NHS staff ideas will go to market
Mar 26 2009 by Andrew Mernin, The Journal
THERE are plans to pump £1.8m into the North East’s healthcare and life sciences industry, creating about 60 jobs.
Skills Secretary John Denham was in the region yesterday to unveil a venture by development agency One North East, the NHS and the European Regional Development Fund.
The scheme is designed to help NHS Innovations North – which encourages health service staff to develop ideas and advises on licensing and selling them – provide support to more than 100 regional businesses.
The project will enable SMEs to exploit commercial ideas and create a sustainable healthcare business sector, as well as creating 58 specialist jobs.
It will help firms participate in the commercialisation of NHS-generated intellectual property through the design, development and testing of new devices, and by making and marketing products under licence.
Yesterday also saw the launch of a partnership between One North East and Newcastle Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust to identify and develop business opportunities.
The two partners will set up a centre to earmark business ideas and spin-off opportunities from within the trust.
Mr Denham, who visited the Freeman Hospital, Newcastle University and the Centre for Life yesterday, said: “The future strength of our economy depends on key industries such as healthcare and life sciences.
“We already have an international reputation in the biotechnology and pharmaceutical sectors and we can maintain and develop this by investing in new technologies and related businesses.”
