Health Innovation East Midlands part of elite accelerator pioneering rehabilitation technologies for the region  

Health Innovation East Midlands (HIEM) has supported a bid which sees £2.5 million awarded by the UKRI Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council to Nottingham Trent University.  

This funding will accelerate innovation into health and care pathways to transform how people recover and regain independence and function following injury or illness. 

HIEM is part of a consortium of 30 spanning research and innovation, medical and health tech organisations, the NHS, local government and economic development. 

The accelerator will connect hundreds of East Midlands MedTech SMEs with health and care professionals, academics and the public to drive the design, development and delivery of pioneering rehabilitation technologies. 

As people live longer and chronic health conditions increase, the demand for rehabilitation technologies, or ‘RehabTech’ is soaring. 

Named the EMERGE project – East Midlands Emerging RehabTech Growth Enterprise – will launch the East Midlands as the UK’s ‘RehabTech Valley’, a leading hub for rehabilitation technologies excellence. 

HIEM’s remit is to transform lives through innovation, the EMERGE project will translate theoretical breakthroughs, proof-of-concept ideas to cutting-edge innovations across areas including sensors and imaging, medical device materials and device design, smart medical wearables, bioengineering, robotics and artificial intelligence. 

Nicole McGlennon, Health Innovation East Midlands Managing Director said: “We are delighted to be part of the EMERGE project working with partners to develop the East Midlands as a centre of excellence for rehabilitation technologies. 

These partnerships will be essential for creating links between SMEs, academics and the NHS to speed up the development of and availability of rehabilitation technologies.  

Connecting these areas will make a real difference to the quality of life for patients and will transform outcomes.” 

Julian Patel, Health Innovation East Midlands, Associate Director, Innovation Partnerships & Business Development added: “We are proud to have supported the EMERGE project securing £2.5M for the region to accelerate life changing rehabilitation technologies. The project will not only positively impact patients but will also help to boost economic growth for our region.” 

Professor Richard Emes, Pro Vice-Chancellor Research and International at Nottingham Trent University, said: “This award further supports our ambitions in the theme of Health Innovation where NTU researchers are dedicated to transforming patient and community care outcomes.” 

The East Midlands also sees £105M investment approved by the government in September 2023 for the National Rehabilitation Centre, which is located in Nottinghamshire and will be run and staffed by Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust. 

More information on the EMERGE project is available here.