Health

Health is critical to our wellbeing as individuals, plays a key role in societal and economic advances, and presents many opportunities for environmental impact. Innovations in health & care allow us to alleviate suffering, increase quality of life and life expectancy, and manage the needs of a changing and ageing population.

The Health sector which delivers these innovations is diverse and covers a wide range of business activities. Innovate UK Business Connect covers the whole sector by focusing on the broad sub sectors of Medicines, Medical Technology and Digital Health. The logic behind this focus is that each of the sub-sectors is a significant sector in its own right and has distinct characteristics. The Health team at Innovate UK Business Connect has considerable experience of working in these sub-sectors and of driving cross-sector working to facilitate positive change.

Our Medimap provides a dynamic representation of the UK’s end-to-end medicines supply chain covering organisations involved in the discovery, development and manufacture of medicines, as well as those supporting the sector.

Our Health Funding Map, developed with the BioIndustry Association (BIA), will help in the navigation of the complicated world of medical and health innovation funding. You can find links to, details of, and further information on many funding schemes covering a wide variety of health areas.

Our current focus in this area

The digital health and care sub-sector is characterised by a large number of small companies developing technology across the health spectrum.

Medical technologies touch all of our lives – from pregnancy testing and ultrasound scans before birth; through wound care products for childhood injuries; to diagnostic imaging systems and therapeutic implants for disease in adults.

From bioelectronic medicine that treat chronic diseases, to brain-computer interfaces that help stroke rehabilitation, neurotechnology will play an increasingly important role in meeting some of the challenges of an ageing society.

Precision Medicine aims to target the right drug, to the right patient, at the right dose and the right time. Precision Medicine is a cutting-edge field of innovation that improves disease outcome by tailoring treatments to characteristics of patients.

The Microbiome Innovation Network (formerly SIG) aims to accelerate the commercialisation of microbiome-based products and services in the UK and create a vibrant community by connecting industry and academia.

The application of Artificial Intelligence and machine learning to the field of health represents a major opportunity for the UK. AI is a powerful tool that can be applied across industry sectors to solve specific challenges. The application of these tools in Health requires a mutual understanding between the AI and Health communities.

Innovate UK’s Transforming Medicines Manufacturing programme aims to drive the de-risking and adoption of highly innovative flexible, agile and scalable manufacturing technologies through a culture of collaboration that will drive the growth of this critically important manufacturing sector.

Related Opportunities

NHS Cancer Programme: Innovation Open Call 3

Opens: 26/01/2024 Closes: 29/05/2024

NHS England has launched a new round of its funding competition for innovation in the early detection and diagnosis of cancer.

More Information

Innovation Exchange challenge: Developing a process to effectively reclaim and recycle silicone from used HealthTech and medical devices

Opens: 03/04/2024 Closes: 08/05/2024

Seeking innovators who can provide a solution to reclaim and recycle silicone from used HealthTech and medical devices in an efficient and effective manner.

More Information

Innovate UK innovation loans future economy: round 14

Opens: 07/03/2024 Closes: 01/05/2024

UK registered businesses can apply for loans for innovative projects with strong commercial potential to significantly improve the UK economy.

More Information

Related Events and Recordings

Tue
16
May
2023

UK Phage Innovation Showcase

09.30 - 16.30 | Leicester/online

Watch now
Tue
14
Nov
2023

Healthy Ageing 2023

09.00 - 18.00 | London/Online

Recordings available
See all events

Our Experts

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For general enquiries regarding our Health sector contact us now

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