Leeds Teaching Hospitals has named Scarborough Group International (SGI) as the preferred developer for the first phase of its Innovation Village, a “cluster for science, innovation and technology” based at Leeds General Infirmary.
SGI will be working on transforming the Grade II listed Old Medical School into a health tech innovation hub, setting out plans to create a “health-tech ecosystem” featuring laboratories, co-working spaces, offices, and communal areas, with the hopes of encouraging collaboration between clinicians, academics, researchers, and entrepreneurs.
Dame Linda Pollard, chair of Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, said that the trust is “delighted” to name SGI as the preferred developer for the project, adding: “Together we will create a health tech innovation hub that helps clinicians, researchers and entrepreneurs turn the latest scientific advances into successful new products and services that can improve health outcomes and drive economic growth. The Old Medical School has a proud history as a place of learning for past generations of surgeons and doctors and an exciting future as a hub for future generations of health tech innovators.”
Tom Riordan, chief executive of Leeds City Council, also commented on the news, saying: “This project further strengthens Leeds’s position as a leading health tech hub and is a fantastic example of where Leeds consistently achieves and continues to deliver on large scale projects through public/private sector partnerships. It’s a real win for the city, patients and a testament to the power of our collaborative efforts.”
The new hub will build on the trust’s work with its Innovation Pop-Up, which was founded in 2021 to “provide a front door for new and established businesses” to partner with the hospital, and will be located on a site within the Innovation Arc, “a series of connected neighbourhoods formed around Leeds General Infirmary, University of Leeds, Leeds Beckett University, Leeds Arts University and the city’s West End”.
In other news from the region, Leeds Teaching Hospitals recently launched a pilot project involving the use of a smartphone application designed to monitor and manage Parkinson’s disease symptoms, with 90 patients currently utilising the app and plans for future expansion.
In South West Yorkshire, South West Yorkshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust and Leeds Beckett University are collaborating on a project aiming to digitise the trust’s adult ADHD and autism service, to support with diagnosis and prioritisation of services.
