A robot designed to help autistic children, and a social media campaign for diabetics, are among the enterprising new ideas pitched at this year’s MediCity Innovators’ Week starting on Monday 17 November in Nottingham.
MediCity, the health, beauty and wellness innovation hub, will host some of the UK’s leading healthcare experts, inventors, businesses and investors during the week 17–21 November, which also marks the first anniversary of the hub’s official opening.
A packed schedule combines keynote presentations, interactive workshops, a Dragons Den-style competition, a wearable technologies fashion show, fitness demonstrations and themed exhibits.
MediCity Innovators’ Week is free to attend for anyone from across the UK interested in proactive health and wellbeing, as well as entrepreneurs keen to find the next generation of products or services which will tackle society’s growing healthcare issues such as diabetes, heart health, dementia, cystic fibrosis, narcolepsy and obesity.
According to the King’s Fund, about 15 million people in England live with a long-term chronic health condition for which there is currently no cure and which needs to be managed with drugs and other treatments.
MediCity is a collaboration between Boots UK, a member of Alliance Boots, and BioCity, the UK's leading life sciences incubation business, and exists to accelerate new business development and growth in a supportive working environment giving access to mentors as well as funding advice.
MediCity Innovators’ Week takes place during Global Entrepreneurship Week and will draw over 1,000 guests and delegates to the events venue at the heart of the Boots site in Beeston, which is part of the Nottingham Enterprise Zone.
Our ambition for MediCity Innovators’ Week is that everyone involved will be inspired and that the week will enable the emergence and acceleration of new ideas and partnerships that will ultimately improve peoples’ health and wellbeing
The event opens on Tuesday 18 November to explore possible new approaches to the diagnosis and management of chronic conditions. Speakers include Professor Michael Trenell of Newcastle University and MoveLab, who studies how lifestyle influences lifelong health and wellbeing; and Dr Janet Allen, director of research at the Cystic Fibrosis Trust.
Cancer research and care will be addressed by Nottingham Trent University, the John van Geest Cancer Research Centre, and Macmillan Cancer Support, while Steve Jones, a volunteer trustee and director of Narcolepsy UK will explain the implications for sufferers of this rare neurological disease.
Total Wellness is the theme for Wednesday 19 November when delegates will consider alternative ways to deliver pro-active health programmes, discuss working with the NHS to introduce new technologies, and take part in trials on pre-launch personal fitness equipment.
Glyn Colebrooke of Philips Healthcare will look at advances in personalised healthcare; while designing healthcare for 2025 will be covered by founder of Helical Health, Loy Lobo; and healthcare proposition director at Boots UK, Alison Hands, will explain how the global pharmacy is building an integrated healthcare offer for Boots UK customers.
Jo Pisani, a partner in the strategy team of PriceWaterhouseCoopers, is guest speaker at the celebration dinner. She will share a vision for new product development based on her wide experience in the pharmaceuticals, energy, petrochemicals and FMCG sectors working with BP and SmithKline Beecham.
‘Thursday Thinkovator’ takes place on 20 November and is ideal for students and early-stage entrepreneurs interested in creative thinking, design, technology, engineering and new business development models. Organised by the Next Business Generation programme, participants take part in interactive challenges and will pitch their health and wellness-themed solutions Dragons’ Den-style to a panel of business advisers.
David Browning, director of MediCity, has overseen the hub’s growth in both tenancy and event hosting. He said: “The MediCity team and our associates have made tremendous progress in establishing MediCity as a leading innovation hub, supporting the development of a rapidly growing community of companies covering health, beauty and wellness.
“Our ambition for MediCity Innovators’ Week is that everyone involved will be inspired and that the week will enable the emergence and acceleration of new ideas and partnerships that will ultimately improve peoples’ health and wellbeing.”
For more on the event, click here.
- Companies:
- GlaxoSmithKline
- Philips
- Walgreens Boots Alliance
- Newcastle University
- Cystic Fibrosis Trust
- Macmillan Cancer Support
- King's Fund
- Movelab
