Businesses in Liverpool could be handed a £3.5 million boost courtesy of a healthcare project.
The Health Enterprise Hub – Innovation Exchange aims at helping small and medium sized businesses develop innovative products and services for the healthcare sector.
It will run for three years and builds on collaborations between businesses, universities and the NHS.
As part of the Liverpool City Regions’ Local Growth Hub access will be granted to healthcare professionals, universities and other relevant businesses to aid SMEs during the innovation process.
Events, meetings and focus groups will also take place to bring the needs of health and social care professionals and patients, carers and members of the public together with SMEs to develop solutions and scale-up existing solutions to healthcare.
It is hoped that by connecting these businesses to such contacts, they will gain vital knowledge to help them take their innovations from concept to market.
Dr Andrew Rose Sector Manager, Life Sciences and Health for Liverpool City Region Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) said: “Liverpool City Region is particularly strong in Health & Life Science and we are positioning ourselves as the best place in the UK for healthcare innovation.
“To ensure we capitalise on this we need to provide support, guidance, opportunity and time for businesses to develop in this growing sector.
“The Innovation Exchange Programme will, though our Local Growth Hub, offer companies and entrepreneurs the sector-specific support they need.”
NHS Liverpool CCG Senior Manager for Digital Care and Innovation Dave Horsfield, added: “It is fantastic to have both the city region NHS and universities partnering with industry.
“It means that our local health services and practitioners will be co-creating innovative products and services – which ultimately benefits both businesses and citizens.
“Opening doors for local businesses will bring huge benefits to our health and care sector which has a rich tradition of innovation.”