Healthcare innovators in the West of England came together in Bristol this week to learn how to take their technology and business ideas to the next level.
The connection event, hosted by business incubator SETsquared and the West of England Academic Health Science Network (AHSN), provided 80 early stage innovators with an introduction to the techniques and processes of taking an innovative business idea to maturity in an NHS setting.
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Innovators who attended heard talks on subjects including an entrepreneur’s guide to procurement in the NHS and what investors, users and founders really want from a startup.
“It’s so important for each entrepreneur to be able to learn from the experts and understand how they can turn their ideas into reality and real patient benefit”
A panel session, chaired by Dr Elizabeth Dymond (pictured left), deputy director of enterprise and translation at West of England AHSN, looked specifically at the challenges of healthcare innovation.
Elizabeth said: “The connection event for healthcare innovators was oversubscribed and it shows the value people are placing on the need for innovation in the healthcare sector. It’s so important for each entrepreneur to be able to learn from the experts and understand how they can turn their ideas into reality and real patient benefit”.
Skills development
Simon Bond (pictured right), Innovation Director at SETsquared, said: “We’re very pleased that so many local healthcare innovators have access to the right knowledge and experience through our partnership with the West of England AHSN.”
“It’s vital that these entrepreneurs develop the skills to produce high quality business plans to back up their bright ideas and how to take their products to market. The workshops and talks today have greatly helped them with this.”
Healthcare innovation programme
Following the one-day event, SETsquared and the West of England AHSN have teamed up to provide a three-day healthcare innovation programme in April. Visit www.setsquared.co.uk/
SETSquared, which specialises in growing high-tech start-ups through its incubation programme and other business acceleration services, is based in both the Engine Shed in Bristol and the University of Bath Innovation Centre in Bath. You can see more on the work they do encouraging entrepreneurship at the SETSquared website.
