The Insigneo Institute, working in close collaboration with the Yorkshire MedTech Place-based Impact Accelerator, held an exciting Industry Day on the 3rd July, preceding the annual Insigneo Showcase on 4th July.
This event shone a spotlight on established MedTech collaborations between Yorkshire-based academics and major industrial partners, including GE Healthcare, DAISER, Abbott and Paxman. The event also showcased some of South Yorkshire's outstanding innovation assets, including the Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre and National Centre for Child Health Technology – both unique facilities offering state-of-the-art R&D support.
The event also highlighted the range of support on offer for the next generation of translational research projects, through the Yorkshire MedTech Place-based Impact Accelerator, funded by EPSRC and jointly led by the Universities of Sheffield and Leeds.
This deep dive into cutting-edge technologies could not have been more timely, coinciding with the release of the Government’s 10-Year Health Plan for England which aims to harness technology to create a new model of care in the NHS.
Abtisam Mohamed, MP for Sheffield Central, attended the event and commented: "I'm grateful to the University of Sheffield for having me along to hear about the cutting-edge research supporting our NHS, social care, and jobs in high-value medical technology manufacturing. The University and Insigneo, right here in Sheffield Central, are truly at the forefront of innovations that are crucial for the NHS and our broader economic prosperity."
Breakthrough Research Collaborations
Professor Jim Wild, Co-Director of the Insigneo Institute, and Professor Jan Wolber, GE Healthcare, presented the wide-ranging impacts of many years’ collaborative research into MRI for lung imaging. Their work exemplifies how synergies can be harnessed through collaboration, with exciting projects underway to drive future clinical benefits. This theme of collaborative excellence was further demonstrated by Professor Alex Rothman, University of Sheffield, and Dr Emma Braithwaite, Abbott, who showcased innovation in cardiovascular devices, with collaboration ultimately helping to speed up research and evidence generation, and inform future strategy.
Further insights came from Professor Tim Chico, University of Sheffield, and Mike Trennell, DAISER, on the work underway within the South Yorkshire Digital Health Hub to discover how data from smartphones and wearables could improve health. Alongside this, an inspirational case study was shared by Patrick Burke and Jane Clayton, Paxman Scalp Cooling, and Dr Nik Georgopoulos, Sheffield Hallam University. Working closely for almost 15 years, collaboration between Paxman and academia has generated critical underpinning knowledge around chemotherapy-induced alopecia which has supported the business to become the global leaders in the scalp cooling industry.
Innovation Pipeline and Future Potential
The afternoon session highlighted earlier-stage work supported by the Yorkshire MedTech Place-Based Impact Accelerator, funded by EPSRC. These presentations showcased a robust pipeline of collaborative innovation and spin-out companies emerging from the region, ranging from bioactive glass to suppress microbial growth, through to new bio-polymers to replace plastic use in medical devices. The Yorkshire Medtech programme has so far supported 36 projects with funding to test the feasibility and viability of innovative ideas, bridging the gap between research and commercialisation. Over the next two and a half years, the programme aims to support many more researchers with funding to de-risk early-stage research outcomes and move them closer to market readiness.
The programme also features a secondment scheme which is currently open to applications. Aiming to facilitate rapid knowledge exchange and innovation skill development, the scheme welcomes a diverse range of host organisations, all designed to enrich researchers' understanding of the medical technology landscape. Full details on the range of support on offer can be found at Yorkshire MedTech Place-based Impact Accelerator.
The event concluded with an inspiring evening reception which provided innovators, both businesses and researchers alike, the opportunity to network and forge new connections. The event's success, strong attendance, and the wealth of collaboration opportunities generated underscore Yorkshire's emergence as the definitive hub for health technology advancement.
Professor Paul Hatton, Co-Investigator for Yorkshire MedTech and Faculty Director for Research and Innovation at the University of Sheffield said: "Having Sheffield Central MP Abtisam Mohamed join us, particularly on the day the Government's 10-Year Health Plan launched, truly highlighted the importance of our work to the Yorkshire economy."
"Our efforts in Sheffield, and across Yorkshire and Humber, are critical, uniquely positioned at the intersection of life sciences, healthcare, data/AI, and engineering.
With exceptionally strong and deep roots of biomedical engineering in Yorkshire, and the proven track record of collaborations showcased today, we're not just continuing a legacy – we're launching into a bolder future.
By working at a Yorkshire scale, through the Yorkshire Medtech Place-Based Impact Accelerator, we are providing a powerful springboard for even greater success in this hugely important regional and national sector."
