New programme to accelerate health innovation

Four Academic Health Science Networks in the south of England have joined forces with the leading university business incubator, SETsquared, to set up a revolutionary new programme that could see more effective and better value healthcare technologies benefitting patients quicker than ever.

An extensive programme is being launched to help accelerate the faster adoption of cost effective innovation into healthcare across the region to benefit patients and the health economy. In this first round, up to 300 participants will be offered access to seminars, 3-day courses, tailored coaching and mentoring run by SETsquared.

The four AHSNs: the West of England; the South West; Kent, Surrey and Sussex; and Wessex have linked with SETsquared to deliver coaching, mentoring and support for entrepreneurs and intrapreneurs in a bid to ensure innovative solutions to healthcare problems are rapidly brought to fruition.

SETsquared is ranked as the number one university business incubator in Europe and second in the world. SETsquared has helped over 1,000 start-ups and entrepreneurs over the last 11 years.

Professor Jane Millar, Pro-Vice-Chancellor Research University of Bath said:
“I’m delighted that the West of England AHSN has, in partnership with the three other AHSNs across the South of England, teamed-up with SETsquared to launch a comprehensive programme of connection events and training for entrepreneurship and innovation leadership in our sector. SETsquared is one of the world’s leading university business incubation organisations and I have great expectations that this creative and collaborative programme will contribute to the positive change we all aspire to achieve in our health care system.”

Lars Sundstrom, Director of Enterprise and Translation at the West of England AHSN said: “This initiative will provide a major boost to innovation locally and is a great example of how AHSNs can work together to take advantage of local centres of excellence like SETsquared.”

The programme will be available in the regions covered by the Kent, Surrey and Sussex, South West, Wessex and West of England AHSNs. The five universities that make up SETsquared – Bath, Bristol, Exeter, Southampton and Surrey – are members of the four AHSNs.

For more information on the programme please contact Urszula Strzemiecka at: [email protected].