Eight Nordic innovators bring solutions to Yorkshire and Humber
Eight innovators from the Nordic region have been selected to bring health innovations to the Yorkshire and Humber region in the second international Propel@YH Boot Camp.
Run by the Yorkshire & Humber Academic Health Science Network (Yorkshire & Humber AHSN), this Boot Camp seeks to bring the best health innovations to the UK, with the Yorkshire and Humber region being the first to make use of them and a view to further spread their solutions to the rest of the country.
The AHSNs are increasingly operating on a global scale – building strategic partnerships with international bodies to stimulate inward investment and export growth opportunities. The Propel@YH Boot Camp is promising for the citizens of Yorkshire and Humber whose patients will get to benefit from the best technology first, and the region also benefits from the inward investment that the programme secures. Following the success of the inaugural Boot Camp in 2022, three of the five US companies who took part in the programme have since established their UK headquarters in Leeds.
Innovations coming into the region for the Nordic Boot Camp include a flexible sensor for those living with incontinence, time-saving software for medication related processes and a product to manage patient flow and resource planning.
The small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) selected are:
The innovators will take part in a range of masterclasses, workshops, and networking events across Leeds. Programme content includes understanding how the NHS works, NHS governance, finance and procurement frameworks, clinical safety, and supplier regulations, developing evidence-based proposals and reimbursement models.
The companies will also have access to the AHSN’s partners who bring specific expertise to the programme and include:
- Barclays Eagle Labs
- Hill Dickinson
- Nexus, University of Leeds
- Leeds City Council
- West Yorkshire Health and Care Partnership
The Yorkshire & Humber AHSN is one of 15 AHSNs set up by NHS England to operate as the key innovation arm of the NHS. It acts as a bridge between health care providers, commissioners, academia, and industry and accelerates the spread and adoption of proven innovations across the local healthcare system to improve the health and prosperity of our region.
Neville Young, director of enterprise and innovation at the Yorkshire & Humber AHSN said: “It's great to see innovative companies from across the globe wanting to bring their products to the UK, particularly here in Yorkshire and the Humber. As part of our mission to support economic growth and improve the health and wellbeing of our region, the Propel@YH Boot Camp helps secure investment and jobs by attracting these businesses to the NHS market.
“If we can successfully support these innovators to establish themselves in Yorkshire, we can use the great regional assets we have available to us and the strength of the AHSN Network to spread these innovations across the country, securing investment, jobs and health and wellbeing benefits for the whole of the UK. I’d like to thank our partners and our sponsor, Nordic Innovation, who enabled us to run this short but intensive programme, we hope to be able to host more boot camps for other international businesses in the future.”