Health tech firms showcase innovation to MP and Mayor of the West Midlands
Innovative West Midlands health tech companies showcased their new developments, including an AI-powered sensor to be used after surgery to reduce hospital stays, to regional political figures.
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A delegation from the University of Birmingham and the West Midlands Combined Authority joined Richard Parker, Mayor of the West Midlands, and Preet Gill, MP for Birmingham Edgbaston, during a meeting with innovators behind some of the next-generation health technologies, supported by the WMHTIA (West Midlands Health Tech Innovation Accelerator).
The WMHTIA has united 21 partners across academia, industry, and the NHS to provide innovators with support in developing and commercialising their technologies.
It has been funded through the pilot Innovation Accelerator programme, led by Innovate UK on behalf of UK Research and Innovation and the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology.
The new model of funding focuses on locally-led innovation to drive economic growth and technological advancement by supporting regional innovative businesses, researchers and entrepreneurs.
In the West Midlands, local leadership has been driven by a partnership comprising of the West Midlands Combined Authority, universities and other research institutions and senior industry representatives.
The visit from Richard Parker came as a further £30m was spread equally across three UK city-regions participating in the pilot Innovation Accelerator programme, which includes a funding boost of £4m for the WMHTIA to continue its support of Health Tech innovators in 2025/26.The additional funding builds on the £100 million already invested between 2022 and 2025.
Professor Neil Hanley, Pro-Vice-Chancellor and head of the College of Medicine and Health at the University of Birmingham, and Professor Marika Taylor, Pro Vice Chancellor and head of College of Engineering and Physical Sciences, welcomed the mayor and MP at the University’s Institute for Translational Medicine.
Professor Hanley touched on the necessity for continued government support for initiatives such as the WMHTIA, which promotes economic growth, improves lives, and is leading in the adoption of innovative healthcare solutions such as Artificial Intelligence (AI) across the West Midlands.
Richard Parker, Mayor of the West Midlands, said: “The West Midlands has been leading the way with medical advancements for decades – from X-rays in the late 19th century to the pacemaker in the 1960s. Now, a new generation of entrepreneurs and medical pioneers are using ground-breaking technologies to cut hospital waiting times, improve mobility, and speed up recovery from lifesaving surgery. In the West Midlands, we are investing in top talent and cutting-edge research that is finding solutions to some of the medical world’s most difficult questions. These innovations are improving the lives of people across the region, and across the world.
”Professor Marika Taylor, Pro Vice Chancellor and head of College of Engineering and Physical Sciences at the University of Birmingham, said: “The WMHTIA is playing a pivotal role in supporting companies in bringing healthcare devices and innovations to the market. The additional funding will enable us to deepen the Accelerator’s impact on the region.”
Professor Neil Hanley, Pro-Vice-Chancellor and head of the College of Medicine and Health at the University of Birmingham, added: “We are grateful for the hard work of the mayor and colleagues from the West Midlands Combined Authority in helping us secure this extension. Health and Life Sciences is at the heart of our opportunity for economic growth and the Accelerator has already delivered tremendous impact.”
