Bristol’s next generation of healthcare entrepreneurs have learned how to take their cutting-edge technology and business ideas to the next level thanks to an intensive innovation programme.
The four-day course brought together health professionals, health and life science academics and small businesses and was delivered by business incubator SETsquared, which is backed by the University of Bristol, in partnership with the Bristol-based West of England Academic Health Science Network (AHSN).
The course at The Corsham Institute in Wiltshire, gave the 14 healthcare ventures the skills to take their innovative proposals to business realisation.
Delegates took part in sessions covering customer analysis, funding strategies, building a business case and market analysis. The AHSN also addressed a module on working with the NHS.
Each applicant was required to take a clear business proposition or innovative idea that has an application in the healthcare sector and can bring substantive results.
Each entrepreneur pitched their innovation to a panel of judges, which included Deborah Evans from the AHSN, Gill May from Swindon Clinical Commissioning Group, Guy Rooney from Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, and Mike Jackson from WebStart. They then received feedback on their proposals.
Participant Colin Austin, from Bristol-based healthcare firm P.S.P.S. U.K., said: “This course well exceeded my expectations. All the information given to me during the four days will be crucial for the next milestones of my business and to ensure its success.
“West of England AHSN and SETsquared provided me with great insights and support.”
SETsquared innovation director Simon Bond said: “The calibre of innovators that we’ve seen this time has been as high as ever and we were very impressed with the participants’ passion for bringing substantive benefits to the healthcare sector.”
West of England AHSN deputy director of enterprise Elizabeth Dymond added: “As we know, selling into the NHS can be quite hard for SMEs, but we’ve helped them understand who their potential customers may be within the NHS and whether their propositions are ready for this. I’m looking forward to continuing our support to our participants and seeing how their products mature.”
SETsquared, which has been named as the world’s number one university business incubator, joined forces with four Academic Health Science Networks in the South and West of England in 2014 to set up the revolutionary programme with the aim of encouraging more effective and better value healthcare technologies that benefit patients quicker than ever.
Pictured: Attendees on the SETsquared and West of England Academic Health Science Network innovation programme
