New healthtech research institute to launch in Manchester

A consortium led by The University of Manchester is launching a new multimillion pound research institute called The Christabel Pankhurst Institute for Health Technology.

It’s hoped it will maximise the academic strengths of Manchester in digital health and advanced materials to discover health and care innovations.

President and vice-chancellor of University of Manchester, Professor Dame Nancy Rothwell, said: “This is a really exciting opportunity to work with our partners to exploit the University’s strengths in digital health and advanced materials to make a real difference to the health and economic development of Greater Manchester.”

The Institute is being launched following a £5 million award from the Greater Manchester Combined Authority’s (GMCA) Local Growth Fund and is part of a plan set out in the Greater Manchester (GM) Local Industrial Strategy to boost the city-region’s provision in this area. The consortium is made up of the University, Manchester Science Partnerships (MSP), Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust (MFT), and Health Innovation Manchester (HInM).

Professor Ben Bridgewater, chief executive of Health Innovation Manchester, said: “Greater Manchester is world class when it comes to health innovation and advanced materials, underpinned by assets in digital technology and data science. The Christabel Pankhurst Institute will play a pivotal role in discovering and developing market ready innovations that we can deploy across the city-region, to ultimately improve the health and wellbeing of our citizens.”

The initiative will build on investments from the University, MSP, the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), and The Alan Turing Institute, creating a total budget of more than £25 million.

The aim of the collaboration is to capitalise on the University’s strengths in digital health and advanced materials and develop innovative products and services for the healthcare sector. In turn this will drive business growth and employment as well as boost the long-term health benefits of the city region as well as.

The institute will be housed at the centre of the University’s campus on the Oxford Road Corridor, as well as having research and business development spaces at MSP's Citylabs campus.

Sir Mike Deegan, chief executive of Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, said: “We are delighted to be part of an initiative with our partners that will support researchers in accessing cutting-edge data and materials that will develop into improved treatment and care for our patients”.