The agreement, signed by ABHI – the industry body for the UK healthtech sector – and by cross-sector West Yorkshire leaders, aims to accelerate health technology advancements, transforming health and care – while fuelling economic growth across the region and the UK.
As a prime location for healthtech businesses, the partnership will support Leeds and West Yorkshire to continue to develop and adopt healthtech solutions at pace and scale – from medical devices to diagnostics and digital health solutions.
Furthermore, the initiative will target specific healthcare challenges such as frailty, obesity, and mental health through focused healthtech innovations.
Following the Memorandum of Understanding between ABHI and the region in 2019, this renewed commitment to healthtech innovation redoubles the focus on high-quality patient outcomes, addressing health inequalities, and driving inclusive economic growth.
Together, the partnership strives to showcase West Yorkshire’s healthtech centres of excellence, attracting investment to the region and aligning policy with industry needs.
Mayor of West Yorkshire Tracy Brabin said: “Working with partners, we’re putting innovation at the heart of our plans and efforts to improve healthcare in West Yorkshire.
“Collaborations like this, alongside our Healthtech Launchpad, will allow us to build on our strengths to boost skills, create jobs and drive growth.
“Together, we will help more people live longer, healthier lives in a stronger, brighter West Yorkshire that works for all.”
West Yorkshire’s healthtech sector is underpinned by world-leading research and a vibrant industry ecosystem. One of the strongest regional economies outside of London, West Yorkshire is home to over 250 healthtech businesses, generating over £3 billion in turnover and employing around 16,000 people.
And a £160m West Yorkshire Healthtech and Digital Tech Investment Zone represents a further catalytic boost for the region. Set to create 2,500 high-quality jobs and unlock over £220 million of investment, the initiative brings together universities, businesses and hospitals to deliver cutting-edge research and develop innovative new health and care technologies, for use in the UK and world-wide.
ABHI’s Executive Director of Policy and Partnerships, Richard Phillips, said: “Healthtech offers many solutions to our healthcare challenges, and so there is need for ongoing strategic support and dynamic partnerships with the NHS, academia, government and industry. West Yorkshire has a proud tradition of excellence in this regard and has long been one of the UK’s leading Healthtech hubs, with numerous outstanding companies in the region. This exciting development further strengthens this position and establishes West Yorkshire as a significant player, both nationally and globally.”
Among the signatories pledging to strengthen the health and wealth of the region is Leeds Academic Health Partnership (LAHP) – one of the biggest partnerships of its kind in the UK. The LAHP brings together partners from across the city’s internationally-renowned research and innovation ecosystem under the banner of Health Innovation Leeds.
Partnership Director, Kate Lodge, said: “Collaboration is a golden thread which runs throughout our strong, diverse and well-connected region. Here, deep partnerships across a globally-leading ecosystem translate into a community and infrastructure working together to make a real impact on local and global health challenges.
“Our continued partnership with ABHI is key to realising our vision of an integrated healthtech innovation system – one in which we work hand-in-hand to solve the hardest health challenges, and to build a community where everyone has access to world-leading care, enabling them to live longer and healthier lives.
“Leeds and West Yorkshire are among the best places in the world to launch and build a healthtech business. Through this partnership we can harness healthtech as part of a thriving innovation ecosystem and drive economic growth that benefits everyone.”
MoU signatories include:
- Association of British HealthTech Industries
- Health Innovation Leeds
- Leeds Beckett University
- University of Bradford
- University of Huddersfield
- University of Leeds
- University of York
- West Yorkshire Combined Authority
- West Yorkshire Health and Care Partnership
Pictured:
Back row L-R: Dr Steph Oliver-Beech, Healthtech Regional Lead, West Yorkshire Combined Authority; Lucy Cole, Director, West Yorkshire Association of Acute Trusts; Scott Kirtlan – Director Joint Reconstruction at DePuy Synthes, Johnson & Johnson MedTech UK & Ireland; Professor Charlie Jeffery, Vice-Chancellor and President, University of York; Dr Neville Young, Director of Enterprise & Innovation, Health Innovation Yorkshire & Humber; Richard Paxman, CEO, Paxman Coolers Ltd; Professor Tim Thornton, Deputy Vice-Chancellor, University of Huddersfield
Front row L-R: Kate Lodge, Partnership Director, Leeds Academic Health Partnership; Magnus Harrison, Chief Medical Officer, Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust; Richard Phillips – Executive Director, Policy & Partnerships, ABHI; Rob Webster, Chief Executive, NHS West Yorkshire Integrated Care Board; Professor Shirley Congdon, Vice Chancellor, University of Bradford; Emma Bissett, Legal Director, Squire Patton Boggs LLP; Sir Roger Marsh, Senior Business and Strategy Adviser, Squire Patton Boggs LLP; Professor Nick Plant, Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Research and Innovation, University of Leeds; Nigel Sansom, Executive Chair, PinPoint Data Science Limited
