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The Health and Technology District, a series of high-tech buildings that are being built over the next decade by the Lark Group, is meant to create a unique hub where clinicians and health-care providers can work alongside innovators, entrepreneurs and tech companies.

Photo by Handout / PNG

According to Lark Group president Larry Fisher, the district will ultimately inject $1.1 billion annually into the local economy and create an estimated 15,000 jobs, in addition to creating innovative products that will be exported globally.

The ability to work alongside other high-tech companies is one thing that drew Safe Software to the district, said Murray.

“The location is a big reason, as well as being closer to SFU at Surrey Central,” said Murray, also citing its proximity to rapid transit. “And we’re moving into a brand new, state-of-the-art building as well. It will be easier to recruit people. And the collaboration with high-tech companies is really a big deal. We’re already engaged with a number of companies there now. And we’re hoping to do work with Fraser Health. They have data challenges and that’s our expertise.”

Rowena Rizzotti, the Lark Group’s president of health care and innovation, said Thursday that their first building opened in 2014 and the second is being completed this year.

“When all eight buildings are completed, there will be over one million square feet of space, 15,000 jobs and an estimated $1.1 billion in economic activity, primarily high-tech and professional.

“We just had 22 companies sign up in 90 days. They come from all backgrounds, they’re developing different technologies, many focused in the health sector.”

She said that while most companies are relocating, “some are startups. And some have come up from the U.S. and other countries.

“We’ve had a huge groundswell of companies wanting to locate there.”

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