The Academic Health Science Networks (AHSN) will take a group of British health innovators to Medica 2019 – the largest healthcare exhibition in the world – in partnership with the Association of British HealthTech Industries (ABHI).
Following their success at Arab Health 2019, the AHSN Network will be joining the ABHI’s UK Pavilion for the first time to showcase some of the country’s most innovative life changing health technologies.
As part of the AHSN cohort, UK HealthTech innovators have the opportunity to exhibit at Medica where they will be introduced to the international market and supported by the ABHI in their export strategies.
The AHSN Network will also use the exhibition to gain a better understanding of the needs of international health systems in order to match them with NHS organisations and innovators that might have solutions for them. Another key objective is to make contact with innovators from outside the UK to help them understand how the AHSN Network can support their entry to the NHS.
The 15 AHSNs were established by NHS England in 2013 to spread innovation at pace and scale. They support their regional health and care systems to deliver improvements that lead to better patient outcomes, drive down the cost of care, and stimulate economic growth.
In November 2018, ABHI signed a memorandum of understanding with the AHSN Network, designed to develop and deliver services of mutual benefit for both parties. Today’s announcement is the next step in this partnership, further strengthening this engagement on the global stage.
Dr Neville Young, director of enterprise and innovation at Yorkshire & Humber AHSN said: “Medica is a great opportunity for HealthTech innovators from the UK to meet representatives of the international market and start to build their export businesses.
“We have a natural synergy with the ABHI and we are proud to be working with them at this event. By working together, we can really support UK HealthTech innovators and help them spread the word about their great products to a wider audience.”
Speaking about the partnership Paul Benton, managing director, international at the ABHI said: “The AHSNs represent one of the best vehicles for innovation at pace and scale in this country, and we have been supportive of their work from day one. We are delighted to partner with the Network on a number of joint projects and we look forward to developing this relationship further at Medica as we support UK health innovators with their export strategies.”
Taking place from 18 to 21 November in Dusseldorf, Germany, Medica attracts over 5000 exhibitors from 70 countries and plays host to tens of thousands of visitors every year.
