News

Six innovators from Ontario in Canada have been selected to bring health innovations to the Yorkshire and Humber region in the third international Propel@YH Boot Camp.

Run by the Yorkshire & Humber Academic Health Science Network (Yorkshire & Humber AHSN), this Boot Camp seeks to bring the best health innovations from around the world into the UK, with the Yorkshire and Humber region being the first to make use of them.

The AHSNs are increasingly operating on a global scale – building strategic partnerships with international bodies to stimulate inward investment and export growth opportunities. The Propel@YH Boot Camp is a huge opportunity to bring the latest health technology from around the world to our region, where our patients will get to benefit from the best technology first, and the region also benefits from the inward investment that the programme secures.

Innovations coming into the region for the Canadian Boot Camp include a digital PTSD therapy platform, a pelvic health rehabilitation company and a multi-disciplinary virtual healthcare clinic.

The small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) selected are:

• Hyivy Health
• Fluid AI
• Orchid Analytic
• Savyn Tech
• Smile CDR inc
• CANImmunize

The innovators will take part in a range of masterclasses, workshops and networking events across Leeds. Programme content includes understanding how the NHS works, NHS governance, finance and procurement frameworks, clinical safety and supplier regulations, developing evidence-based proposals and reimbursement models.

The companies will also have access to the AHSN’s partners who bring specific expertise to the programme and include:

• Barclays Eagle Labs
• Hill Dickinson
• Nexus, University of Leeds
• Leeds City Council
• West Yorkshire Health and Care Partnership

The Yorkshire & Humber AHSN is one of 15 AHSNs set up by NHS England to operate as the key innovation arm of the NHS. It acts as a bridge between health care providers, commissioners, academia and industry and accelerates the spread and adoption of proven innovations across the local healthcare system to improve the health and prosperity of our region.

Neville Young, Director of Enterprise and Innovation at the Yorkshire & Humber AHSN said:

“We’re excited to host more innovative companies from across the globe wanting to bring their products to the UK, particularly here in Yorkshire and the Humber.

As part of our mission to support economic growth and improve the health and wellbeing of our region, the Propel@YH Boot Camp helps secure investment and jobs by attracting these businesses to the NHS market.

Now in its fourth year, the Propel@YH programme and Boot Camps have supported 44 SMEs many of which have gone onto great success, including securing national contracts and securing millions of pounds of investment from both the public and private sectors.

If we can successfully support these innovators to establish themselves in Yorkshire, we can use the great regional assets available to us combined with the strength of the AHSN Network to spread these innovations across the country, securing investment, jobs and health and wellbeing benefits for the whole of the UK.

I’d like to thank our partners and our sponsor, the Government of Ontario, who enabled us to run this short but intensive programme, we hope to be able to host more boot camps for other international businesses in the future.”