Leeds aims to strengthen position as UK’s largest research centre outside 'Golden Triangle'
Leeds plans to cement its position as a UK “research powerhouse” under a new strategy to tackle health inequalities and drive economic growth.
A spokesman said the five-year plan, launched by Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, builds on momentum that has seen the Trust become one of the UK's top five research delivery centres alongside London, Oxford and Cambridge.
The statement added: “Targeting £140m in research activity by 2030 – a 40 per cent increase on its previous ambitions – the research and innovation strategy directly supports the Government's 10-year plan for the NHS and its three major shifts: moving care from hospital to community, analogue to digital, and sickness to prevention. With 350 planned industry partnerships and an enhanced approach to commercialising NHS innovations, Leeds is positioning itself as a major driver of Yorkshire's economic growth.”
Prof Phil Wood, Chief Executive of Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, said: "This strategy puts the NHS 10-year plan into action, showing how research and innovation can deliver tomorrow's healthcare today.
"We're preventing illness, pioneering new therapies, and creating high-skilled jobs that will make Yorkshire a global leader in health innovation.
“Research and innovation are at the heart of how we deliver and improve our services to patients and we are committed to ensuring every patient and staff member has the opportunity to take part in and benefit from research and the medical advancements they enable."
The Trust's Innovation Village, which includes the transformation of the Old Medical School into a healthtech hub, will create a cluster for life sciences businesses.
The Trust is enhancing its approach to the commercialisation of innovations developed locally, ensuring that intellectual property created in Leeds benefits the regional economy.
The statement added: “By training 1,250 staff in research and innovation skills, the Trust is embedding capability throughout its workforce, enabling more staff to contribute to breakthrough discoveries alongside their clinical roles.”
Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire, said: “Leeds and West Yorkshire are a health innovation powerhouse, rivalling the Golden Triangle of London, Oxford and Cambridge, and ranking as one of the most attractive places in the world for healthtech businesses.
“With world-class buildings and businesses boosted by our £160 million investment zone, we’re creating jobs, attracting investment, growing the economy, and transforming the lives of patients across our great region.
“This bold new strategy to invest even more in research and innovation will put our region at the heart of the future of the NHS, and the future of healthcare worldwide, as we work to build a stronger, brighter West Yorkshire.”