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LBU part of cross-sector partnership to boost Leeds City Region healthtech
Leaders from the healthtech industry, the regional enterprise partnership, the NHS, local authorities, and Leeds Beckett University - among four other universities - have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to drive forward new approaches in improving patient and population health and care through better and faster healthtech innovation.
The move also aims to radically speed up the region’s productivity and economic growth in the sector, which is seeing an unprecedented rise across the UK and globally.
This new partnership agreement will put in place the strong, coordinated leadership and support required to fully capitalise on what is a globally burgeoning market. In 2015, that market was estimated to be worth $371 billion and was forecast to grow to $529 billion by 2022.
That growth is being driven by factors such as growing and ageing populations, the rise in levels of obesity and chronic illness, technological developments and an increasing demand for medical devices.
Dr Duncan Sharp, Dean of the School of Health at Leeds Beckett University, said: “The MoU and underlying commitment for all partners to work collaboratively across the Leeds City Region offers a hugely exciting opportunity for the advancement of health technologies. The expertise this aligns, in a coordinated approach, offers a step-change in how we address the needs of our communities and health and care system. The arising synergy and critical mass has potential to make a genuine difference and here at Leeds Beckett we're delighted to be a part of it.”
The new MoU was prepared by Leeds Academic Health Partnership (LAHP), one of the biggest partnerships of its kind in the UK.
Signatories to the MoU include
- The Association of British HealthTech Industries (ABHI)
- West Yorkshire and Harrogate Health and Care Partnership
- Leeds City Region Enterprise Partnership
- Leeds Beckett University
- University of Bradford
- University of Huddersfield
- University of Leeds
- University of York
In signing the MoU, all partners have agreed to work together to drive economic growth and improve health outcomes and service efficiency by:
- finding personalised and community-based healthtech solutions that help the people of the Leeds City Region to live healthier lives for longer, particularly those living in identified priority neighbourhoods
- sharing insights into what citizens and patients in the Leeds City Region need, to determine what the priorities should be for health and care services and industry. Together, all partners will then work together on agreed priority themes that meet citizens’ needs
- driving inward investment in healthtech in the region to support economic growth which is inclusive, benefiting all communities.
Roger Marsh OBE, Chair of the Leeds City Region Enterprise Partnership (LEP) and NP11 said: “Our region is home to one of the UK’s largest concentrations of innovative life science businesses, pioneering world-leading innovations and delivering significant GVA for the region. This unique partnership will provide an integrated network to accelerate innovations to meet the health needs of our communities. Our collaborative ecosystem means we offer inward investors the optimum UK location to develop healthtech innovations.”