Strategic Commitment 3
Accelerating a better healthcare future
For impactful healthcare innovations to transition from idea to reality, strong alignment of knowledge, culture, systems and processes is needed. Over many years, InnoScot Health has exhibited an exceptional ability to uncover transformational ideas from health and social care professionals, accelerate the most promising ideas and successfully launch an ever-expanding portfolio of products, technologies, spin-out companies, license agreements and patents.
InnoScot Health supports and encourages an open and receptive environment to innovations originating across Scotland, and actively works across the sector to minimise all barriers — systemic, financial or otherwise — to ensure innovations of substance and scale can be expedited onto the market in an investor ready form.
To achieve this, InnoScot Health has developed and launched a range of themed innovation calls focussing attention on areas or unmet clinical need.
New pathways to accelerate innovation have been developed recognising systematic and financial barriers will always exist but can be overcome through collaboration; and continued close working with licence partners and spinout companies is supporting product expansion and further investment in NHS-led innovation.
Innovation Calls
These calls are a direct response to areas of health and social care that are ripe for innovation and are designed to focus attention, inspire new thinking, and encourage an open and receptive environment to innovation across the whole of Scotland.
To grow our pipeline of high-quality innovations, InnoScot Health has launched a series of themed innovation calls over the last two years extending to Pregnancy and Perinatal; Ophthalmology; Sustainability and Frailty.
InnoScot Health’s innovation calls spotlight many of the most pertinent areas for healthcare progression and offer dedicated support to encourage submissions.
Graham Watson, Executive Chair, InnoScot Health
New Pathways to Accelerate Innovation
Reacting quickly to the demands of an ever-evolving healthcare environment, InnoScot Health supports the development and adoption of transformational innovations for improved patient care.
To achieve market readiness, acceptance and adoption, InnoScot Health explores a range of pathways. By harnessing expertise across the sector and maximising collaboration some of the systematic and financial barriers to innovation can be overcome, while benefiting from new approaches and diverse perspectives.
Co-development Projects
These projects are at an early and conceptual stage in development, requiring significant funds to prototype. Co-development with University partners and SMEs across Scotland are enabling the projects to progress.
Technology Transfer Projects
These projects have been brought to InnoScot Health as developed concepts, as opposed to initial ideas. Working with the NHS health board and innovators, market analysis and areas of novelty have been identified, with licensing to companies for further development, manufacture and distribution.
University Student Projects
These projects are high-level concepts, in areas of unmet need brought by innovators across NHS Scotland. Often further development or design work is required to demonstrate feasibility of the project. InnoScot Health works with engineering students at Heriot-Watt University enabling projects to move forward at low cost, which would otherwise not be possible; whilst also providing students the opportunity to work on real-world projects with a valued partner to generate designs for medical devices that solve real NHS unmet needs. Past projects have covered areas such as neonatology, urology and occupational health.
Our Contribution to National and Global Priorities
This commitment aligns with Scotland's National Outcomes in the Health, Economy, and Fair Work and Business categories.
It aligns with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals in the Good Health and Wellbeing; Decent Work and Economic Growth; Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure; Reduced Inequalities; Responsible Consumption and Production; and Partnerships for the Goals categories.
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