Latest award supports development of 14 innovative new technologies
SBRI Healthcare, an NHS England funded initiative to develop innovative products that address unmet health needs, today announced the companies awarded phase 1 funding in the latest SBRI Healthcare competition. With the aim of accelerating the development and NHS adoption of new technologies, the £1.25 million fund is shared by 14 small businesses working in the priority healthcare areas of Brain Injury, Child and Adolescent Mental Health, Diabetic Foot Ulcers, Medical Imaging and Outpatient Services.
SBRI Healthcare works with leading healthcare players to identify areas where technology can be applied to address major healthcare challenges. The 14 successful projects have been selected on their potential value to the health service and on the improved outcomes delivered to patients. The companies will be supported and fully funded to demonstrate the technical feasibility of their proposed concept – the average award is £90,000 to each company for the six month development phase. Those businesses demonstrating best value and greatest technical feasibility in phase 1 will progress through to phase 2 to be further supported and funded to take their technologies through to commercialisation.
“The SBRI healthcare programme shows us every time that industry has some innovative technologies that will improve care and enhance NHS productivity. During the election there has been much focus on the gap in NHS funding – the reality is that innovation is critical to addressing the challenges and the life science industry should bring their solutions to the forefront,” commented Karen Livingstone, Director of SBRI Healthcare. “SBRI Healthcare is helping SMEs to challenge the economic climate with funding allocated to addressing a specific market need, or a desired outcome. It’s a win-win – SMEs get new business, create jobs and become more sustainable, the NHS gets new technology-based solutions and the patients get better outcomes.”
In the latest SBRI Healthcare competition, the 14 successful companies are; Brain Injury - Inspiration Healthcare, GSPK Design and Obex Technologies; Child and Adolescent Mental Health - Advanced Digital Innovations and uMotif; Diabetic Foot Ulcer - Blueberry Therapeutics, Cadscan, Peacocks Medical Group; Medical Imaging - Astrimmune, Gold Standard Phantoms, BrainMiner; and Outpatient Services; SOMA Analytics, Message Dynamics and Ulsys.
The competition theme areas have been chosen in partnership with Academic Health Science Networks (AHSNs), and supporting bodies, across England.