HiVE Places has signed three Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) with Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust (LTHT), Nexus at the University of Leeds and Leeds Beckett University.
The MOUs aim to progress plans for a healthtech innovation hub at the Old Medical School in Leeds.
The agreements establish a partnership between the NHS, higher education and industry to redevelop the former medical school into a collaborative space where clinicians, researchers, entrepreneurs and businesses can develop, test and commercialise new healthcare technologies.
The Old Medical School is one of the founding projects for HiVE Places, an independently operated platform focused on developing innovation environments across the UK.
Once complete, it will form the centrepiece of the Leeds Innovation Village, one of four neighbourhoods within the £2bn Leeds Innovation Arc regeneration programme.
How entities will operate under the new partnership
Under the partnership, Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust will become the clinical anchor for the hub, relocating and expanding its Innovation Pop Up to provide businesses with access to NHS expertise, patient insight and real-world testing environments.
Nexus, the University of Leeds' innovation community, will connect occupiers with the University's research expertise, specialist facilities and business support programmes.
Leeds Beckett University will contribute its applied research strengths in health, wellbeing and digital innovation, alongside enterprise support and talent development.
HiVE Places will lead the redevelopment of the Old Medical School and oversee the long-term operation of the building, creating an innovation ecosystem designed to connect occupiers with investment, mentoring and collaboration opportunities.
The development will also provide a base for the recently launched Health Innovation Leeds Incubator, bringing together business support, research expertise, clinical validation and opportunities for testing innovations within the NHS.
How the project is part of a larger innovation village
Located at Leeds General Infirmary, the hub will become the first major project to move forward within the Leeds Innovation Village, which forms part of the wider Leeds Innovation Arc.
Backed by the £160m West Yorkshire Investment Zone, the programme aims to strengthen links between the city's universities, hospitals and commercial sector to support research, innovation and economic growth.
According to HiVE Places, West Yorkshire's healthtech sector contributes more than £3bn annually to the regional economy and supports over 16,000 jobs.
The partners will now progress the project through planning and funding milestones later this year as work continues on the delivery of the Leeds Innovation Village.
"Our vision for the Old Medical School has always been about more than restoring a historic building, it's about creating a genuine engine for innovation,” said Deb Hetherington, CEO at HiVE Places.
