How the healthtech and life sciences sector in Yorkshire is setting the pace for the rest of the UK - Richard Stubbs

Health Innovation Yorkshire & Humber has been appointed to lead a major strand of this investment: hosting the new West Yorkshire Healthtech Accelerator.

Backed by £4.5m over four years, the accelerator will build on our highly successful Propel@YH programme expanding support for the next generation of healthtech start-ups and scaleups. Up to 240 businesses will receive intensive support and masterclasses over the next four years, helping them to navigate regulations, break into new markets, and overcome barriers to growth.

We’ve already seen the powerful impact that Propel@YH can have. Now in its sixth year, it has supported a cohort of 19 healthtech companies since last October.

Between them, these companies have raised £24m of funding during their participation in Propel@YH, and the programme has also invested £200,000 directly into the local economy.

Over the years solutions have included firms developing (artificial intelligence) AI tools to improve the detection of heart failure, wearable technology to monitor chronic conditions and digital platforms that improve patient access to mental health support. These aren’t just good business ideas, they are innovations that change lives.

With this new additional investment from the Investment Zone, we will be able to support even more trailblazing companies to deliver solutions that will improve the health and lives of people across our region.

By doing this, we not only boost the regional economy, but also ensure that the people of Yorkshire benefit first from ground-breaking healthcare solutions.

There are many reasons to be optimistic about the future of this sector. Our region is already home to world class academic and commercial innovation hubs that bring together researchers, healthcare systems and the private sector.

For example, the Humber and North Yorkshire Centre for Excellence in Tobacco Control is a partnership between the NHS, local authorities, voluntary sector organisations and academic institutions aiming to accelerate reductions in smoking rates.

The University of Bradford’s Digital Health Enterprise Zone drives collaboration between academia, health practitioners and industry.

At the University of Leeds, Nexus offers vital space, peer networks and expert support to start-ups.

The Advanced Wellbeing Research Centre at University of Sheffield is a world leading centre for physical activity research and innovation.

And the National Health Innovation Campus in Huddersfield connects small businesses with cutting-edge research and resources.

These are just a handful of the outstanding facilities in our region that are contributing to a thriving ecosystem of forward-thinking innovators.

By investing in our promising and growing healthtech sector, we are paving the way to a prosperous and inclusive economy.

At the heart of this success is the recognition that there is an undeniable link between good health and a strong economy.

The West Yorkshire Investment Zone makes that link tangible, supporting businesses to develop solutions that keep people healthier for longer, easing pressure on our health and care systems and enabling more people to actively participate in the workforce.

It will support businesses developing innovations that address health and care system needs and enable people to stay healthier for longer. By taking advantage of the opportunities of increased devolution and injecting more funding in our local economy, our region will play a key role in supporting the government in its missions to boost economic growth and create an NHS fit for the future.

We’ve long championed this link between health and prosperity. There is compelling evidence that locally led interventions deliver better outcomes by enabling leaders across sectors to work together to find more creative and tailored solutions to the specific challenges faced by our diverse communities.

That’s why it’s great to see devolved funding being used effectively by Combined Authorities to further bolster the region’s fastest growing business sectors.

This is Yorkshire’s moment to lead with the ideas, the partnerships and now the investment to shape a healthier, more prosperous future, not just in our region but across the country.

Richard Stubbs is Health Innovation Yorkshire & Humber CEO and chair of the Health Innovation Network.