Boosting health technology innovation

More than three million citizens across the Leeds City Region will benefit as senior leaders from the healthtech industry – including the University – announce a new collaboration.

Representing Leeds City Region healthtech MoU partners (from left) are David McBeth (University of York), Rob Webster (West Yorkshire and Harrogate Health and Care Partnership), Liam Sutton (University of Bradford), Liz Towns-Andrews (University of Huddersfield), Peter Slee (Leeds Beckett University), Sir Alan Langlands (University of Leeds), Roger Marsh (Leeds City Region Enterprise Partnership) and Peter Ellingworth (ABHI)

Organisations including the regional enterprise partnership, the NHS, local authorities and four other universities in the region have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to drive forward new approaches in improving patient and population health and care through better and faster healthtech innovation.

The move also aims to radically speed up the region’s productivity and economic growth in the sector, which is seeing an unprecedented rise across the UK and globally.

John Fisher, Professor of Mechanical Engineering at Leeds, said: “This MoU signals an important step towards embracing the opportunities and realising the ambitions set out in the Government’s Industrial Strategy.

“It paves the way for us to reduce fragmentation, further harness expertise and capability and radically strengthen the Leeds City Region’s position as a leading global player in healthtech.

“Each partner will play their part in helping address and overcome the barriers to innovation. By working together in a new, focussed and coordinated way, we will accelerate radical improvements in patient care, health service efficiency and drive economic growth and productivity across the region and the UK.”

The MoU is the first of its kind in the region and was signed on behalf of the University by Vice-Chancellor, Sir Alan Langlands.

He said: “The University has an outstanding track record of innovation research in medical engineering, technology, manufacturing and regenerative therapies, and a strong commitment to industry engagement and the creation of new healthtech companies.

“Alongside our partners, we want to improve health and care across the region and unlock the vast economic potential of this important sector.”

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