Healthcare innovators from across the West of England assembled in Swindon this month as part of a programme that aims to save the NHS millions by bringing the benefits of cutting-edge healthcare technology to patients faster.
The four-day Health Innovation Programme for health professionals, hosted by SETsquared and the West of England Academic Health Science Network (AHSN), provided 17 healthcare ventures with an intensive course in taking innovations to market.
The programme, which is now into its fourth successful year, covered topics such as how to conduct effective market analysis, develop funding strategies and build a compelling business case for potential investors.
The final day culminated with an opportunity for delegates to pitch to a panel of investors and healthcare experts. This was followed by a prize giving attended by MP for North Swindon, Justin Tomlinson.
Justin Tomlinson MP, said: “I was delighted to attend the last day of the programme and to get an opportunity to speak to the participants and learn more about their pioneering ideas. Congratulations to SETsquared and the West of England Academic Health Science Network for continuing to deliver a course that goes from strength to strength and supports innovators who are looking to make a fantastic contribution to many different areas of health and social care.”
Among the 17 innovators that took part this year was Dr Chen Mao Davies, founder of LatchAid, a breastfeeding support app that uses Augmented Reality to help new mothers learn and improve their latching-on skills.
Dr Chen Mao Davies, founder of LatchAid, said: “When starting out in business there is so much you need to think about that often it is easy to get wrapped up in your idea and forget the other things needed to make it a success. Getting the chance to speak to individuals experienced in launching and running a successful business was extremely helpful. I found the whole experience really invaluable.”
Lars Sundstrom, innovation and growth director at West of England AHSN, added: “We’re delighted that through the Healthcare Innovation Programme we have been able to help create new partnerships between companies and healthcare providers. Some of the ideas we’ve seen today really do have the potential to change people’s lives and revolutionise areas of the healthcare industry.”
For more details about the partnership, visit: http://www.setsquared.co.uk/start-support/support-healthcare-innovators
