The first Connected Health Ecosystem of 2021 will be held virtually on 21 January, 10-11.30am.

The meeting is centred on two upcoming opportunities for funded support and collaboration for companies involved in health innovation – particularly in digital health: Health Innovation Manchester’s Research & Innovation Health Accelerator, and a ‘sandpit’ event hosted by the University of Manchester’s Institute for Data Science and AI in partnership with the Alan Turing Institute.

The Research & Innovation Health Accelerator is led by Health Innovation Manchester, the organisation responsible for boosting innovation in Greater Manchester’s health and care system, and will be delivered in partnership with the University of Manchester, Manchester City Council, Bionow and The University of Manchester Innovation Factory (UMIF). Open to SMEs in Greater Manchester looking to accelerate their products or services into the healthcare field, opportunities range from targeted support in navigating markets to collaboration with University of Manchester academics to develop new products and services.

Through their partnership with the Alan Turing Institute, the University of Manchester’s Institute for Data Science and Artificial Intelligence (IDSAI) is hosting four ‘sandpit’ events in February 2021, based around the major themes of the Greater Manchester Local Industrial Strategy, with input from the related Alan Turing Institute programmes. One of the sandpits will focus on Health and Care Innovation based on Data Science and AI, with others on Advanced Materials and Manufacturing, Clean Growth, and Digital Transformation. Funding is available to support collaborative feasibility studies (£10k-£15k) co-developed at the sandpit events. To register your interest please sign up for updates here.

The Ecosystem event will feature presentations from the projects, and will offer a networking-style session to answer questions and facilitate connections between potential research partners.

Registration for the Connected Health Ecosystem is now open – tickets are limited, so we recommend securing your place now.

An indicative agenda is below:

10.00     Welcome from Niels Peek

10.10     Introduction to ERDF R&I Health Accelerator, Daniel Zamora

10.30     Introduction to Alan Turing Institute / Institute for Data Science & AI Sandpits, Chris Taylor

10:50     Networking and Q&A session

11.20     Close