Canon Medical Systems UK has acquired naming rights to a new multi-purpose sports arena opening in the English city of Sheffield.
The Park Community Arena will now officially be known as the Canon Medical Arena until 2033. The arena, which will have a seated capacity of 2,500, is scheduled to open in the autumn and will serve as the home of the Sheffield Sharks and Sheffield Hatters basketball teams.
The venue forms part of the Sheffield Olympic Legacy Park, which also includes a Community Stadium which opened last year.
Sheffield Olympic Legacy Park was established after the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games in an effort to deliver whole population improvements in health and wellbeing. It is said to be the world’s only Olympic legacy park outside a host city.
Canon Medical Arena will feature an integrated medical diagnostic centre operated by The LivingCare Group. The arena itself will feature multi-sport courts, a fitness studio, meeting and education function rooms, and a café.
The naming-rights agreement with Canon Medical Systems UK builds on the company’s involvement in the development and construction of the arena.
Yuri Matischen, director of Park Community Arena Ltd, said: “This mid-size venue complements the city’s facilities, and now that we have such a strong brand name for the arena, we will continue to attract major events to Sheffield, and we look forward to driving the region’s sports and health economies respectively.”
Mark Hitchman, managing director of Canon Medical Systems UK, added: “The Canon Medical Arena is a pioneering carbon-neutral built sports, healthcare, and community facility with the aim of increasing affordable access to sports and community events.
“As well as providing a home for the B. Braun Sheffield Sharks and B. Braun Sheffield Hatters basketball, the medical diagnostic centre will play a part in expanding healthcare capacity for local people with advanced healthcare facilities featuring the latest Canon Medical innovations. It will also be a hub for our research and development teams working in cooperation with neighbouring academia developing healthcare innovations for the future.”
