The chief scientific officer for England, Professor Dame Susan Hill, has praised the Innovation Pop Up at Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust for fostering “impressive new technologies.”
The fast-growing collective of clinicians and entrepreneurs is transforming the latest advances in science, technology and engineering into products and services that can solve health and care challenges facing Britain and the rest of the world. Based at the Gilbert Scott building, the Pop Up is helping the NHS to overcome barriers to adoption for healthtech and represents the first step in the development of a globally significant innovation district in Leeds.
The ambitious initiative has won the research and innovation category in the chief scientific officer’s Excellence in Healthcare Science Awards, which champions ground-breaking translational scientific work and strong collaborations for innovation and enterprise to make a real difference in patient care.
Professor Dame Susan Hill said: “There are a number of impressive new technologies and innovations coming out of the new Pop Up at Leeds Teaching Hospitals. One of the brilliant things the team have been developing is real-time location services to help track samples in pathology to improve efficiency. This innovative application of tracking technology is testament to the cross fertilisation of ideas that happen by bringing entrepreneurs and clinicians together.”
As chief scientific officer for England, she provides expert clinical scientific advice across the health system and is head of profession for the healthcare science workforce in the NHS and associated bodies, embracing more than 50 separate scientific specialisms.
Since its launch in September 2021, the Innovation Pop Up has worked with 150 companies including AI specialist iMedis and 3D LifePrints, identified 30 collaborations and ten funding opportunities, and successfully engaged with clinicians and entrepreneurs across Israel, Norway, Spain, Canada, Japan, Switzerland, the USA and Taiwan. The community of companies, now numbering 15, benefits from access to clinical teams, tailored business support and resources and open-plan workspace.
Professor David Brettle, chief scientific officer at Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust and founder of the Innovation Pop up, said: “We are thrilled that our Innovation Pop Up concept has already been recognised as a leader in health-tech innovation, since its formal launch in September 2021. The fact we have been able to grow our membership significantly and earn industry recognition in such a short space of time is a huge achievement. I can’t wait to see what we accomplish together in 2022.”
