Digital Health SME’s and Global Technology Businesses hit it off in London
Digital Health & Global Tech’s, London
Digital Health SME’s and Global Technology Businesses hit it off in London
On 27th March a collective team from across the Knowledge Transfer Network ran the second of a planned suite of ‘speed networking’ events aiming to stimulate new channels for digital health innovators to access valuable support to utilise opportunities for developing their amazing ideas.
The speednetworking style was first used within health, working with Pharmaceutical Companies and a handful of Private health insurers in 2016.  KTN’s creative industry team have used it to great effect across numerous other sectors and continue to support the model as we increase its reach. Many thanks to them for supporting us on both occasions.
The journey begins with identifying and establishing links with brand partner, large organisations that are looking for ideas in the spirit of ‘open innovation’. For the most recent event, those businesses were; SAP, Microsoft, INTEL, Philips, CISCO and ARM. Quite a diverse group, covering a fair bit of the global tech supply-chain. All of them recognise health, care and wellbeing as key future markets either as B2B or B2C opportunities.
The brands identify broad challenges which KTN can communicate to a huge range of (in this case) digital health / care / wellbeing innovative businesses. Their role as a ‘partner’ extends to developing these challenge statements and turning up for the (very intensive) afternoon of facilitated networking. It’s a true partnership between KTN and the ‘brands’ but the only contribution is time and effort…… at levels not to be underestimated!
We had over 150 Expression of Interest which were eventually shortlisted to 21.
KTN also managed a list of VIP stakeholders, individuals representing organisations which might support SME’s innovating in health and care (e.g. Patent Attorneys, BSI, an app approval consultant). This ensured that, while a sub-set of their fellow innovators were rotating around the brand partners for their designated 7 minutes of ‘quality time’, the rest had plenty of value-add networking opportunity.
At the end of a very intense session, all our SME’s had several follow-up opportunities with several of the brand partners (we are busy making those formal introductions now) and although there were a lot of tired people in the room- it was vastly agreed there was great value in attending the event.
So what now?
Digital Health meets NHS Out of Hours primary care providers – these guys are private sector (mostly) providers covering England’s GP system through the night and at weekends. They are hungry for innovation to help meet their growing market demands and fewer in number than the GP’s they work with. The KTN is working on the scope for this as the next speednetworking event.
Thanks to all involved with the planning and delivery. A great example of collaborative working at its best.
Interested in finding out more? Contact David Calder