Academic lands key health innovation role
PROFESSOR Jackie Oldham of the University of Manchester has been appointed to a new role to make Manchester a leading centre for healthcare business and innovation.
Prof Oldhams’ role as Manchester’s director of healthcare innovation is to promote the city creating a “super cluster of global companies, SMEs and start-ups” co-located with world-class universities and NHS facilities, resources and expertise to attract inward investment.
She said: “The vision is to for this city become a globally recognised centre that attracts the best companies, innovators and investors, is a place of discovery and invention and that fast tracks development of new healthcare innovations to improve the lives of citizens in Manchester and beyond.”
The new plans for Manchester build on systems already in place in Boston, US where institutions such as Harvard, MIT and Massachusetts General Hospital have linked successfully with healthcare and businesses to create one of the world’s leading bio-health innovation centres.
Prof Oldham added: “We want the best companies, investors, innovators and entrepreneurs to be attracted to Manchester to work with us and create a health innovation super cluster to develop new innovations at pace and scale. This is an ambitious plan but by working together we can harness our resources to maximum effect.”
Sir Howard Bernstein, chief executive of Manchester City Council, said: “Manchester is already a hub for medical research, treatment and innovation and where we have existing strengths we are keen to build on them to create something truly globally distinctive.
“We want to make sure Greater Manchester’s devolution deal, and in particular arrangements to integrate health and social care with decisions being taken in the area rather than remotely, provide a platform for further growth. I’m confident that this new initiative, and Professor Oldham’s role in it, will contribute towards these goals.”
