Accelerating innovation through NHS and academic collaboration

The Healthcare Technology Centre attended the University of Wales Trinity Saint David’s (UWTSD) Assistive Technologies Innovation Centre’s (ATiC) second symposium on Thursday, October 13, on the theme of Accelerating Innovation in Health and Wellbeing.

The ATiC Symposium 2022 reflected on the impact and legacy of the ground-breaking Accelerate Wales programme, showcasing how Wales is accelerating innovation through NHS and academic collaboration, and empowering patients through user-centred research and technology innovation.

Prof Keith Lloyd, Exec Dean and PVC Swansea University's FMHLS and Jordan Copner, CEO Copner Biotech

ATiC’s partners in Accelerate, which is co-funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) through Welsh Government, are Cardiff University’s Clinical Innovation Accelerator (CIA), Swansea University’s Healthcare Technology Centre (HTC), and Life Sciences Hub Wales, which leads the programme. Hywel Dda University Health Board and its TriTech Institute, of which ATiC and HTC are key academic partners, also joined with Accelerate for the Symposium.

The event highlighted how Accelerate has generated new collaborative opportunities and partnerships across sectors and institutions. It also looked to the future, as this phase of the Accelerate programme draws to a close at the end of December 2022.

Keynote speakers opening the event included Professor Philip Kloer, Executive Medical Director and Deputy Chief Executive Officer, Hywel Dda University Health Board.

Speaking on behalf of HTC was Professor Keith Lloyd, Executive Dean and Pro-Vice Chancellor, Swansea University’s Faculty of Medicine, Health and Life Science. Keith was joined by Jordan Copner, CEO and Founder of Copner Biotech, who presented a case study on the collaboration with HTC.