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. Innovate UK Business Connect 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 Innovate UK Business Connect has considerable experience of working in these sub-sectors and of driving cross-sector working to facilitate positive change.

Our 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

Global Incubator Programme: Canada - AI in Health

Opens: 22/01/2024 Closes: 15/03/2024

Innovate UK EDGE seeks up to 8 companies developing health tech using AI-powered solutions to join a programme working with Canada.

More Information

NHS Cancer Programme: Innovation Open Call 3

Opens: 26/01/2024 Closes: 29/05/2024

NHS England has launched a new round of its funding competition for innovation in the early detection and diagnosis of cancer.

More Information

Open Innovation Challenge: Next-generation digital learning tools for community health workers

Opens: 12/02/2024 Closes: 22/03/2024

AMREF Health Africa is looking to transform its digital learning tools for community health workers, using next-generation technologies.

More Information

Global Business Innovation Programme in India - Antimicrobial Resistance

Opens: 28/02/2024 Closes: 10/04/2024

Innovate UK invites ambitious companies in the Antimicrobial Resistance sector to join a programme that includes market visits to Hyderabad and Bangalore.

More Information

Mobile Evidential Drug Testing Instrument (MEDTI) Demonstrator

Opens: 19/02/2024 Closes: 16/04/2024

The DfT are seeking innovations to develop roadside evidential drug testing capability to enable effective enforcement of drug driving offending.

More Information

Global Business Innovation Programme in Singapore - MedTech and Diagnostics

Opens: 11/03/2024 Closes: 21/03/2024

Innovate UK invites ambitious MedTech & Diagnostics companies to participate in a Global Business Innovation Programme that will include a market visit to Singapore.

More Information

Related Events and Recordings

Tue
16
May
2023

UK Phage Innovation Showcase

09.30 - 16.30 | Leicester/online

Watch now
Tue
14
Nov
2023

Healthy Ageing 2023

09.00 - 18.00 | London/Online

Recordings available
See all events

Our Experts

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