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Canadian innovators join Yorkshire & Humber AHSN’s third international bootcamp

The third international Propel@Y Boot Camp run by Yorkshire & Humber Academic Health Science Network brings six Canadian innovators to Yorkshire, with solutions ranging from post-operative monitoring to a digital PTSD therapy platform.

The SMEs involved in the programme include Hyivy Health, a company providing pelvic health rehabilitation for patients and clinicians through clinical software and the Hyivy Patient App; Fluid AI and their innovation Origin, a real-time monitoring solution for detecting post-operative leaks; and Orchid Analytic, a platform using AI to address scheduling challenges in the operating room. In addition, the bootcamp will include Savyn Tech with a multilingual digital PTSD mental health therapy platform; Smile Digital Health with a collaborative and comprehensive health data fabric and integration platform; and CANImmunize, a technology company specialising in immunisation software, with app and web portal designed to help patients keep track of their vaccinations.

The innovators participated in a range of masterclasses, networking events and workshops across Leeds, supporting them to develop knowledge in areas such as how the NHS works, governance, procurement frameworks, clinical safety and developing evidence-based proposals and reimbursement models.

Neville Young, director of enterprise and innovation at the Yorkshire & Humber AHSN, said: “If we can successfully support these innovators to establish themselves in Yorkshire, we can use the great regional assets available to us combined with the strength of the AHSN Network to spread these innovations across the country, securing investment, jobs and health and wellbeing benefits for the whole of the UK.”

In our deep dive into digital primary care from earlier this month, we discussed some of Yorkshire & Humber AHSN’s ongoing projects in this area, hearing about the work of the AHSN’s enterprise and innovation team in conducting horizon scans of innovations from around the world and hosting innovation workshops to identify unmet needs and showcasing digital innovations.

In January, we shared the details of the second Propel@Y Boot Camp, in which they were joined by eight innovators from the Nordic region, with solutions including a communication platform for individually adapted care in the home, a flexible sensor attached to the outside of an incontinence product, and a cloud-based medical platform designed to improve ease of follow-up for people with lifestyle diseases.

Looking at work from other AHSNs, earlier this year we explored a case study of how Eastern AHSN has worked with Suffolk and North East Essex ICS to establish a culture of innovation across the system.

In December, we covered the news that the UK-Canada AgeTech Innovation Exchange programme launched an open competition for companies from the UK and Canada to collaborate on innovative solutions with the aim of improving the health and wellbeing of the elderly population, with the programme supporting up to 25 companies from each country to refine their offer.