Nottingham universities enter innovative healthtech partnership
Nottingham has become one of just five UK cities to partner with the Association of British HealthTech Industries (ABHI).
With the highest number of healthtech companies in any region of the UK, the Midlands boasts several world class universities and centres of excellence, with Nottingham alone being home to the NIHR Nottingham Biomedical Research Centre and NIHR Nottingham Clinical Research Facility, the Sir Peter Mansfield Imaging Centre and the Medical Technologies Innovation Facility (MTIF).
Now, following the signing of a new agreement, the city’s two universities and their civic partners will support the ABHI in its national policy work and international engagement, facilitating collaborations between ABHI member companies and regional stakeholders.
Professor Sir Jonathan Van-Tam MBE, Pro-Vice Chancellor for Medicine and Health Sciences at the University of Nottingham, said: “We’re delighted to have entered this new, exciting partnership with ABHI. This builds on our existing industry partnerships to establish a framework that will enable us to work closely together for the mutual benefit of the Nottinghamshire region, industry and, crucially, patients here, across the UK and the world.”
The partnership forms part of the shared commitments under the Universities for Nottingham Civic Agreement, a collaboration between the two universities and eight key anchor institutions.
One of the key ambitions of the agreement is to establish a Nottinghamshire MedTech innovation cluster.
Professor Van-Tam added: “We’ve already made progress forging strong relationships in the industry, thanks to our existing collaboration with Medilink Midlands, and firmly believe that this new partnership with the ABHI will help bring our ambitions even closer to reality, making Nottinghamshire into a leading destination to invest in, or establish, new health and life sciences businesses both nationally and internationally.”
Dr Robert Reisel, managing director of the Medical Technologies Innovation Facility at Nottingham Trent University, said: “This extremely exciting strategic partnership creates a platform to promote our shared vision, to make good use of the region’s world-leading expertise, innovation and manufacturing facilities as well as strong ties with local communities and MedTech and HealthTech industries.
“The partnership will further support the acceleration and commercialisation of innovations aiming to reduce the cost of care while most importantly improving the lives of people needing care and treatments, and consequently strengthen the region’s aim to become the most desirable MedTech and HealthTech location for investors, innovators and industry nationally and internationally”.
Peter Ellingworth, chief executive of the ABHI, said: “By bringing in ABHI’s long-standing expertise in areas like regulation, and our deep connections within the NHS, UK government and the wider HealthTech industry, this partnership allows us to provide focussed support for companies, and the broader HealthTech network, in Nottingham. The East Midlands has a compelling offer, and we look forward to collaborating to further strengthen this ecosystem, to benefit patients and stimulate growth of the HealthTech sector.”
Picture shows (L-R): Peter Ellingworth (CEO, ABHI), Robert Reisel (Medical Technologies Innovation Facility, Nottingham Trent University), Richard Phillips (director of strategy, ABHI) Steve Morgan (Faculty of Engineering, University of Nottingham)
