to attract further partners over the coming months and years, bringing together those who make things like apps, activity loggers, sports equipment, orthotics, and even clinical devices to support in the shared aim of delivering innovations that help people move more.

Find out more about Sheffield Hallam University's Advanced Wellbeing Research Centre.