The new building will host the permanent venue of the European School of Genetic Medicine (ESGM).

It is projected that the Ronzano Center will be able to accommodate up to 100 students at one time (some of whom may be housed in Ronzano). It will contain ample didactic space and exhibition space, fine lodging and dining facilities, and transportation to and from the city and its airport. The Center will be connected via Internet to the University of Bologna Library system, to international networks of genetics and cancer research centers, and to a vast selection of online biomedical journals. Research will focus on genetic epidemiology and statistical genetics (therefore a "dry lab" based on computer facilities, as opposed to a "wet lab" where molecular genetics experiments are performed using DNA samples, cells, etc.). The Center will also be equipped with the most advanced audio-visual and internet communications technology (e-Learning, WiFi local connectivity, broadband and satellite remote connectivity, multipoint videoconferencing, Live video streaming).

The Ronzano Center will also host seminars, conferences, and exhibits aimed at the public understanding of genetics.

Thanks to collaborations with the Engineering Departments of the University of Bologna and with leading IT Corporations, the Ronzano Center will also develop and test new technologies for e-learning.

Two other Centres are named after V.A. McKusick: the McKusick-Nathans Institute of Genetic Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore MD, USA, and the McKusick Zhang Center in Beijing, Peoples' Republic of China. Efforts are under way to promote scientific cooperation and exchange across the three centres.