The global MedTech sector is driving the future of the health landscape, using transformative technology to tackle some of the biggest issues facing the world – from aging populations to global pandemics, and everything in between.
A transition towards value-based care, enabled by these medtech advancements, will see hyper-personalised, integrated, cutting-edge service that delivers outcomes that are most important to patients, reduces human error and drives down costs.
While this all sounds like a distant reality, there are thousands of MedTech companies – from startups to established players – working towards improved healthcare, with growth of the sector only predicted to accelerate.
The UK is home to one of the largest MedTech industries globally, generating an impressive £21 billion turnover.
It also leads the world in research capabilities with universities and innovation hubs that consistently attract global talent, building on an existing history of ground-breaking medical innovations. Investors can benefit from a unique, collaborative biomedical system and a dedicated support infrastructure, with the NHS at its heart. The NHS supply chain offers suppliers reduced points of sale and a single route to market.
As the UK medtech market continues to develop, recognised hubs are emerging across the country – most notably, our very own Leeds City Region!
Leeds boasts some impressive stats when it comes to its medtech credentials; it hosts the largest concentration of medical device companies in the UK, accounts for a fifth of all UK digital health technology jobs and 8.9% of MedTech patent applications submitted in the UK are from the Leeds City Region.
With nine higher education institutions and 14 further education colleges, the Leeds City Region represents one of the largest concentrations of education facilities in Europe – developing some of the brightest minds of the next generation.
Also home to NHS Digital and The Department for Health, it’s no surprise that Leeds has become such a thriving hub for the MedTech sector.
Highly fragmented, the UK medtech sector lacks one quality that has become increasingly essential for so many others – collaboration. With an estimated 98% of the sector made up of SMEs with fewer than 250 employees, this has unsurprisingly led to a lack of business-to-business networking and pre-competitive collaboration.
With this in mind, it’s vital that we shift towards a more collaborative ecosystem of MedTech companies within the region, and at Leeds Digital Festival 2022 we’re planning to do just that.
The first-of-it’s-kind MedTech Showcase event will be hosted at Nexus in partnership with The Data Shed, Nexus, The University of Leeds and Leeds Digital Festival, alongside a number of exciting contributors from across the local MedTech ecosystem – working in collaboration to create an unforgettable, interactive experience and bringing the sector to life.
The event will cover inspirational topics such as founders’ stories and innovative solutions already in place to impact patient outcomes, to practical knowledge-sharing on topics like procurement into the NHS, IP, patents, and funding.
Chief Officer, Culture & Economy of Leeds City Council, Eve has a keen interest in strengthening the tech and digital sector, recognising the importance of the MedTech industry in the Leeds City Region. You can hear from Eve in the closing speech as she discusses her thoughts on the future of the sector.
CCO and Co-Founder of award-winning Leeds data consultancy, The Data Shed, Ed will be exploring the importance of data in the evolution of MedTech devices and virtual wards through the lens of their work with innovative MedTech startup, Eventum.
Where AI meets MedTech, you’ll find Seeai – a start-up working to empower radiologists with artificial intelligence and reduce misdiagnosis. Sharing her experiences as a MedTech founder in Leeds and exploring the challenges she faced throughout her journey, you can hear from Saile during the Founder’s Perspective Panel.
Dean of Digital Transformation and Prof of Digital Health & Education at the University of Leeds, Aranangsu will share the exciting things that are in the pipeline, and his ambitions for the future of healthcare delivery supported by medical technology and innovation.
With collaboration through events such as this one a key contributor to the long-term growth of the sector, this showcase aims to kick-start an active and supportive network of MedTech companies right across the region. So, watch this space (and grab yourself a ticket)!
You might be wondering what place a data consultancy has in the medtech space… but here at The Data Shed we understand the value data has across both the start-up and MedTech sectors – from the seed funding stage, right through to the development and implementation of your solutions.
Passionate about contributing to the thriving tech community here in Leeds, we hope this event can inspire the next generation of MedTech founders to join the evolution of healthcare delivery and improve patient outcomes.
