Columbia University and City Hall are teaming up to create a $20 million institute to study, understand and find better ways to stop pandemics in the wake of the devastation caused by COVID-19.

The deal comes a year after Mayor Bill de Blasio first pledged to create the disease research hub, saying the effort would help revitalize the Big Apple’s economy and better protect the five boroughs from future disease outbreaks.

“This is a big step forward and we’ve got the right people for this big responsibility,” said de Blasio, as he rolled out the announcement during his daily press briefing Wednesday.

“This will prepare us, protect us against the potential pandemics in the future, help us to stop the pandemic of the future, or, worst-case scenario, handle them in a way we’ve never been able to before,” he added.

The partnership also includes the Big Apple’s main public college system, City University of New York.

Separately, de Blasio also announced the city’s programs for vaccine outreach and to test-and-trace New Yorkers for COVID would be made permanent and folded into a new city public health corps.