A group of public sector organisations in West Yorkshire have signed a memorandum of understanding aimed at boosting the development of health technology in the region.
The Leeds Academic Health Partnership announced the move, with other signatories being The West Yorkshire and Harrogate Health and Care Partnership, Leeds City Region Enterprise Partnership, the Association of British HealthTech Industries and a group of universities including Leeds, Leeds Beckett, Bradford, Huddersfield and York.
They have agreed to work together on the development of health tech solutions at a community level. This will involve identifying priorities and neighbourhoods where people need support, sharing insights and encouraging investment.
John Fisher, professor of mechanical engineering at the University of Leeds, said: “This MoU signals an important step towards embracing the opportunities and realising the ambitions set out in the Government’s Industrial Strategy. It paves the way for us to reduce fragmentation, further harness expertise and capability and radically strengthen the Leeds City Region’s position as a leading global player in health tech.
“Each partner will play their part in helping address and overcome barriers to innovation.”
Vibrant region
The region around Leeds is home to more than 250 health tech businesses, several academic research centres and the West Yorkshire and Harrogate Health and Care Partnership, which is the third largest in the country.
A recent Government science and innovation audit found that stronger cross-sector collaboration is needed to boost growth in the sector, and the partnership agreement should provide coordinated leadership.
Image from iStock, Sekin Mongkonkhamsao
