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The event brought healthcare professionals and companies from the healthcare, digital and creative and high tech sectors together and demonstrated how technology is changing the way health professionals are providing services and care to patients and empowering people to take more ownership and responsibility over their health and treatment.
The EEN team, led by South West Health and Life Sciences sector lead, Louise Hooker, created a platform for large and small, local and international highly innovative technology businesses to share knowledge, experience and market insight and discuss opportunities for future collaboration.
Presentations: range from thought leaders to selling to the NHS
The day was finely balanced with bigger organisations and thought leaders such as AXA PPP and Johnson and Johnson and small innovators revealed new strategies, their progress and vision for developing health systems which put the citizen at the centre and provide care which is connected, personalised and convenient.
Topics ranged from prevention and wellbeing to full care pathways, co creation, selling to the NHS from the start up’s perspective. Attendees also heard how Malaysia is using the Internet of Things and collaboration between academia and industry to drive a new wave of healthcare innovation and how UK companies can use Malaysia as a “haven” to explore opportunities in Asia.
Hot on the agenda were wearables, artificial intelligence, patient and medical data management and the rapid growth in the healthcare app market.
Nine Companies, including , Remarkable Lives, Infermedica, Care Animations and Digital Algorithms gave strict five minute pitches to the room of delegates.
Dr Paul Upton, from Ultramed, said: “It’s been a great day here in Bristol. We’ve been networking with all sorts of people from across the UK, but also internationally. EEN has provided great opportunities for us.
“We received intensive specialist support through the innovate2ssucced programme, and were selected to pitch to investors at healthcare events in Barcelona and Stuttgart.”
With the second round of funding upon us Chris Sawyer, from Innovate UK, was also on hand to offer advice on the Digital Health Technology Catalyst Fund, helping businesses understand what funding is right for them, telling delegates ‘the best chance of success is through collaboration’.
Louise Hooker said: “I was delighted that so many people saw the value in attending this event. This really has put the South West on the map as a potential centre of excellence in digital health.
“It’s clear that we have some exceptional talent in the region and the launch of new facilities such as the Health Tech Hub at Future Space is going to add further opportunity to help local ambitious companies grow and achieve their international potential. It was great to see so many people showcasing their products and exploring opportunities for collaboration.
“This event epitomised what EEN is about – using its extensive network it brought innovators and experts together from around the globe. It enabled companies with different skill sets and sizes to share knowledge and expertise. Everyone came with a desire to learn, connect and create opportunities. I have no doubt that this event will lead to a number of very exciting opportunities for companies big and small.”
Opportunities for SMEs
The event, the biggest in the South West, was also a platform for companies to forge new collaborative partnerships.
Delegates were able to showcase their solutions and pre arrange 1-2-1 meetings with the speakers and other businesses and share experiences, initiate new business and find partners for collaboration and cross border co-operation.
Over 200 pre-arranged meetings took place on the day, with lots more informal networking over lunch.
I’ve been hugely impressed coming to the event. We’ve been to events like this before but none of them have had had collaborative opportunities which we have here – there’s industry, there’s the healthcare sector and everyone is working together to try to tackle major challenges of trying to prevent illness and improve patient outcomes.
David Juggins, Hugo Technologies
