Representing our £5.2 million EPSRC impact accelerator programme, Professor Paul Hatton joined a core 23-member delegation to forge vital new corridors of innovation between the North of England and some of Asia’s most dynamic economic hubs.  The itinerary spanned five cities, taking the delegation into the heart of Hong Kong, Chengdu, and the bustling innovation districts of the Greater Bay Area, including Guangzhou.

A showcase of Northern excellence

The mission united senior regional leadership, including South Yorkshire Mayor Oliver Coppard, the Sheffield Chamber of Commerce, and the Master Cutler alongside key civic and corporate partners. Together, they presented a formidable case to international investors.

Speaking at high-level economic exchanges, Professor Hatton highlighted the globally significant scale of the combined West and South Yorkshire medical devices manufacturing sector, which currently employs 16,000 highly skilled workers.

He championed the region’s world-class academic foundations, highlighting to hosts that the Yorkshire MedTech anchor academic partners are both QS World Top 100 institutions.  Specifically, the pioneering work of the University of Sheffield’s Insigneo Institute and University of Leeds Institute of Medical and Biological Engineering as the cornerstones for our accelerator.

The delegation made one thing clear: Yorkshire is a global powerhouse for advanced medical technology research and clinical translation for patient and economic benefit.

Lessons from a culture of growth

Visiting state-of-the-art innovation centres, advanced manufacturing facilities, and environmental infrastructure projects,  the delegation gained first-hand perspective on the relentless entrepreneurial drive of China’s fastest-growing urban economies.

“Every host city welcomed us with purpose-built, high-impact environments designed to showcase their technologies and ambition” Professor Hatton reflected, noting that the experience has set a new benchmark for how Yorkshire will host reciprocal overseas missions in the future.

“China faces identical structural healthcare challenges to our own, but their scale of ambition and focus on operational delivery is something we must look to replicate as we build our upcoming health programmes.”

Unlocking actionable pathways

The mission was far from merely a networking exercise; it revealed tangible measures to propel Yorkshire’s medical technology sector on the global stage:

• Robust “soft landing” pathways: Every city visited offered highly attractive incentive structures—including tax reductions and direct grants. Hong Kong, with its international business environment and widespread use of English, emerged as an accessible gateway for regional University spin-outs looking to expand into Asia.
• Global talent exchanges: Great enthusiasm was generated for hosting international placements within Chinese innovation centres, offering a unique opportunity to elevate the UK’s R&D profile through upcoming Yorkshire MedTech succession programmes.
• Inward investment and clinical trials: The team identified a strong appetite from Chinese companies looking to undertake early-phase clinical trials in the UK to clear European regulatory hurdles. Active dialogue is already underway with one advanced, trial-ready company exploring a UK-based relocation.

Looking ahead: momentum to impact

The foundation has been laid. With widespread interest from Chinese hosts to launch return visits to Yorkshire, it is important we now consider how to best present a unified West and South Yorkshire showcase that highlights the region’s unparalleled research and manufacturing strengths in medical technology.

As the momentum from this opening mission is translated into formal, enduring partnerships, Yorkshire MedTech remains dedicated to its core mission: Stimulating regional economic growth while measurably advancing public health and wellbeing on a global scale.