Public Funding for Yorkshire and Humber Partners Academic Health Science Network Limited

Health Innovation Yorkshire and Humber (formerly the Academic Health Science Network) will work in partnership with West Yorkshire Combined Authority (WYCA) and in support of all the relevant Health Tech and Life Sciences cluster stakeholders to evolve and mature the cluster over the next two years. Together we have developed key policy and strategic drivers setting the direction of Health Tech in West Yorkshire, such as the regional Health Tech strategy and West Yorkshire Investment Zone, and created effective new routes for innovation into the NHS, such as the West Yorkshire Integrated Care System Innovation Hub. The Health Innovation Network is commissioned by the Office of Life Sciences (OLS), which is part of Department of Health and Social Care (DHCS) and the recently created Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT), to support activity that catalyses economic growth across the UK in the health and life sciences industry. Since 2019 we have supported over £122 million of investment into the Yorkshire and Humber region. Our vision is to deliver a collaborative programme which supports West Yorkshire's ambitions to be the most compelling place in the UK for health technology companies to start-up, grow and prosper because of its inclusive, comprehensive, and joined-up ecosystem of expert health-related innovation support and clinical engagement that streamlines and accelerates an SME's route to market. Our ethos and ambition is to mature the cluster, responding to business needs and recognising that within the overall geography there are differing levels of ecosystem maturity. Our aim is to work towards the regional cluster achieving "critical mass" status (as described by the Connected places catapult report 2021) in 2026\. Achieving this will mean delivering a measurable whole place return, maximising the opportunity for the whole of the region whilst also supporting the most mature parts of the cluster to go further, faster. West Yorkshire's unique Healthtech cluster comprises companies working across medical devices and digital health, alongside significant strength in academia . The cluster includes 22% of the UKs digital health jobs companies. There is a notable presence of medical devices / in vitro diagnostics firms across the region. HealthTech businesses face unprecedented barriers including understanding complex markets, regulatory and reimbursement challenges, This project seeks to support health tech entrepreneurs and businesses in West Yorkshire through engagement and value-adding activities, whilst acting as ambassadors for the region's innovation and health tech cluster maximising long-term legacy and impact.

"Entia, Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust and the Yorkshire & Humber Academic Health Science Network are developing a new approach to the management of patients with anaemia of chronic kidney disease. The project encompasses the late stage development of an anaemia management solution that will be co-designed and evaluated with patients and healthcare practitioners. The outcome of this project has the potential to reduce hospital appointments, improve treatment compliance, ensure fewer adverse events and enable more effective utilisation of costly medications."