DigitalHealth.London launches Global Alliances initiative

DigitalHealth.London has been at the forefront of the identification, development and deployment of digital health innovations since it was established as a collaboration of NHS, charity and academic partners in 2016. The new Global Alliances initiative will boost the position of London as the place to develop, evaluate and deploy innovative digital health and life sciences solutions.

DigitalHealth.London Global Alliances will allow Londoners to benefit from faster access to the world’s most promising digital health innovations through partnerships with many of the world’s leading innovation accelerators and ecosystems. The programme will also help British health tech innovators to scale and spread across international markets, creating jobs and supporting economic growth.

Believed to be the first NHS-led programme of its kind, DigitalHealth.London Global Alliances will focus on strengthening mutually beneficial links between London’s digital health and care ecosystem and those in partner cities around the world. More than 30 international ecosystem partners have visited DigitalHealth.London’s headquarters in the last two years to develop their understanding of innovation in the NHS and social care. This programme will formalise these links to ensure that the extensive network benefits the NHS and social care as a pipeline of innovations, as well as enabling UK companies to expand globally.

The four pillars of the Global Alliances programme are:

• Shared vision – Commitment to the power of innovation to advance digital health solutions, improving patient outcomes, reducing health inequalities and enhancing system efficiency;
• Knowledge exchange – Regular cross ecosystem learning through forums, workshops, webinars, peer-to-peer support and exchange of best practices;
• Innovation pathways and market access – Coordinated support for companies through office hours with advice and guidance;
• Operational collaboration and governance – Shared challenges and new programme development.

Specific international partnerships and collaborative events will be announced in the coming months, alongside a series of webinars for UK-based innovators to learn about different international opportunities.

DigitalHealth.London is led by the Health Innovation Network (HIN) South London, with the support of partners across London. It supports dozens of UK-based health tech companies each year to scale and spread within the NHS and social care system. Its current programmes include the award-winning DigitalHealth.London Accelerator and Launchpad (for early-stage companies).

The HIN also runs some flagship national specialist innovator support programmes focused on priority areas such as Accelerating FemTech (focused on women’s health) and the Mindset-XR Innovation Support Programme (focused on using extended reality technologies for mental health). Last year, these programmes supported British companies to create more than 65 new jobs, pilot or launch more than 60 new products, and secure millions of pounds of investment and follow-on funding.

DigitalHealth.London has always had an international perspective, having worked with many international leading digital health companies and frequently welcoming visitors from many health ecosystems worldwide.

We are delighted to be formalising these relationships to maximise the opportunity for both the NHS and innovative companies looking to scale globally.

– Anna King, Commercial Director at the Health Innovation Network South London and Executive Lead for DigitalHealth.London

London is already one of the world’s most connected and influential cities when it comes to business and culture.

The DigitalHealth.London Global Alliances initiative will help to ensure that the same goes for exchanging excellence in health and care innovation. Internationally, many health ecosystems face similar challenges to our own, and cooperation brings mutual benefit.

We are looking forward to supporting international innovators to improve the health of Londoners and play their part in addressing London’s health and care priorities.And we are equally excited about opening new doors for the brilliant British companies we work with to show what they can do on a global stage.

– Dr Rishi Das-Gupta, Chief Executive at the Health Innovation Network South London

Want to find out more about the DigitalHealth.London programme? Get in touch with us.