Health

Health is critical to our wellbeing as individuals, plays a key role in societal and economic advances, and presents many opportunities for environmental impact. Innovations in health & care allow us to alleviate suffering, increase quality of life and life expectancy, and manage the needs of a changing and ageing population.

The “Health sector” which delivers these innovations is diverse and covers a wide range of business activities. KTN covers the whole sector by focusing on the broad sub sectors of Medicines, Medical Technology and Digital Health. The logic behind this focus is that each of the sub-sectors is a significant sector in its own right and has distinct characteristics. The Health team at KTN has considerable experience of working in these sub-sectors and of driving cross-sector working to facilitate positive change.

KTN’s Medimap provides a dynamic representation of the UK’s end-to-end medicines supply chain covering organisations involved in the discovery, development and manufacture of medicines, as well as those supporting the sector.

Our Health Funding Map, developed with the BioIndustry Association (BIA), will help in the navigation of the complicated world of medical and health innovation funding. You can find links to, details of, and further information on many funding schemes covering a wide variety of health areas.

Our current focus in this area

The digital health and care sub-sector is characterised by a large number of small companies developing technology across the health spectrum.

The medicines sector is characterised by a few large pharmaceutical companies and a large number of SME “biotech” companies.

Medical technologies touch all of our lives – from pregnancy testing and ultrasound scans before birth; through wound care products for childhood injuries; to diagnostic imaging systems and therapeutic implants for disease in adults.

From bioelectronic medicine that treat chronic diseases, to brain-computer interfaces that help stroke rehabilitation, neurotechnology will play an increasingly important role in meeting some of the challenges of an ageing society.

Precision Medicine aims to target the right drug, to the right patient, at the right dose and the right time. Precision Medicine is a cutting-edge field of innovation that improves disease outcome by tailoring treatments to characteristics of patients. 

The Microbiome Innovation Network (formerly SIG) aims to accelerate the commercialisation of microbiome-based products and services in the UK and create a vibrant community by connecting industry and academia.

The application of Artificial Intelligence and machine learning to the field of health represents a major opportunity for the UK. AI is a powerful tool that can be applied across industry sectors to solve specific challenges. The application of these tools in Health requires a mutual understanding between the AI and Health communities.

Related Opportunities

SBRI: Medicines and dementia phase 1

Opens: 27/02/2023 Closes: 24/05/2023

This is a Small Business Research Initiative (SBRI) competition funded by the Scottish Health Industry Partnership (SHIP). Organisations can apply for a share of up to £240,000 inclusive of VAT, to develop disruptive, innovative solutions supporting people at risk of dementia to manage their medica…

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SBRI: Overdose detection, response and intervention

Opens: 31/01/2023 Closes: 21/04/2023

Organisations can apply for a share of £5 million inclusive of VAT. This is to deliver innovations addressing key drug related overdose priorities across two competitions.

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UK-China Healthy Ageing Accelerator Feb-Apr 2023

Opens: 20/02/2023 Closes: 13/04/2023

We seek innovators with new product or service ideas that can support people to stay healthy, connected and active as we age.

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Better Food for All: Innovation for improved nutrition

Opens: 11/01/2023 Closes: 29/03/2023

UK registered organisations can apply for a share of up to £20m across three strands, for the development of innovative solutions to address significant nutrition challenges.

More Information

Mobility Pathfinder 2023

Opens: 01/03/2023 Closes: 12/05/2023

£50k-£70k funding available for inspirational, life-enhancing ideas, prototypes, or plans to reimagine how personal mobility options in the UK can better support a rapidly ageing population to stay connected, active, and independent for longer.

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Engineering Biology Collaborative Research and Development Round 1

Opens: 30/01/2023 Closes: 29/03/2023

Apply for a share of up to £7m to develop Engineering Biology technologies, processes, products and services, or apply Engineering Biology to societal challenges.

More Information

Related Events and Recordings

Thu
30
Mar
2023

Horizon Europe Health (Cluster 1) Consortia Building Event

09.30 - 12.30 | Online

Register for this event
Tue
18
Oct
2022

Medicines Made Smarter: Data, AI, Robotics and the future of medicines manufacturing

12.00 - 13.00 | Online

Watch now
Mon
12
Dec
2022

Global Expert Mission on AMR: Synergies and Opportunities in the US

14.00 - 16.00 GMT | Online

Watch now
See all events

Our Experts

Related News

Triple win for UK companies at European healthy ageing innovation event

13/03/2023

Triple win for UK companies at European healthy ageing innovation event

In March 2023, three UK projects were announced as the Gold, Silver and Bronze winners of the Innovation Pitch competition at AgeingFit, with the first-place winner being recognised as the most innovative project in Europe in the healthy ageing sector.

Read more
New report 'The Human Intestinal Microbiome - Therapies and Diagnostics: The Science, Opportunities and Challenges' published

28/02/2023

New report 'The Human Intestinal Microbiome - Therapies and Diagnostics: The Science, Opportunities and Challenges' published

This deep dive report reviews the landscape of human gut microbiome research and innovation in the UK, focusing on the science, opportunities, and challenges of developing human intestinal microbiome therapies and diagnostics.

Read more
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Programmes related to Health

Health Funding Map

Health Funding Map

The map was developed by KTN and the BioIndustry Association (BIA) with the help of a wide range of funders. It helps in the navigation of the complicated world of health innovation funding.

Medimap: End-to-end medicines supply chain map

Medimap: End-to-end medicines supply chain map

Medimap is a new interactive reference tool for the UK medicines sector, mapping and categorising over 3,000 sites of organisations engaged in or supporting the end-to-end supply chain for medicines.

Neurotechnology Landscape

Neurotechnology Landscape

Neurotechnology is the application of electronics and engineering to the human nervous system and ranges from the measurement of the whole brain through technologies such as electroencephalography to the stimulation of a single nerve using bioelectronic medicines.

For general enquiries regarding our Health sector contact us now

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