CLUSTER NEWS – July 2025
West Midlands Growth Plan has been launched
I was present at University of Wolverhampton on 21st July for the launch of the West Midlands Growth Plan. It sets out a 10-year plan to reboot the region’s economy. The plan will boost all parts of the region by creating 100,000 good jobs in fast-growing industries, getting tens of thousands of residents into work, improving public transport, and building 120,000 homes.
Specific sectors of the regional economy are singled out for support, and health technologies is one of these. Support for clusters is also featured.
The plan also sets out actions to reduce poverty and deprivation and make further progress towards net zero, empowering the full potential of the region’s people, places, and businesses.
CLUSTER’S EVENTS
The Cybersecurity in Healthcare workshop we jointly held with Aston University and the Cyber Czar on 30th June was incredibly positive – but also scary. There is clearly more to do to improve cyber security in every setting. We shall look to organise more activity in this area.
The Plug and Play UK’s Health Showcase, the first event to be hosted at the newly opened Precision Health Technologies Accelerator, Birmingham Health Innovation Campus was superb. Great pitches from the cohort of innovators who completed the Innovation Accelerator training.
I was pleased to represent our sector at the launch event for Birmingham Tech Week 20th-24th October. Another sign of the growing influence of this event is the bookings from overseas to attend events this year.
The West Midlands IVD Conference organised by University of Birmingham spanned two days. I attended on the second day and I was impressed with the depth of commitment to collaborative working.
Coming up:
06 Aug Next meeting of WM Robotics and Autonomous Systems Cluster steering group
11 Aug I shall be recording a podcast to promote Life Sciences Week
15-19 Sep Life Sciences Week –
The West Midlands has taken the lead in organising the inaugural Life Sciences Week relevant to the whole UK to be held here in our region between 15th and 19th September.
We are pleased to be a partner organisation for this bold enterprise, and we will have a strong presence at events during the Week.
Already a huge number of people have expressed an interest in being part of the activities, and you will find an impressive list of events that are already confirmed on the West Midlands Life Sciences Week website.
If you want to find out which events to attend, or host your own event during Life Sciences Week, just head over to the website to register your interest.
Funding Opportunities
- Innovate UK Innovation Loans Round 22
New Funding. More Flexibility. Bigger Impact.
Innovate UK has introduced significant changes to the Innovation Loans programme to give businesses more flexibility to deliver both R&D and pre-commercial activities.
What’s new?
- Loans from £100k to £5m
- Now covering both R&D + pre-commercial activities
- Now up to 20% of the loan amount can be allocated toward working capital
- Designed to support the entire growth journey – from late-stage R&D to early market launch – over an extended timeline .
Closing date: 27 August 2025
For all the details GO HERE.
2. Business Energy Advisory Service
The Business Energy Advice Service (BEAS) is a pilot programme designed to help businesses save money and drive growth by providing free energy assessments and 50% match-funded grants.
There is no payback required on the grants, and BEAS is part of a broader government initiative aimed at reducing carbon emissions nationwide.
For details and to see if your business is eligible go here.
3. Pre-announcement: Local Innovation Partnerships Fund
This programme earmarks at least £30 million for each of ten regions across the UK, including one in each of the devolved nations.
A competition will run for all other parts of the UK to bid for support to grow their innovation ecosystems. UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) will work with regional partnerships between civic authorities, businesses and research organisations to co-create a portfolio of investment in each region.
The intention is to attract a further £1 billion additional investment, including from the private sector, and £700 million of additional value to local economies.
The scheme is not live yet, so the details of how to apply are not certain. However, the intention is to draw businesses, academics and local authorities into partnerships. It is worth looking at what has been pre-announced.
For the details so far available GO HERE.
4. Life Sciences Innovative Manufacturing Fund
A share of £520M is available to support HealthTech businesses in the West Midlands looking to be part of a capital investment programme that will deliver growth and innovative processes and products. I only know of one application from our region to date, so here is a reminder to consider whether this funding might be accessible for you.
The Fund is UK and sector wide and will provide capital grants for investments in the manufacture of:
- Human medicines (this includes both the manufacture of active pharmaceutical ingredients (API) / drug substance and finished product / drug product).
- Medical diagnostics – for both disease identification and monitoring.
- MedTech products – all types of medical devices related to human health.
For guidance and how to enter an Expression of Interest see here
5. Horizon Europe
The European Commission has published the Horizon Europe 2025 Funding Opportunities (Work Programme). It Calls for Expressions of Interest across a wide range of subject areas, including health (especially cancer), explains the Calls procedure, gives details of Information Days, Partnering Events, Travel Grants and Support and referencing information on Innovate UK International Funding Opportunities for Health).
Contact me if you are interested but don’t know where to start in expressing your interest.
For the information published by the European Commission see here
6. British Business Bank
The British Business Bank’s mandate from the Government has been boosted to the tune of an extra £10bn linked to the new Modern Industrial Strategy. It is intended to boost the UK economy. As part of the Chancellor’s Spending Review, the Bank has been allocated the additional funding to strengthen its operations through investment plans aimed at growing startups and British businesses.
It is worth looking afresh at what the Bank has to offer businesses now.
For more information GO HERE.
HEALTH TECHNOLOGIES SECTOR NEWS
1. New Jobs: Cambridge Research Heathcare
Cambridge Research Healthcare recently announced it was setting up a new office in Birmingham (it already has offices in Cambridge and London). Now, they are advertising for Research Analysts to work in Birmingham.
They are looking for recruits to apply their expertise in a research environment. Working as part of an inspirational and supportive team across a broad range of therapeutic areas, new recruits will play a crucial role in helping some of the world’s top healthcare and life sciences organisations understand how to overcome their biggest challenges.
The deadline for applications is Thursday 7th August.
For all the details GO HERE.
2. AI Adoption Roadmap for HealthTech in the WM
Late last year, and early this year, I took part in an applied research project commissioned by the Combined Authority. The research team surveyed te state of AI adoption in the West Midlands in the key sectors of the economy, HealthTech included. I guess I was a keen supporter because now, after the conclusion of the research here comes the “applied” part. The intention is to proceed sector-by-sector roadmaps to guide businesses through AI adoption that suite them. The first Roadmap covers HealthTech.
The roadmap suggests an approach of working through various phases of adoption:
Phase 1: AI readiness & baseline mapping
Phase 2: Quick wins & practical pilots
Phase 3: Skills, collaboration & governance
Phase 4: Funding & NHS integration
Phase 5: Strategic regional alignment
This is so new, that I don’t believe you can yet find the adoption roadmap on any website – but I have the pdf version. If you want a copy – drop me a line and I will send it to you.
Email: david@wmhtc.co.uk
3. New report calculates the productivity costs of obesity
Obesity and excess weight costs the UK economy around £31bn a year in lower productivity. That’s equivalent to 3p off the rate of income tax for everyone in the country.
The report also estimates that obesity and excess weight cost the NHS around £12bn per year, with the total impact of these conditions on the economy and wider society in the UK equivalent to £126bn.
The vast majority of productivity costs stem from obesity rather than overweight – £24bn compared with £6.9bn. Rates of obesity are higher in poorer areas, but salaries are, on average, lower. Overall, the economic costs are concentrated more in poorer areas.
Tackling obesity would, clearly, raise economic growth and reduce not only health inequalities but also economic inequality.
Without action, obesity-related costs are likely to continue to rise over the next decade. By 2035, this report estimates that the annual costs of excess weight will reach £150bn (in 2025 prices), with productivity losses of £36bn – an 18% increase over the next 10 years in real terms.
Action on obesity isn’t just imperative for the nation’s health: it can also unlock billions in economic output, raise living standards and support the Government’s ambition to generate economic growth.
To read the author’s recommendations GO HERE.
WEST MIDLANDS REGION NEWS
1. West Midlands Growth Plan
The West Midlands Growth Plan was launched very successfully at Wolverhampton on 21st July, with contributions from Mayor Richard Parker, Film maker Steven Knight and Keynote speaker the Right Honourable Greg Clarke.
According to Ian Washington, a partner at Deloitte Midlands:
“The West Midlands Growth Plan represents an important moment for the region and sets out a bold and exciting vision for the future. It recognises the region’s strengths and outlines the significant investment by private businesses to help drive growth, innovation and resilience.”
“The Plan sets out achievable goals, and the extensive consultation period has enabled private businesses, such as ourselves, to voice the challenges and barriers to growth. The key now will be that long-term engagement across the public sector, business and academia, to solidify the Plan and deliver. There is a real opportunity here to make a difference as long as we work as one.”
Check out the West Midlands Growth Plan for yourself and see whether you agree: GO HERE.
2. Cisco Comes to the West Midlands
In what is sure to be a major boost to the region’s reputation, as well as to the West Midlands economy, Cisco, a global leader in networking and security, has made a strategic investment in the West Midlands with the opening of a new office space at the STEAMhouse Innovation Centre in Birmingham. This move showcases the growing significance of the region as a key hub for technological innovation, business growth, and investment opportunities. As a UK Government-backed initiative, the Investment Zone offers a wealth of resources for businesses looking to scale and invest.
For the Growth Company’s news report, GO HERE.
3. Record West Midlands Inward Investment – Again!
The West Midlands has reinforced its position as the UK’s leading regional destination for Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), performing strongly again.
During the 2024/25 financial year, the West Midlands represented the top-performing UK location outside of London for inward investment.
The West Midlands attracted more investment projects than Northern Ireland and Wales combined, and more FDI jobs than the South East and the South West combined.
According to official data from the Department for Business and Trade (DBT), 130 FDI projects landed in the region during the 2024/25 financial year – more projects than Northern Ireland and Wales combined. This represents 9.4% of the UK’s total FDI wins (1,345) – the largest share of all UK regions outside the capital.
For the news report of the Growth Company GO HERE.
4. Public Services Modernisation – Innovation Squads
Communities across England are set to benefit from better public services, with ‘innovation squads’ sent in to back community ideas and work with the frontline as part of a £100 million ‘Test, Learn and Grow’ reform programme.
Sandwell is a pilot area for this approach in the West Midlands.
For Government information on this initiative GO HERE.
NATIONAL & INTERNATIONAL NEWS
1. NHS 10-Year Plan
The 10 Year Health Plan is part of the government’s health mission to build a health service fit for the future. It sets out how the government will reinvent the NHS through 3 radical shifts:
- hospital to community
- analogue to digital
- sickness to prevention
To support the scale of change we need, the government will ensure the whole NHS is ready to deliver these 3 shifts at pace:
- through a new operating model
- by ushering in a new era of transparency
- by creating a new workforce model with staff genuinely aligned with the future direction of reform
- through a reshaped innovation strategy
- by taking a different approach to NHS finances.
To read the 10-Year NHS Plan GO HERE.
2. British Business Bank
In the Spending Review, British Business Bank’s funding capacity was raised to £25.6bn from about £15.6bn. The bank has a souped-up range of investment schemes, mainly aimed at the eight key sectors that Ministers believe have the highest potential to drive economic growth over the next decade: advanced manufacturing, the creative industries, life sciences, clean energy, defence, digital and tech firms including artificial intelligence, financial and professional services.
The BBB will now expand regional investment programmes aimed at finding promising businesses outside London, hunt for specialist fund managers to deploy its cash, and launch a turbo-charged direct investment programme that will see it take stakes of up to £60m in individual companies.
For all the details go here.
3. Entrepreneurs Network’s report on support for start ups
There are plenty of Start up support programmes in the UK, but how effective are they?
A new report from the Entrepreneurs Network looked at accelerators and incubators and venture studios from the viewpoint of founders and their challenges.
Core weaknesses identified in the report include:
Misaligned expectations: Many accelerators focus heavily on mentoring and workshops, whereas founders need investor and customer connections.
Duration mismatches: Most programmes last under 6 months, but founders in deep tech, health and regulated sectors need much longer runway to become investment-ready.
Short-term funding cycles: Stop-start grants disrupt mentorship, break community continuity and undermine the long-term trust essential for founder development.
Flawed impact measurement: Startup survival and funding secured are important but this doesn’t capture long-term founder development or second-time success. A “failed” startup can produce a much stronger entrepreneur.
The authors proposes reforms across four areas to improve outcomes and accountability:
- Create standards and a shared taxonomy for startup support programmes to introduce transparency, raise baseline quality, and allow fair comparison across programmes of different types.
- Reform impact measurement to track both the company and founder progression.
- Move from short-term grants to longer-term, adaptable, outcome-linked support.
- Pilot demand-led vouchers, redeemable with accredited programmes.
To see the Full Speed Ahead report GO HERE.
Spotlight on…
Black Space Technology is a small but rapidly growing company based in Birmingham. It was formed in 2018 and specialises in scalable and future-proofed mobile telemedicine and telehealth solutions. It is software focused; hardware agnostic and all of its solutions are configurable to local service needs including language localisation.
All products have full medical accreditation and GDPR compliance. The company has also achieved certification in ISO 9001, ISO 13485, Cyber Essentials Plus as well as RTCA air accreditation.
The development team have previously created, developed and implemented the most successful NHS Ambulance EPR deployment into 1,000 NHS Ambulances handling over 30,000 cases per week and it’s Android home telehealth solutions have been used by over 10,000 elderly patients (average 75 years) reducing emergency admissions.
The company’s products and services can be applied in situations involving mass casualties – battlefields, earthquakes, terrorist attacks. Customers include the military in UK, Canada and Australia and the UN is a major buyer. In fact, 80 per cent of products and services are for export. The solutions are currently used internationally by IGO, NGO and military customers deployed on land, sea and air.
I hope you enjoy reading my e-bulletin. Feel free to contact me personally with your feedback and suggestions for future activities at david@wmhtc.co.uk
Regards,
Executive Chair.
