Region is leading the way in medical, health technology

In this region, our particular strength is in medical technologies and their use of specialist metals, precision engineering, and advanced manufacturing.

We also have, vitally, the intellectual infrastructure to kickstart innovations and the driving curiosity to research and prototype the ideas that come from both medical practitioners and their patients.

It was and is a region with a heritage of high level skills, a strong and co-operative research community which draws in talent, and an excellent supply chain.

Later this month a team from the Sheffield City Region (SCR) will be at the Arab Health trade show in Dubai, the largest gathering of healthcare and trade professionals in the Middle East and North Africa region.

They will be alongside the Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC), showcasing the world-leading strengths of the Sheffield City Region in medical technologies and health innovation to 4,400 of the world’s leading healthcare companies.

The team from SCR will display a range of the cutting-edge products of regional companies, including medical devices, research and development work, and 3D printing. The displays, including a spinal cervical implant printed using 3D technology by the AMRC, will demonstrate how the region collaborates with the research excellence of both the AMRC and the new Advanced Wellbeing Research Centre (AWRC).

The AWRC is based on the region’s visionary Olympic Legacy Park in Sheffield which is set to be part of an internationally recognised Innovation District for health and wellbeing research and learning.

Around 3,000 people will work, learn and improve their fitness at the 35-acre park with world-class sports, education, health and leisure facilities.

This public-private sector joint venture will provide businesses with a unique chance to gather research from a diverse range of groups including Olympic and Paralympic athletes, professional sportsmen and women, amateur competitors, community sport programmes and schoolchildren.

At the heart of the park is the multi-million pound Advanced Wellbeing Research Centre (AWRC), which will provide state-of-the-art, fully instrumented laboratories and a team of 50 researchers for collaborative projects.

AWRC will take services and products from concept to market, mirroring the successful model used in other sectors including engineering and manufacturing and using the intellectual property, products and knowledge developed in the centre to generate both wealth and employment opportunities.

Through the AWRC’s close links with the National Centre of Sports and Exercise Medicine, researchers will have the unique opportunity to work with the population of Sheffield and use local communities to explore and test the potential of innovations and products developed at the Olympic Legacy Park.

Displays at the Arab Health show from Sheffield City Region businesses will include:

- Ceramisys Limited: specialises in the manufacture and development of implantable synthetic grafts for bone repair and ocular surgery.

- Fripp Design and Research: an innovative method for making soft tissue prostheses has been developed by Fripp with the University of Sheffield and support from the Wellcome Trust.

- JRI Orthopaedics: has expertise in the design, development and manufacture of orthopaedic implants and surgical instruments. First in the world to develop ceramic coating on hip replacements.

- Orchid Orthopedic Solutions: a world-leading medical device, contract design and manufacturing company.

- Platt and Nisbett: renowned for the manufacture of high quality surgical instruments.

- Sheffield Precision Medical Limited: the leading British provider of orthopaedic instruments used in hip, knee, shoulder, foot and ankle replacement.

- Swann-Morton: the world leader in the production of quality surgical blades, scalpels and handles.

This is an amazing region to do business. Here you can explore an idea for a medical device alongside the experts at the AMRC, and follow it through to prototyping. It can be tested using the ‘living laboratory’ of this region – which reflects exactly the demographics of the UK – and lastly you can commercialise it here.

Teamwork the way forward

Both the University of Sheffield and Sheffield Hallam University work closely with the Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, the UK’s largest.

Sheffield Hallam University is a partner in the Advanced Wellbeing Centre which will work with the population of Sheffield on world class research into physical activity.

Over 70,000 students study medical technology and related courses at Sheffield universities.