Medilink Midlands

Global West Midlands: The Tech That Makes Tomorrow Work
2023-10-18 09:30 - 17:30 (Europe/London) | The Bond Studios, 180-182 Fazeley Street, Birmingham, B5 5SE, United Kingdom
Global West Midlands: The Tech That Makes Tomorrow Work is a West Midlands Growth Company event in partnership with TechWM.
Birmingham Tech Week – the UK’s largest regional tech festival and conference – is getting bigger every year, with more international recognition than EVER before. We’re excited to be part of it and host Global West Midlands: Tech That Makes Tomorrow Work. Join us in the heart of Birmingham’s Creative Quarter this October.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION & REGISTRATION

We’re delighted to announce that Tom Cheesewright will be your host for Global West Midlands: The Tech That Makes Tomorrow Work!
Tom is an experienced broadcaster, presenter and commentator with over a decade’s experience and more than two thousand appearances on TV and radio across the BBC, Channel 4, 5 and Sky News.

Melanie Davidson, CEO of Medilink Midlands, also joins the final panel discussion of the day, “Hope or Hype? Can Technology Revolutionalise Healthcare?”

ONLINE: How to Bring AI and Digital Health Technologies to the NHS
2023-10-23 11:00 - 14:00 | Online
This interactive 3-hour masterclass will teach healthtech developers how to navigate the complex pathway to NHS market access for AI and digital health technologies. It will also cover how to generate robust evidence that meets NHS and other regulatory standards.
Delivered by industry experts from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) and the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA).
CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION & REGISTRATION
You’ll learn how to:

Navigate the UK’s regulatory pathway for AI and digital health technologies.
Generate robust evidence that clearly demonstrates the value of your product to NHS decision-makers and meets regulatory requirements.
Make use of NICE tools and support services. These are designed to help healthtech developers collect robust real-world and clinical evidence, and test promising technologies within the NHS, quickly and safely.

This masterclass is suitable for AI and digital health developers, consultants and investors.

NICE Conference 2023: Focusing on What Matters Most
2023-11-07 08:00 - 17:00 | Hilton Manchester Deansgate
The NICE Conference 2023 showcases NICE’s commitment to helping practitioners and commissioners get the best care to people, fast, while ensuring value for the taxpayer. Bringing frontline staff and leaders from health and care together with the life sciences, healthtech and digital sectors, the event reveals how NICE is transforming to deliver more relevant, timely and usable guidance.
Register for your place to find out more about how NICE is focusing on what matters most to the health and care system and delivering useful and usable advice, when and where it is most needed. Experience 3 streams of interactive content aligned with NICE key priorities and feeding directly back to the NICE executive team:

NICE evolution: learning systems

NICE impact: focusing on what matters most

NICE advice: useful and usable

real-world data
life sciences
liberating data
medicines evaluation.

mental health
workforce productivity
supporting implementation
healthcare and net zero.

digital living guidelines
making place-based integrated care a reality
innovation in action
health inequalities.

The NICE Conference 2023 packs 12 hours of content into just one day:

How can NICE work with the pharma and medtech industries to help a system under pressure deliver for patients and taxpayers?
What will be the major technological innovations in health and care in the next few years – such as the blurring of the distinctions between digital devices and pharmaceuticals – and how should NICE evaluate them and help the health and care system prepare for them?
How can NICE support services in meeting demand, including through early value assessments of transformative digital technologies?
How should real-world data be used to evaluate new products and ways of working?

CLICK HERE for more information and to register today.

IN PERSON: Regulatory Innovation in the Life Sciences
2023-11-07 10:00 - 13:30 | Charnwood Campus, Bakewell Road, Loughborough, LE11 5RB
This event, organised by and taking place at Charnwood Campus as part of Leicester Business Festival, brings together expert speakers to explore how regulatory innovation in the life sciences is crucial to driving growth and expansion across the region.
Before any new medical product can be made available to patients, it needs to demonstrate that it complies with the requirements set out by the relevant regulatory bodies in the territories where the product will be made available. The purpose of these requirements is to ensure, as far as is possible, that a product is safe to use and that it performs in the manner the manufacturer says it does.
Meeting the requirements of the regulators is a significant undertaking and as a result dictates much of the downstream development process for healthcare technologies. The novel nature of research means that there will not always be a clearly defined regulatory pathway for novel technologies. By considering potential pathways and engaging with regulators early you can identify how your technology might fit with existing pathways and if it doesn’t fit, it will enable you to work with the regulators to develop an appropriate pathway. Furthermore, the external landscape Brexit and forthcoming changes in regulation, also have additive implications developing new products.
So how do you go about getting the right advice and from who? We’ve got a diverse array of regulatory experts coming along to share their knowledge and be questioned by the audience with burning issues to solve.
CLICK HERE TO BOOK YOUR PLACE
By attending our event, you will:

Understand about forthcoming changes in the regulatory environment
Hear from regulatory experts in both Pharma and Medtech
Discover what support the region offers
Learn from companies who have worked innovatively with the regulators to accelerate new product development
Engage in a panel debate on ways to improve your regulatory approach
Network with likeminded businesses

We recommend this event for CEO’s, Directors, Managers, and Leaders of:

Innovation
Marketing
R & D
Product Development
Business Development/New Business Development

Confirmed Speakers

Keynote NICE developments and direction of travel, Peter Barry, Consultant Clinical Advisor for NICE and chair of the guideline committee
Isabel Teare, Senior legal adviser, Life Sciences, Technology, Healthtech, Mills & Reeve and Event Chair
Neil Ebenezer, Medtech and Genomics Specialist, Department for International Trade
Vishal Thakker, Head of UK Approved Body and Senior Regulatory Lead BSI
Tim Bubb, Technical Director, IMed Consultancy
Tina Amini, TA Medtech & Combination Products Consulting
Jonathan Ripley, Consulting Services Director, IMed Consultancy
Bryan Lister, Health Technology & Regulatory Consultant – Medical Devices, InViva Healthcare Management

Confirmed Exhibitors

Blum Health
BSI
Claric Legal Services
Clear Insurance Management
Department of Business and Trade
Guardtech Group
IMed Consultancy
Innovate Edge
Inventya
InViva Healthcare Management
Loughborough College
Medilink Midlands
Nottingham Trent University
PHC Europe BV
Smallfry
SMC
TBAT
Weiss Technik

Life Sciences Round table 7th Nov Charnwood Campus
Booking is now open for our round table “Why is life sciences flourishing in the region, and what is required to accelerate the sector”
This event will take place at 2pm after the Regulatory Event. Please book this separately to the regulatory event as numbers are limited.
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/life-sciences-round-table-tickets-705939874167?aff=oddtdtcreator
Life Sciences Survey
Would you like your say but can’t make the Round Table. We have created a short survey of four questions to help us identify why life sciences are flourishing in the region and what is missing. Please follow the link, your responses are valuable to helping make our region more successful.
https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/8D9VKYH

IN PERSON: Enterprising Women: STEM Breakfast Panel
2023-11-08 09:30 - 11:30 | Chesterfield College, S41 7NG
The Enterprising Women network, led by co-chairs Jean Mountain and Eileen Perry MBE DL, will host a breakfast panel discussing opportunities for women in STEM.
Women make up only 28% of the workforce in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) and men vastly outnumber women in most STEM fields in college. The gender gaps are particularly high in some of the fastest-growing and highest-paid jobs of the future.
Our panel is made up of STEM sector leaders, who will focus on the importance of women being involved and successful within the industries.
They will discuss key factors affecting the future of the STEM sector, such as gender stereotypes, male-dominated cultures, maths anxiety and the gap in role models within these sectors.
CLICK HERE TO BOOK YOUR PLACE
Panellists include:

Aarti Raj, Strategic Account Director at Pick Everard
Joanne Bekis, Partner and Relationship Manager at Medilink Midlands
Ellizeh Bennett, STEM Ambassador at Chesterfield College
Emily Smith, Operations & Finance Director at Michael Smith Switchgear and Chair of ICAEW Manufacturing Advisory Group
Sandra Wiggins, Founder and CEO of Authentically Balanced

The event will cover:

Ways to become a strong role model for the upcoming generation of STEM leaders and how promote greater female participation in the field.
Barriers to recruitment, such as flexible work arrangements, maternity considerations, male-dominated work/study environments and using inclusive language to promote roles and courses.
An opportunity for recruiters, STEM experts and employees to exchange insights, and discover effective solutions and best practices.

Agenda

9:30 – 10:00 Arrivals, networking and refreshments
10:30 – 11:15 Panellist discussion and Q&As
11:15 – 11:30 Informal networking
11:30 Event close

Deadline for bookings: Wednesday 1 November at 5pm.
Tickets

Chamber Members: £15
Non-members: £20

A 10% discount can be applied on bookings of three or more places.

*All our business prices are excluding VAT at 20%

Note: On-street parking is available within walking distance.

IN PERSON: Charnwood Campus Innovation Surgeries
2023-11-16 | Charnwood Campus, Bakewell Road, Loughborough, LE11 5RB
A Charnwood Campus NHS and Academia Collaboration Platform event, part of a series of events and workshops to support the growth and success of the life science organisations clustered around Charnwood Campus Science, Innovation and Technology Park.
Companies in the region developing new healthcare technologies have been able to join a series of face-to-face workshops utilising the expertise of the Charnwood Campus team, Medilink Midlands and the Health Innovation East Midlands (HIEM) formally known as the East Midlands Academic Health Science Network (EMAHSN). Hosting these workshops collaboratively enables companies to have individual confidential discussions regarding the development of new products, from advice on funding all the way through to engaging with the NHS, without having to engage with each organisation separately.
Gosia Khrais, Commercial Director at Charnwood Campus said: “The NHS and Academia Collaboration Platform is improving the accessibility of expert advice and speeding up the development of new technologies, life-saving therapeutics and ways of working to offer the NHS money savings, improving services and treatments for patients. The 2022 workshops have been hugely successful, and we are really looking forward to seeing how these projects progress.”
Tim Robinson, Commercial Director at HIEM, said: “We are looking forward to the 2023 innovation surgeries. They are a great opportunity for us to meet with a wide range of organisations, hear about their products and share our team’s experience and expertise to help them introduce innovation and new technology to the NHS and improve care for patients.”
Jo Maltby, Senior Innovation Advisor, Medilink Midlands said: “Being involved in the Innovation Surgeries has enabled Medilink Midlands to support a range of organisations using our extensive sector knowledge and expertise. The team at Medilink Midlands is passionate about working with companies in the life sciences and medtech sectors to help guide the development of new and innovative technologies, and we are excited to continue delivering this support through the Charnwood Campus Innovation Surgeries.”
Saran Muthiah, Founder and CEO Enrich My Care, a personal health and care monitoring platform for children and young people with disabilities said: “Great discussion and valuable input from the panel at Charnwood Campus on how to package your innovation for NHS adoption, it really was an absolute masterclass from the experts! Looking forward to working with the team and taking Enrich My Care to market to transform the lives of children and young people with cerebral palsy and other neurodisabilities.”
Joseph Bentley, Founder and MD ACT Medical, a MedTech start-up looking to revolutionise the standard of care for penetrative trauma and reduce the mortality rates associated with violent crime said: “Bringing an entirely novel medical device to the market is challenging, being able to discuss the development and funding pathway with experts is essential.”
Gemma Poole, Co-Founder, The Essential Baby Company, bringing accessibility and inclusivity to antenatal care in the UK, said: “Antenatal care in the UK has left Black and brown skin women, birthing parents and non-traditional families to the margins. The Essential Baby Company exists to fill those gaps through education and utilising the voices of marginalised communities to empower, increase representation and improve outcomes for Black and brown skin people in the maternity sector. Being able to discuss our innovation plans and route to market with the team was really useful and helped me focus, looking forward to working with you in the future.”
Andrea Robinson, Head of UK Sales, Pennine Healthcare, one of the UK’s leading, employee owned, manufacturer and distributor, of single use sterile ward and theatre consumables and custom procedure packs said: “We are looking to raise awareness within the NHS of the NICE-evaluated Urethrotech Urethral Catheterisation Device UCD®. The innovative catheter, when used in the community, reduces the need for hospital admission for failed catheterisation.”
If you would like to discuss your innovation project, new product development or understand the landscape, please contact us by following the booking link below. Both virtual and face to face sessions are available and if you can’t make these dates, it may be possible to request other dates.
The dates for 2023 are 15th March, 10th May, 5th July, 13th September, 16th November. Please contact Dr Lucy Alexander at Lucy.alexander@charnwoodcampus.com, for further information or to book a place.
For more information on Charnwood Campus, click here
For more information on Medilink Midlands click here
For more information on HIEM, click here

Silverstone Technology Cluster Conference 2023
2023-11-21 09:00 - 17:00 | The Stables, Milton Keynes
This year, Silverstone Technology Cluster are bringing you some home-grown successes to inspire and re-ignite your aspirations, together with the latest and most exciting developments from around the region.
Tuesday 21st November 2023 at The Stables, Wavendon, Milton Keynes from 09.00 to 17.00.
Book your place HERE.
This year’s stellar speaker line-up for the STC Innovation & Growth Conference includes:
• Mike Jones (LBI Consulting):
Adept at navigating the intricacies and unpredictability of contemporary organisations by developing foresight, strategy, and alignment, Mike is an organisational psychologist, systems-thinker and seasoned leader.
His keynote speech will challenge traditional thinking and showcase the techniques that can ensure your strategy will actually work for your company and provide you with practical take-aways to apply in your own business, for greater success.
• Chloe Fox (Veritas Marketing):
Chloe is the founder of Veritas Marketing, which specialises in building online communities for STEM brands that empower and encourage diversity and inclusivity for the future of STEM talent.
Having spent the last 3 years helping STEM brands to connect with younger audiences, re-frame how STEM is seen in modern media, and building pathways for talent to connect and interact with brands that are innovating and re-imagining the future of STEM, Chloe will be sharing her insights into addressing the growing skills and talent gap in STEM, and how brands can appeal to more diverse audiences.
• Stephane Bazire (Silverstone Circuit):
Currently based in Oxford but hailing from London, Paris, Rome, Rio and Barcelona — always with an emphasis on the ‘green’ angle — Stephane specialises in partnerships, event & venue management, sports marketing and sustainability. He’ll be sharing his ideas with us about opportunities in the drive to net-zero from an F1 perspective.
• Dr. Maria Nelson (ATI):
Dr Maria Nelson is passionate about fostering innovative collaborations between the brightest minds in industry, startups and academia. Maria is Head of Innovation and Sustainability at the Aerospace Technology Institute, the UK’s leading centre for aerospace research. With a background in innovation management and strategic communications, as well as academia and publishing, Maria will bring us her views on the aerospace drive for sustainability.
• Richard Hutchins (Oxford to Cambridge Partnership):
Currently the Managing Director of the Oxford to Cambridge Partnership, Richard has spent twenty years in the West Midlands in a variety of senior executive, non-executive and government advisory roles across the board including economic development, higher education and sustainability.
Having taken up his most recent post just a couple of months ago, Richard will be bringing his vast array of experience to the table and painting us a picture of what lies immediately ahead in the Oxford to Cambridge Arc’s journey.
Here are just some of the excellent reasons to attend:
• Hear from our keynote speakers on sustainability, the economy, technology and skills
• Connect with your peers in your sector and far beyond
• Build your network and create new business leads at both ends of the supply chain
• Challenge your thinking and feel part of a like-minded, forward-looking community of business leaders and innovators

More details coming soon!

Cancer Research Horizons: Innovation Summit 2023
2023-11-21 09:00 - 18:00 | The Royal Society of Medicine, 1 Wimpole Street, London, W1G 0AE
MEET FELLOW ENTREPRENEURS AT THE CANCER RESEARCH HORIZONS INNOVATION SUMMIT
The Cancer Research Horizons Innovation Summit is taking place on 21 November at the Royal Society of Medicine, London. Join the event to experience a day filled with inspiring talks from researchers who have successfully translated their research into effective tools, tests and treatments for patients affected by cancer.
This free-to-attend event provides the perfect opportunity for you to network with fellow innovative researchers and discover how to create your own start-up and learn how to avoid the pitfalls that entrepreneurs face.
CLICK HERE TO BOOK YOUR PLACE

IN PERSON: MTIF Workshop for SMEs
2023-11-22 09:30 - 13:00 | Medical Technologies Innovation Facility (MTIF), Clifton Campus, NTU, Clifton Lane, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, NG11 8NS
Calling all leaders of SMEs in the MedTech industry. MTIF are hosting a bespoke workshop event on the 22nd of November at the MTIF Innovation Centre (Clifton Campus NTU). If you are a leader of a small or medium-sized enterprise (<250 staff) in the Medical Technology sector, and are looking for FREE advice, then this event is perfect for you.
MTIF will be working with a number of our partners to provide support and advice in the following areas:

Intellectual Property
Funding
Regulatory advice
Research
Facilities and equipment
Recruitment

If you are interested in attending this free event, and would like to receive more information, please complete this short form.

WEBINAR: Gallagher Cyber Security Centre
2023-11-23 10:00 - 11:30 | Online
Join Medilink Midlands Patrons, Gallagher, for their Cyber Defence Centre webinar on Thursday, 23rd November 2023 at 10 a.m.
Cyber risk remains a top tier threat for organisations of any size or sector and demands an ‘always-on’ approach to cybersecurity. To help our clients achieve this, they have created Gallagher Cyber Defence Centre—an ongoing package of support, available as an annual service.
CLICK HERE TO BOOK YOUR PLACE
In this webinar, Gallagher explain how the tools and services in the Cyber Defence Centre can help you defend your organisation against cyber incidents.
Their cyber risk specialists will discuss:

How the different elements of this service can help you guard against specific threats.
The seen and unseen threats in today’s cyber risk landscape.
The role that defensive security can play in your organisation.
How continual vulnerability scanning can identify real time threats
How it has already benefited over 250 of our clients

Gallagher Cyber Defence Centre includes continuous access to cyber risk specialists and the latest security technology to help you proactively manage your cyber risk.
Presenter:
Georgia Price-Hunt, Commercial Manager, Cyber Risk Management at Gallagher
Format:
Panel discussion followed by audience Q&A

IN PERSON: Innovations Against AMR: World Antimicrobial Awareness Week Conference 2023
2023-11-24 10:00 - 16:00 | Interdisciplinary Biomedical Research Building, University of Warwick, Coventry, CV4 7AL
Cytecom Ltd, University of Warwick, and Medilink Midlands have teamed up together to organise the ‘Innovations Against AMR’ conference as part of World Antimicrobial Awareness Week. To tackle the growing issue of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) a collaborative effort is essential between academic researchers, industries, charities, policy makers and communities. This event aims to bring together experts of the field and provide a platform to establish links across academia and industries, showcase innovations and communicate them to wider audiences.
Cytecom Ltd is a University of Warwick spinout that has developed a fast, portable device for enumeration of live bacteria. Cytecom’s mission is to inform the fight against AMR by providing a rapid, low-cost, and easy-to-use AMR diagnostic test.
The event will be hosted by the University of Warwick, who are very generously providing space in the IBRB building for a series of short talks, posters, and a start-up zone.
A networking session after the event will provide a great opportunity to meet new collaborators and for the students to explore the breadth of career options in the field of AMR.
CLICK HERE TO BOOK YOUR PLACE
Abstract submission deadline: 8th November
We invite you to submit your abstract for Oral or Poster presentation. A prize for best poster will be sponsored by Medilink Midlands. To submit your abstract, please fill out this form by Wednesday, 8th November 2023.
Directions
The event will be held in the IBRB, Gibbet Hill Campus, University of Warwick, Coventry CV4 7AL.
View directions for visiting the University of Warwick for further arrival information.
Parking on campus for visitors is available on a first-come first-served basis, and is operated through pay and display. More info on parking for visitors is available here.

IN PERSON: Health Innovation West Midlands Stakeholder Conference
2023-11-28 09:30 - 13:30 | Conference Aston, Birmingham, B4 7ET, Birmingham, B4 7ET
​​​​Join Health Innovation West Midlands (HIWM) for their inaugural Stakeholder conference, showcasing how they work with their regional ecosystem to transform health and care through innovation.
As the innovation arm of the NHS, Health innovation West Midlands‘ (formerly the West Midlands Academic Health Science Network) mission is to support the development of transformational health innovations and accelerate the adoption and spread of improvement solutions demonstrated to deliver patient benefit.
This free-to-attend event will discuss their vision, mission and values as an organisation, and their offer of support and expertise to stakeholders across all sectors involved in healthcare including social care and public health, integrated care systems, research and industry, as they embark on a new 5-year license with NHS England.
CLICK HERE TO BOOK YOUR PLACE
Why attend?
Health and care system stakeholders will:

Learn how Health Innovation West Midlands can support you
Discover how clinically-led innovation can be developed and adopted within local trusts
Explore their approach to a whole system approach to the adoption of a managing deterioration pathway

Innovators will:

Have the opportunity to meet with health and care system stakeholders
Discover how they act as a point of access for the West Midlands innovation ecosystem, signposting and supporting innovators enabling access to NHS services.
Explore how they support the scaling and spread of innovations from local to regional and regional to national adoption.

Integrated care system stakeholders will:

Discover how they enable a collaborative environment within their region to facilitate a whole-systems approach to the development, implementation and adoption of demonstrable innovations

Researchers will:

Gain a greater understanding of how they can create opportunities to link with local partners, including the NIHR Applied Research Centre (ARC) WM, Midlands Patient Safety Collaboratives, and WM Clinical Research Network (WM Research Delivery Network)
Hear how they work closely with academia and research institutions, as well as industry and NHS providers to inform your research and translate it into clinical practice.

Who should attend?
This event is open to stakeholders across all sectors involved in healthcare including social care and public health, integrated care systems, research and industry.

IN PERSON: Essex CareTech Forum Winter 2023
2023-12-06 10:00 - 13:00 | Arise Chelmsford Innovation Hub, Alan Cherry Drive, Chelmsford, Essex, CM1 1QT, United Kingdom
Following the online briefing session delivered by Medilink Midlands in partnership with Arise Innovation Hubs on Monday 20th November, join Arise Innovation Hubs at their Chelmsford site for the first in-person event relating to the Arise Beyond Open Innovation for Value and Entrepreneurship (ABOVE) programme, the Essex CareTech Forum.
CLICK HERE TO BOOK YOUR PLACE
Delivering better care is both a national priority and one for Essex, and technology will play a crucial role. CareTech is one of Essex County Council’s (ECC) 5 priority growth sectors and a key contributor to our ambition for a more productive, inclusive, and sustainable local economy.
This event follows on from Essex County Council’s successful CareTech Showcase in May 2023. Hearing the feedback from businesses, care providers, commissioners, the wider health sector, and many other besides, this event will:
· Highlight the support available to businesses who want to deliver innovative med and care-tech solutions.
· Demonstrate ECC’s ongoing public sector collaboration to support the sector and how it can benefit your business.
· Feature a panel discussion on the future of the sector and how the ECC and its partners can position Essex and the East of England as the place for the development and delivery of CareTech.

IN PERSON: ReMed Conference: Circular Economy for Small Medical Devices
2023-12-19 08:30 - 17:00 | James France Building, Loughborough University
The ReMed Conference: ‘Transdisciplinary Perspectives on a Circular Economy for Small Medical Devices’ will take place on 19th December 2023

The conference, held at Loughborough University, aims to provide an overview of the latest research and current industrial initiatives in support of the application of the Circular Economy in the healthcare sector. The programme will feature:

Presentations from industrial and academic practitioners
Poster session showcasing the latest leading research
Industry exhibition and technology demonstrations

Loughborough University invite practitioners and leaders working within the NHS and healthcare sector, industry professionals from across the healthcare supply and recovery chain, and academic researchers working within multidisciplinary fields encompassing sustainability within the healthcare sector, to join the conference and contribute to this vibrant and active community.
There will be a dedicated poster session during the conference, with prizes available for the top 3 posters. Poster submissions are welcome from academic and industry researchers who would like to share their latest research achievements with conference delegates. Research submissions are welcome around the topic of ‘circular economy of small medical devices’ and from multiple disciplines, including: engineering, modelling, design, business, and healthcare science.
For more information and to book your place, click here.

WEBINAR: Health Innovation East Midlands: Ask the Expert Q&A with TBAT Innovation on R&D Funding & Tax Credits
2024-01-23 13:00 - 14:00
Join Health Innovation East Midlands free “Ask the Expert” session with TBAT on January 23rd, 1pm to 2pm. Gain valuable insights from industry experts who will demystify funding options, navigate tax incentives, and answer all your burning questions. Plus, attendees get a bonus one-to-one consultancy call with TBAT to discuss their specific needs.
In order to book onto the session, you must create or login into the ‘Health Innovation Academy’ – to sign up/be redirected, please see here. Once signed in, go to the R&D Funding and Tax Credits course page to book on to this ‘Ask the Expert’ session.

IN-PERSON EVENT: Innovation, Productivity and Health Inequalities: Developing a Road Map for Leicestershire
2024-02-06 09:00 - 16:00 | Charnwood Campus, Bakewell Road, Loughborough, LE11 5RB
This is a flagship event for the Leicestershire Innovation Festival 2024 – it will focus on shining a light on our life sciences sector.
The day will consist of a morning plenary session featuring the NHS, Industry and the third sector followed by an afternoon session focusing on innovation and productivity including two panel sessions that feed into the effect that health inequalities have on the socio-economic landscape in our region.
The event will feature exemplars where innovation has helped close the gap or improved care, we will look at ways to improve productivity for those working in the life sciences and ultimately develop a roadmap for the region through ongoing work.
Caroline Trevithick, CEO LLR Integrated Care Board, who will be discussing the LLR ICB strategy for improving health equity in the region.
Taking place at Charnwood Campus Science Innovation and Technology Park. to find out more and to book your place, click here.
Medilink Midlands are delighted to be supporting this event, as the strategic not for profit event partners.

IN PERSON: OBN Science Social - Industry Networking Event
2024-02-07 17:30 - 20:00 | Enterprise Wharf, Innovation Birmingham, Holt Street, Birmingham, B7 4BB, United Kingdom
OBN are delighted to be holding the Science Social in Birmingham at the Enterprise Wharf on 7 February 2024.
OBN Science Social are OBN’s ever popular networking evenings, and an excellent way to raise your profile and connect with like-minded people across the life sciences industry.
The event takes place in Birmingham at the newly opened Bruntwood Scitech​ Enterprise Wharf​ on 7 February 2024. Enterprise Wharf is the perfect hub for tech companies and offers 10 floors of contemporary flexible office space designed with digital and tech businesses in mind.
Attendance is complimentary and open to the entire Industry, the evening starts at 17.30, with drinks and nibbles available throughout the evening.

HYBRID EVENT: SPARK Studio: Importance of a Quality Management System (QMS)
2024-02-13 15:00 - 16:00
This event is for academics, researchers, scientists and entrepreneurs interested in therapeutics, medical device and diagnostic development. They aim to support your research from concept to clinic.
The speaker at this event is Henry Sibun, Henry is a consultant in the medical devices industry and an IRCA registered lead auditor for medical device quality management systems. He has audited hundreds of medical device and pharmaceutical companies against ISO 13485 and medical devices regulations and now supports companies in achieving certification and CE marking against these requirements.
For any enquiries, please contact us at spark-uk@aston.ac.uk or visit www.sparkthemidlands.co.uk/contact
This SPARK The Midlands event is being delivered as part of Aston University’s active involvement in the delivery of the West Midlands Health Tech Innovation Accelerator (WMHTIA). The WMHTIA is funded by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, in partnership with Innovate UK and the West Midlands Combined Authority.
Please note this a hybrid event with the option to attend in-person or online. Spaces are limited.
In-person: John Cadbury House (Enterprise Hub) – Aston University, 190 Corporation St, Birmingham B4 6QD – for registration in-person, click here
Online: Microsoft Teams – for registration online, click here

IN-PERSON EVENT: Leicestershire Innovation Festival 2024 Workshop: ‘Funding Early Business Growth’
2024-02-14 13:00 - 16:00 | SHMA LLP, 1 Colton Square, Leicester, LE1 1QH, United Kingdom
Join TBAT Innovation for a free workshop on 14th February as part of the 2024 Leicestershire Innovation Festival. Working in partnership with Shakespeare Martineau, British Business Bank and Rocking Horse Group, this workshop has been designed to empower entrepreneurs and businesses and is is tailor-made to equip you with indispensable tools and insights for navigating the intricate world of investment and funding opportunities.
Led by industry experts in investment and entrepreneurship, this workshop guarantees a comprehensive and engaging learning experience. Esteemed speakers include:
Sam Stephens, Founding Director, TBAT Innovation: Funding your innovation
• Introduction to Grant Funding and the R&D Tax Credit Scheme
• EIS/SEIS
Lisa Botterill, Partner, Shakespeare Martineau – Legal Considerations
• The legal process for obtaining funding
• How to be prepared for the legal process
• Key things to look out for
• What the legal documentation looks like
Lewis Stringer, Senior Manager, British Business Bank – Access to Finance
• An overview of the state of the SME access to finance market both nationally and regionally
• Current trends being seen with innovative businesses accessing funding
• The support available for SMEs and innovative businesses from the British Business Bank
Rob Fabbro & James Davis, Rocking Horse Group UK – Advanced funding solutions
• What is advance funding of R&D Tax Credits and IUK Grants?
• Supporting loss-making businesses
• Make Great British Innovation Great again
Following these insightful presentations, participants will be given the chance to participate in hands-on exercises, have ample opportunities to ask questions and connect with our experts.
In addition, we are delighted to confirm that during this event, TBAT Innovation will officially launch the Innovation Challenge 2024.
Registration details can be found online here.

WEBINAR: An introduction to IP in the NHS and MidTECH Innovations
2024-02-29 10:00 - 11:30
The workshop is free to staff from NHS organisations within the Midlands region, and attendance from staff in all roles or grades are encouraged.
The NHS recognises that its staff can generate new ideas and concepts, innovative solutions to problems, inventions, or just better ways of working, that may, with the right support, lead to improvements in the running of our hospitals or the delivery of healthcare. Such ideas and concepts are termed Intellectual Property (IP) and, like other kinds of property, can be owned and protected.
Your Trust intends to encourage all its employees to make these sorts of contributions by giving you the advice and support needed to maximise the potential benefits from your good ideas and therefore staff are encouraged to attend the MidTECH IP Workshop for targeted advice and support.
This interactive workshop will explore:
• What is Intellectual Property (IP)?
• Why is IP important?
• What are IP Rights?
• How your research or new ideas can be developed, protected, and commercialised with support available from MidTECH.
The workshop will be held online via Teams. To register for this event or for further information please contact Amardeep Kaur.

Medical Technology UK
2024-03-13 09:00 - 2024-03-14 17:00 | Coventry Building Society Arena, Judds Lane, Coventry, CV6 6GE, United Kingdom
Medical Technology UK is the Exhibition & Conference for medical device engineering.
The two day conference includes speakers from Medtronic, Boston Scientific, Owen Mumford, Johnson & Johnson and our key note speaker is Professor Tony Young OBE, National Clinical Lead for Innovation at NHS England.
You can view the full content programme below at:
Learning Programme
Women in Medtech Forum
In tandem with the conference is the exhibition, which showcases the expertise and knowledge of approx. 130 specialist companies.
Each exhibitor provides a product or service that could potentially enhance and expedite your design to commercialisation process.
See the full EXHIBITOR LIST
The entire event is FREE to attend, as is the car parking and you can REGISTER HERE

TBAT Innovation Workshop: Finance - All you need to know to fund your business growth
2024-03-20 13:00 - 16:30 | TBC, Birmingham, United Kingdom
This free-to-attend online workshop is designed to delve into the innovative solutions you need to know in order to fund your business growth. Discussion around problems, challenges and opportunities highlighted to reduce the effects of funding barriers – supporting you on your journey to commercialisation and being a disrupter in the marketplace.
This workshop, will be run as part of The Innovation Challenge, which has been designed by a group of well established experts, to stimulate and support innovation in SMEs by leveraging the expertise of our unique partner network.
This event is one of four interactive workshops, designed to support growing SME’s through the highs and lows of how to successfully innovate, grow and succeed. All of the workshops are open to the public and free-to-attend, with no requirement to apply to The Innovation Challenge. If you would like to find out more about the application process, please click here.
This informative and interactive Finance workshop sponsored by Modus Accountants will consist of short presentations, Q&A’s, comfort breaks throughout and a panel discussion towards the end. Take a look below at our workshop speakers and the topics they will be covering.

The UK-China Business Forum 2024
2024-03-20 13:30 - 17:30 | London, London, United Kingdom
CBBC’s upcoming flagship event: The UK-China Business Forum 2024 will take place on 20th March in London’s Landmark hotel.
The half-day conference will be followed by CBBC’s Spring Reception, and will focus on the geopolitics of trade: with leading industry experts exploring opportunities in key strategic sectors, including transportation and EV evolution and biosciences and healthcare, as well as considering topics around supply chain and risk management.
The event will offer plentiful opportunities for networking and knowledge-exchange.
Please note: Medilink members are invited to attend this event at the same rate as CBBC members – please email: info@medilinkmidlands.com to receive the code.

Venturefest West Midlands 2024
2024-03-21 09:00 - 17:00 | Eastside Rooms, Birmingham, B7 4BL, United Kingdom
Connecting Investors, Innovators and Entrepreneurs in the West Midlands. Venturefest 2024, brings together regional businesses, universities, science parks and business support organisations.​
Venturefest West Midlands will be held on 21st March 2024 at the Eastside Rooms in Birmingham.
​Being supported locally by business, universities, science parks and business support organisations Venturefest provides entrepreneurs, investors and innovators the chance to meet, engage and exchange ideas for co-operation and collaboration, particularly in the fields of science and emerging technologies.
Medilink Midlands is proud to be gold sponsors of Venturefest. Our Entrepreneur in Residence Christian Kumar will be chairing our session within the conference programme. Be sure to join the conference at 11:10-12pm for Four Ps of successful Product development – People, Planet, Partnership and Profit, speakers include:

Melanie Davidson, CEO, Medilink Midlands (Partnerships)
Dave Phasey, Projects Director, 3P Innovation (People)
Marcelle Batson-Warner, Founder & CEO, One Stop Engineering (Planet)
Mark Evans, Partner, Crowe LLP (Profit)

Medilink Midlands will also be prominent in the exhibition hall with the following invited companies:
MICA Biosystems
Cytecom
Sonotu
B13 AI
​Running alongside Venturefest West Midlands for another year will be Minerva Birmingham Pitch Up, a pitching competition for business owners, giving a unique opportunity for businesses to raise their profile both in the West Midlands and in front of a national audience of investors. Business owners are invited to present their ideas in a pitch for investment and stand a chance of winning one of several awards.
A key feature of Venturefest West Midlands, the programme featuring industry leaders delivering insightful, challenging and inspiring keynote and panel discussions. Running alongside these sessions will include interactive workshop sessions delivered by our expert partners.
View the Venturefest 2024 programme here.
Read more online here

Interactive tool webinar: new product verification, validation and testing
2024-03-22 10:00 - 12:00 | Online
Join The Open University and InterAct for the launch of a tool for designing customer and regulation focused verification, validation and testing (VVT) plans for your new product or technology development. This event aims to demonstrate why the industry should invest and how they can focus on critical product verification, validation, and testing activities focused on key “Voice of customer” (VoC) and “Voice of Regulation” (VoR) concerns.
Many low or zero-emission technologies for decarbonisation are still in prototype phases that need coordinated development and enhanced testing across different uses and stages of development (HM Government, 2021). However, new product/technology verification, validation, and testing processes are highly complex for both technology developers and the industry who want to adopt these technologies.
How will this event benefit my business?
Joining this session will demystify the complex process with case studies, break down the steps of the VVT process, and demonstrate this process using an online interactive tool.
The tool will be freely available for the participants to use in their business context and provide feedback for further development. Participants will also be able to collaborate in future case studies, provide input on the research direction, and co-create useful solutions tailored to them.
Agenda:

10.00 : Welcome and Introduction – Dr Khadija Tahera, The Open University
10.20: Keynote Talk – Dr Andrew Halfpenny, Director of Technology – nCode Products, Hottinger Bruel and Kjaer UK Ltd.
11:00: The process and tool: case study – Dr Khadija Tahera
11.40: Live Q&A
How you can get involved – – Dr Khadija Tahera, The Open University

Click here to book your place.

The Future of Medical Technology Manufacturing Workshop
2024-03-27 09:30 - 15:30 | The Manufacturing Technology Centre, Ansty Park, Coventry, CV7 9JU
The medical technologies manufacturing industry is an essential engine for the Midlands’ economic growth, innovation, healthcare improvement, global trade, skills development, and healthcare resilience. This multifaceted role underscores its importance in both the regional and national contexts.
In this workshop, attendees will:

Explore together the visions and future business models for the sector.
Jointly identify the drivers that change the sector.
Identify the organisational changes required and how to prepare for them.
Suggest the broader ecosystem capabilities needed in readiness for this future.
Co-create a plan of action for the kinds of change everyone can invest in and trust.

InterAct will take you through the foreseeable changes that lie ahead and work with you to develop the flexibility that will allow you to pivot to be equally productive and sustainable in different scenarios, delivering progress with purpose.
The InterAct Future of Digital Manufacturing Ecosystems research team has published a vital report that brings you the information you need, at your fingertips, outlining four potential future scenarios and the associated opportunities for the manufacturing world.
The four potential alternatives for the digital manufacturers of tomorrow we suggest are:

Productivity Powerhouse
Flexibility as Standard
Sustainability Champion
Happy and Sustainable Workforce

This is an important opportunity to anticipate future technological changes and plan to be prepared for developments in AI and other future technologies and make the necessary changes sooner rather than later to keep our region’s manufacturers competitive.
Click here to register your interest.

Health Innovation East Midlands Surgical Innovation Exchange
2024-04-11 10:00 - 11:30 | Online
Health Innovation East Midlands (HIEM) would like to invite innovators who provide solutions which can positively impact our local surgical pathways (from initial referral to post operative care) to apply to showcase their innovation at our next Surgical Innovation Exchange.

The event will take place virtually and will allow innovators to present their solution to an audience of NHS colleagues across the region.
Health Innovation East Midlands consulted with patients and stakeholders in the East Midlands to outline the key challenges experienced both working in and navigating through the local surgical pathways. The innovations and innovative solutions that they will be selecting to showcase at this event will directly address these challenges. Presentations from innovators will be followed by a Q&A session with NHS colleagues, and HIEM can help to facilitate connections between NHS colleagues and innovators following the event.
Click for more information and to apply for your place.
*Application window open until Tuesday 19th March 2024 at 12pm.

Avoiding FDA holds - import with success into the US
2024-04-11 12:00 - 12:45 | Online
Details
Webinar hosted by YSDS Life Science
Avoid FDA Holds
The essential steps for importing your FDA related product into the US with success.
As thousands of other pharmaceutical companies, you may be struggling with importing your pharmaceutical products into the US.
The FDA (Food & Drug Administration) is an agency with rigorous rules & regulations that acts as a protective wall around North America, and only allows products to pass that have checked every single box on their long lists.
Join our webinar to learn:

About the FDA, their purpose and processes
The important steps of meeting FDA regulations
What to do if your product is put on an “FDA hold”

Our speakers will unravel the way towards FDA clearance and give you the best tips & tricks for succeeding with your US imports.
Please click here to register your place.

Engineering Supply Chain Show 2024
2024-04-15 - 2024-04-19 | NEC Birmingham, Hall 2, Birmingham, B40 1NT, United Kingdom
We’re pleased to announce we’ll be joining over 500 exhibitors with a presence at MACH24, as part of the Engineering Supply Chain Show 2024, co-located in Hall 6 of the NEC. Attendees will also have the chance to hear from InterAct Co-director, Professor Jan Godsell, as she discusses all things InterAct.
InterAct will be based on a stand located at 6-681 on the show floorplan, by the Seminar Theatre. We’ll be engaging with businesses from across the manufacturing sector, sharing the latest insights and outputs from the wide range of projects we’ve funded.
As part of our participation, Professor Jan Godsell will be delivering a talk entitled ‘From Human Insight to Human Action – InterAct and the Future of Manufacturing’. Taking place as part of the seminar programme on the Seminar Theatre stage from 14:00 – 14:30, Tuesday 16th April. This talk will provide an overview of our full programme of research. Professor Godsell will be highlighting some of the key themes of our work and showcasing how our insights can support sustainability, resilience, productivity, and wellbeing.
To register your place, please click here.

Partners and Pastries - Business Networking Event
2024-04-16 08:00 - 10:00 | Charnwood Campus Loughborough, LE11 5RB, Charnwood Campus Loughborough, Loughborough, LE11 5RB, United Kingdom
Join TBAT Innovation and Medilink Midlands for the Partners and Pastries Breakfast Networking Event.
The event will take place at Charnwood Campus in Loughborough on Tuesday 16th April, from 8am.
Attendees can expect:

Speed networking: Engage with a diverse group of professionals in a relaxed setting
Breakfast refreshments
Introduction by Sam Stephens, Founding Director, TBAT Innovation
Brief overview of Medilink Midlands by Jo Bekis, Head of Partnerships, Medilink Midlands
90-second pitch opportunities from TBAT partners

Please note: Partners are invited to take a 90-second pitch slot – selected Partners will be advised prior to the event. If you are interested in pitching, please email jor@tbat.co.uk.
Attendance is free of charge, but registration is essential. Please register using code MM15 (limited to one place per organisation).
Click to book your place.
