Leeds’ international reputation for health research and innovation is being propelled to the next level with the launch this month of Health Innovation Leeds.
A new approach by the city’s health and care research and innovation partners, Health Innovation Leeds will showcase its world-leading developments and help people to navigate what it has to offer.
Leading the launch is Leeds Academic Health Partnership, with partners including Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, Leeds and York Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, Leeds Community Healthcare NHS Trust, Leeds Health and Care Partnership, Leeds City Council, Health Innovation Yorkshire and Humber, West Yorkshire Health and Care Partnership and a number of other organisations.
Through Health Innovation Leeds, partners hope to secure greater influence and investments by showcasing the areas as a competitive health innovation hub. Leeds is the UK’s third largest city, and economically the fastest growing and the top performing for business scale-ups, according to the scheme.
Leading the way
Leeds’ Innovation Arc is already creating a city centre science park, one of the largest regeneration schemes in the north of England. The park is formed around the city’s leading universities, one of the most research and innovation-active NHS teaching hospital trusts and major private sector partners.
The West Yorkshire city will also capitalise on the recently announced £160 million boost as one of the government’s new UK Investment Zones. In addition, Leeds is home to the Leeds-Israel Innovation Healthtech Gateway, the first scheme of its kind in the UK which aims to establish institutional links between the two countries.
Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust chief executive officer and Leeds Academic Health Partnership chair elect, Professor Phil Wood, said: “Leeds is renowned for breaking new ground in demonstrating world-leading health innovation. Its strong track record includes the National Pathology Imaging Collaborative, world firsts in interventional radiology and a UK first in hand transplantation.
“We are working more closely together as a city in our focus on local people’s greatest health needs. And, with this focus, we are expanding our portfolio of research and strengthening our engagement with industry innovators, both locally and globally. As a result, Leeds is repeatedly leading the field in discovering and adopting transformative new approaches in health and care.
“Health Innovation Leeds will help bring all this together in a compelling offer to national and international audiences and cement our city’s position as the first-choice location for the sector.”
Kate Lodge, partnership director at Leeds Academic Health Partnership, added: “Working closely with all our partners, we want to ensure that more people benefit from the great work in our city, such as translating research into practice and enabling innovators to develop their products. Health Innovation Leeds will help us spotlight these strengths and provide a gateway to our unique health research and innovation ecosystem.”