The West Midlands Health Technologies Cluster aims to be the authoritative voice of the businesses themselves, present whenever and wherever the health technologies sector is being discussed, and a powerful advocate for the region’s health technologies businesses. Our mission is to promote the economic success of the West Midlands and to maximise good quality jobs in the health technologies sector. The sector is going to be a critical contributor to our region’s economic performance. Health and wellbeing is a top consideration for every citizen and certainly, a healthy workforce is more productive and therefore contributes to improved economic performance. Health and social care is also big business. Of course, the NHS and local authorities are major investors and providers of services. But in addition, the health technologies sector – from inventing new medical devices to delivering care digitally – is now also a big player. This sector is expected to grow massively around the world and in the UK - and in our region. And our experience of the coronavirus pandemic is only going to accelerate our dependence on appropriate technologies for health and social care going forward. We have witnessed huge strides forward in the speed and scale of clinical trials, testing and roll-out of treatments and now mass vaccinations. Within our grasp, there are opportunities to keep the benefits of these fast developments and to mainstream them. At the cluster, our early focus is on four aspects of the development of a strong health technologies sector. We call them the four Ds: Diagnostics, Devices, Digital and Data
External link for WMHTC West Midlands Health Technologies Cluster
West Midlands, West Midlands, GB
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A Master’s student from the University of Wolverhampton has developed a ground-breaking biodegradable wound dressing that could help transform wound care. Read more ➡️ https://bit.ly/4gO2RYe
WMHTC West Midlands Health Technologies Cluster reposted this
🚀 TechWM Top Events & Workshops You Wouldn’t Want to Miss! 2025 has just started, and as a region, we have some exciting events lined up to help businesses, entrepreneurs, and innovators connect, grow, and thrive 🌟 🔹 Venturefest West Midlands 2025: Celebrating 10 years of connecting entrepreneurs with investors & support organisations! 📅 March 19 📍The Eastside Rooms, Birmingham 🎟 Learn more: https://lnkd.in/eghNA_b Brought to you by Innovation Alliance for the West Midlands Upcoming Workshops provided by West Midlands Combined Authority & Business Growth West Midlands delivered by Newable, Enterprise Nation, Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce 🔹 Workshop: Unlock opportunities in the smart energy systems sector 📅 January 9 | 🕘 9:30am - 1:30pm 📍 x+why Foundry, 6 Brindley Place 🔗 Register: https://lnkd.in/g4jjFRwt 🔹 Workshop: Unlock opportunities in the manufacture of future housing sector 📅 January 16 | 🕘 9:30am - 1:30pm 📍 Coventry Conferences, The Techno Centre 🔗 Register: https://lnkd.in/dyJTvrPX 🔹 Workshop: Unlock opportunities in the health-tech and med-tech sector 📅 January 27 | 🕘 9:30am - 1:30pm 📍 Junction Building, 6 University Road, Coventry 🔗 Register: https://lnkd.in/duHX6D6C 📢 Stay tuned for more TechWM events throughout the year! 🔥 Don’t miss out on these fantastic opportunities to innovate, network, and grow🚀✨ #VenturefestWM #WestMidlandsInnovation #WMPlanforGrowth #Events #Workshops #WestMidlandsTech #TechWM
Happy New Year from all of us! What a great opportunity at the start of 2025! The Living Well Consortium are looking for innovative technologies to help support access to mental health and wellbeing services...
Living Well UK are seeking innovative technologies and new ideas that can transform our communities by enhancing access to mental health and wellbeing services. If you are developing a solution that provides emotional support, improves mental health accessibility, or utilises AI, or other emerging technologies, they want to hear from you! Apply here: https://lnkd.in/errfUaDB
A successful skills seminar for HealthTech SMEs. This December, we and the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) jointly delivered a skills seminar for HealthTech SMEs at Matthew Boulton College. Big picture, we are looking to promote growth in HealthTech businesses in the West Midlands, and with growth, we can anticipate a rising demand for HealthTech skills. We share with SMEs in the sector a common interest in expanding the pipeline of talent through a joint endeavour. At the skills seminar, we and WMCA were providing a lead. The information we were able to share with our audience was about the national position regarding skills AND the regional initiatives we are fronting. National developments include the proposed Industrial Strategy, Skills England and a reformed Growth and Skills Levy. Read on for our regional enhancements and additional measures. The new Government plans to reform apprenticeships, and we will join in the push to recruit more people (of all working ages) into apprenticeships with HealthTech employers in the West Midlands. But additionally, and exclusively here in the West Midlands, we can offer young people between the ages of 19 and 29, who have never had the habit of regular working, or have fallen out of the workforce, an intensive pre-apprenticeship training course to make them “apprenticeship ready”. This is our region’s Path 2 Apprenticeships, backed by £7.5M of funding. Young people on pre-apprenticeship training can keep their benefits while training (or get a bursary if they are not in receipt of benefits). Employers commit to interview those who successfully complete the training course when recruiting apprentices and also commit to paying at least the National Minimum Wage. The Cluster is supporting Path 2 Apprenticeships in the HealthTech sector and encouraging HealthTech employers to give it their support also. Bootcamps are well established, nationally and here in the West Midlands. But to date there have been none in HealthTech in our region. We want to change this. So at the skills seminar, there was confirmation of a willingness and funding to support bootcamps for training, upskilling and reskilling for HealthTech jobs. The Cluster will support the employers and the training providers in recruiting cohorts of workers for bootcamps. We are particularly proud of our region’s pioneering development of a new MedTech qualification at Level 4. Designed to support flexible learning, this new qualification allows for modular learning and step-on/step-off as fits the learner’s needs. This qualification is ready to be piloted here in the West Midlands. Bringing all this together, we and WMCA have been working on a Skills Framework for our region’s HealthTech sector. In 2025, the Cluster will work with WMCA to build support for Path 2 Apprenticeships, bring bootcamps to HealthTech in our region, pilot the new MedTech Level 4 qualification, and launch the Skills Framework for our region’s HealthTech sector.
🚀 Ready to transform the future of #health #technology? 🚀 If you're passionate about innovation and eager to make a difference in #HealthTech, the Kick Start FOR #Health #Tech programme has everything you need to bring your vision to life! This initiative, brought to you by WMHTC West Midlands Health Technologies Cluster in collaboration with BEC (Birmingham Enterprise Community) is tailored to support the next generation of #HealthTech #innovators in the #WestMidlands. What’s in it for you? Whether you're: An emerging entrepreneur with a bright idea 💡 Looking to pivot into #HealthTech 🚀 Or hoping to diversify your current sector 🌐 Kick Start FOR #Health #Tech offers FREE, expert-led work packages to guide you through: Crafting your mission, mindset & vision Adopting startup methodologies & building your team Validating your product & attracting users Preparing for industry and securing funding Why join? The #WestMidlands is buzzing with opportunities for #HealthTech startups and scaleups, and our programme is here to help you overcome initial challenges and create a robust pathway to success in this thriving sector. Don’t miss out on this unique chance to bring your #HealthTech idea to life! 🌟 Ready to make your mark? Sign up today and start your journey! - https://wkf.ms/3NSG5Se For any questions, reach out to our Kick Start Programme Team: 📩 Emma Yeap: emma@wmhtc.co.uk 📩 Jamie Rymer: jamie@becleaps.co.uk 📩 Lester Fernandes: lester@becleaps.co.uk 👉 Have you signed up yet?
🌟 Health Tech 2024: The Future Awakens 🌟 Organized last month by WMHTC West Midlands Health Technologies Cluster & Create Central, this ground breaking event at STEAMhouse highlighted game-changing #digitalhealth #innovations! From #AI's role in precision #diagnostics to #XR's transformative potential in patient care, industry leaders shared insights on the future of #healthcare. Attendees explored immersive tech zones, joined hands-on sessions, and connected with key innovators. A huge step forward in showcasing how emerging tech can reshape #healthcare for the #WestMidlands and beyond! Read a full report by our Cluster Manager Emma Yeap here: https://lnkd.in/epN7QqxY
Baseline mapping of HealthTech businesses in the West Midlands. This summer, we were fortunate to be able to commission the Economic Intelligence Unit of Professor Delma Dwight to research the HealthTech sector locally. We are grateful to EIU's researcher Lukasz Gasienica-Fronek for his diligence and to West Midlands Combined Authority for funding the research. Given the source of funding, the research was limited to the area of the Combined Authority (the 7 metropolitan councils). Why did we feel the need for this research? As many of us understand, it is difficult to access accurate data from official sources for sectors which cross over disciplines and activities. We have always found that SIC codes, for example, do not capture HealthTech businesses very well at all. Our view was that, without a reasonably firm understanding of the strength of the HealthTech sector in the West Midlands, it was proving difficult to reach all parts of the sector, advocate for the sector, and measure progress against our mission to help grow the sector in the West Midlands. So, now we have some reliable data. The final report received this week from EIU tells us that there are 614 relevant HealthTech businesses, directly employing 14,000 workers and generating £5.2bn in GVA every year. Of course, as soon as it is published, this data needs updating as the sector evolves, and this is where we can add value to the research findings - by keeping the data up to date. The sector is heavily oriented towards life sciences and digital health, with strong presence in data infrastructure, services and software development. Key sector verticals include Data Infrastructure Software and Services, SaaS for Healthcare, and Human Health Services. Nearly 91% of the identified companies were classed as Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), with a significant proportion classified as Micro-Companies (45%), highlighting the sectors entrepreneurial nature and need for targeted support, especially with scaling up. There are concentrations of businesses within the 7-met area, which are mapped in the report. There is good read-across from having this picture of the sector's geography and our work on land availability for HealthTech businesses. If you would like to know more about this research, contact David Kidney david@wmhtc.co.uk for more information. Ideally, it would be helpful to have the date for the whole WM region. We have shared this report with the local authorities outside the Combined Authority and we would be delighted if they were to decide to commission similar research.
The Future Awakens. Looking back on our hugely successful HealthTech Day during Birmingham Tech Week, we are all smiles. We could not have been happier with our splendid venue STEAMhouse and the brilliant support we received from Alice Wynne. We had the biggest and best Tech Zone of exhibitors yet, including a fantastic XR Zone where fabulous technologies were demonstrated by their enthusiastic and ambitious innovators. What worked really well in this regard was our collaboration on this event with Create Central because there are so many cross-overs between our two clusters. So grateful to our HealthTech Ambassador Lisa Page for a keynote speech right on the money for today's state of AI. The panel discussion that followed on AI was amazing for the genuinely helpful insights, tips and pitfalls alert. What worked really well in this regard was our collaboration with HIWM, with thanks to Chief Officer Tim Jones, who chaired the session. All the panel discussions on the day were rich in useful content. A sure measure of their success was the quantity and quality of the questions the panellists fielded from an engaged audience of over 100. We will post about the follow up actions arising out of the event, both formal and in the networking. For example, we take seriously the suggestion of forming an XR Network. For now, our thanks to everyone who contributed to the success of our event "The Future Awakens".
The Event is off to a great start with Tim Jones of the Health Innovation West Midlands and other speakers at the first panel discussion, with David Kidney Chairing the session.