West Yorkshire offers a strong health innovation ecosystem and is an ideal destination for companies looking to innovate in the health and wellbeing arenas.
The region boasts a unique blend of world-class universities and hospitals, a skilled workforce and a collaborative ecosystem. With the new National Health Innovation Campus in Huddersfield, the upcoming West Yorkshire Healthtech and Digital Tech Investment Zone and strong regional partnerships, it offers extensive support for research, development and scaling solutions to improve health and wellbeing not just regionally but globally.
Here are five reasons why West Yorkshire is the ideal place for health innovation.
- Access to the National Health Innovation Campus
A big advantage of having a base in West Yorkshire is access to the University of Huddersfield’s new National Health Innovation Campus (NHIC). This cutting-edge facility is designed to support the health and wellbeing sector with state-of-the-art labs, research spaces and collaboration hubs.
Not only can you tap into the University’s research expertise, but you can also collaborate with other businesses and benefit from the wide-ranging resources on campus.
- Cost-effective office and lab spaces
West Yorkshire offers significantly more affordable office and lab spaces compared to larger cities like London or Manchester. For small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the health sector, this means you can allocate more resources to innovation and product development rather than rent and overheads.
Soft landing packages, such as those offered by the 3M Buckley Innovation Centre (3M BIC) in Huddersfield, offer flexible and affordable office and lab spaces and are perfect for businesses looking to move or expand into the region.
- A thriving health and wellbeing ecosystem
The NHIC and 3M BIC are part of a wider ecosystem that includes world-class healthcare and academic institutions, local government support, innovation hubs and a network of innovative startups and SMEs.
Being part of this ecosystem allows you to network with key players in the field, access funding opportunities and collaborate on projects that drive the industry forward.
- Proximity to leading research institutions
West Yorkshire is home to several leading universities, including the University of Huddersfield, Leeds and Bradford universities, all of which have strong ties to the health and wellbeing sector, as well as major teaching hospital trusts, such as Leeds and Mid Yorkshire.
By establishing your company in West Yorkshire, you gain easy access to cutting-edge research and a highly skilled talent pool, which are essential for driving innovation.
- Supportive business environment
West Yorkshire has a strong reputation for being a supportive, business-friendly region, particularly for innovative startups and SMEs, with initiatives and funding available through local Councils and the West Yorkshire Combined Authority (WYCA) designed to encourage growth, innovation and collaboration.
The combination of affordable office and lab spaces, access to cutting-edge research and a thriving health and wellbeing ecosystem make West Yorkshire an ideal location for heath innovation.
For more information about soft landing packages at the 3M BIC for health and wellbeing organisations, head here.
