ANNUAL REVIEW | 2016
|3
We continue to target early-stage
regenerative device technologies which
need to demonstrate proof of concept
before obtaining industrial investment.
This approach continues to yield
tangible results, with a further 15 projects
being progressed into clinical trials or
commercial investment
and development.
welcome
In 2016 the Medical
Technologies IKC has
both tightened its
focus and broadened
its vision.
We continue to target early-stage
regenerative device technologies
which need to demonstrate proof
of concept before obtaining
industrial investment. This
approach continues to yield
tangible results, with a further
15 projects being progressed
into clinical trials or commercial
investment and development.
At a national level, we’re
increasing the breadth and depth
of our partnerships, working
with a growing number of
academic institutions, industrial
and healthcare partners. Our
Phase 2 Proof of Concept calls
attracted applications from
several universities which were
new to the Medical Technologies
IKC. Five new projects are
now underway, advancing
technologies in the fields of
directly implanted devices and
joint simulation.
We’re delighted, too, to be
strengthening our partnership
with Arthritis Research UK,
which has committed a further
£0.5m towards new proof of
concept projects in technologies
that have significant impact
potential. We’re also pleased
to be continuing our close
collaboration with NHS Blood
and Transplant Tissue and Eye
Services on directly implanted
devices, which launched a new
wound repair product this year.
Most importantly we have
worked with other industry
and clinical partners to start
a further 15 proof of concept
projects this year, making a total
of 25 active in the last year,
and 76 since the start of the
IKC in 2009. We have tracked
private sector investments of
over £111m to support this
technology development.
We’re also broadening the scope
of our activity in the Leeds City
Region, building innovation
capacity through our HEFCEfunded Translate programme.
Working with a small group
of universities and regional
organisations, we’re bringing
together diverse partners to
identify unmet clinical needs
and devise projects that can
address them.
This is an exciting programme
for the Medical Technologies
IKC: through Translate’s
workshop events, we’ve been
able to spark innovative
collaborations at the same
time as widening the range of
medical technologies under
development.
We’re proud of the employment
successes enjoyed by
doctoral graduates who have
undergone innovation and
career development training
through the Centre for Doctoral
Training at Leeds and equally
delighted – at the other end of
the scale – to see our business
partners expanding and entering
new markets with products
underpinned by research
carried out by the Medical
Technologies IKC.
By continuing to innovate in
our approach as well as through
strengthening and expanding
our partnerships locally and
nationally, we’re ensuring a very
healthy future for regenerative
device medicine. n
Professor John Fisher CBE
Academic Director, Medical
Technologies IKC