THE University of Glasgow has welcomed the first academics into its new £116million research facility.

The 16,000-square-metre Advanced Research Centre will house a collaborative community of academics from across a range of disciplines and will be fully operational from spring this year.

Over the next few months more than 500 researchers, technicians and professional staff will move into the ARC which is part of the university’s new campus on the former Western Infirmary site.

The first group moving in will work on developing world-changing technologies in the field of digital chemistry.

The ground floor will be open to the general public to showcase the university’s research.

It will offer a mix of multi-purpose spaces for events and conferences, as well as team building and networking activity and public engagement.