Innovative healthcare technology that is making a positive difference to patients across the South of England is being showcased at the University of Portsmouth later this month.
SIGHT (Supporting Innovation and Growth in Healthcare Technologies) is a business support programme, led by the University of Portsmouth in conjunction with the Wessex Clinical Research Network and Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust.
The £1.7m programme, part-funded by the ERDF (European Regional Development Fund), provides help and guidance to small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) in the healthcare technology sector. It also gives SMEs access to clinicians and patient groups, enabling their products to meet the specific needs of these end users.
Over the course of its three-year programme, SIGHT has worked with over 400 companies across England, helping them to develop and deliver their medical and healthcare products to market. Examples include:
• NTL Biologica offering COVID-19 antibody testing
• ioLight developing compact, high-quality portable microscopes to enable scientists to analyse samples on the spot
• Disable The Label app to help parents of disabled children find support
The health tech industry is of vital importance to both the local and national economy and it is our ambition to expand SIGHT support to our community in order to achieve greater impact on wellbeing and the lives of patients.
Dr Phil Jewell, SIGHT CEO, said: "SIGHT has engaged with a multitude of highly innovative SMEs developing next generational technologies for improving healthcare. This event provides us with the opportunity to showcase some of these innovations, as well as outlining the next steps for SIGHT as a programme.
"The health tech industry is of vital importance to both the local and national economy and it is our ambition to expand SIGHT support to our community in order to achieve greater impact on wellbeing and the lives of patients."
To celebrate SIGHT's success, a showcase event will take place at the University of Portsmouth on 27 October.
It will feature presentations and talks from academics and clinicians about SIGHT's vision, goals and achievements, the impact the programme had on its SME members, the collaboration with Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust, an update on the SIGHT programme and exciting future plans building on the project's legacy.
The free event takes place from 1 to 5pm in the University of Portsmouth's Portland Building.
