Recent Life Sciences Innovation events in Leeds and Sheffield threw light on the worldclass HealthTech cluster and the thriving ecosystem for innovation in the region. Members of the Yorkshire MedTech team represented the project at both events, and Arun Christin Thariath shares his reflections in this blog post.
image credit: Ross Jarman
Central to discussions were the three pillars of the NHS 10-Year Plan: From Hospital to community care, From analogue to digital, From sickness to prevention.
The ‘South Yorkshire Life Sciences Summit’ on 5th November showcased the region’s Life Sciences innovation strengths and its reputation for medical device manufacturing. With a £3.3 billion GVA contribution (12.3% of regional output) and ranking 4th among UK Core Cities for MedTech cluster size, South Yorkshire is home to 275 health tech organizations and a rapidly expanding digital health sector.
In Leeds, ‘Driving the Future of Innovation: West Yorkshire’s HealthTech Cluster’ on 6th November marked a first-of-its-kind gathering of government, academia, NHS, funders, and industry. Discussions centred on the 10-Year Health Plan’s implications for innovators and highlighted funding opportunities to accelerate growth. The event spotlighted West Yorkshire’s world leading HealthTech cluster and its world-class research infrastructure.
A recurring theme was Artificial Intelligence (AI) as a transformative force in healthcare. Clear success metrics, better diagnostics, reduced clinician workload, and measurable patient benefit are essential to avoid AI innovation becoming a buzzword.
With ill health costing the UK economy £246 billion annually (9.6% of GDP), systemic innovation must go hand in hand with personal responsibility. Informed choices on nutrition, exercise, and lifestyle are as critical as technological breakthroughs. This dual strategy is the cornerstone of sustainable health improvement.
As Dr Zubir Ahmed MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Health Innovation and Safety noted in his opening remarks to the Sheffield Summit, “Innovation is no longer a nice-to-have; it is an engine for reform.” The week reinforced a shared ambition: to build a healthcare ecosystem where cutting-edge technologies meet real-world needs – and the pivotal role for our region as whole in this.