With the completion of the SIGHT programme, Dr Phil Jewell, Director of Healthtech and SIGHT CEO, explains how it has helped facilitate innovative healthcare technology that is making a positive difference to patients across the South of England.
The Supporting Innovation and Growth in Healthcare Technologies (SIGHT) programme was an EU-funded business support project developed and led by the , in conjunction with the Wessex Clinical Research Network and Hospitals University NHS Trust.
The programme was designed to enhance the competitiveness of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the healthcare technology sector. It provided help, evidence and guidance for businesses to ensure their products meet real, identified market needs along with the necessary guidance and support to enter and expand in healthcare markets. It also gave SMEs access to clinicians, academics and patient groups, enabling their products to meet the specific needs of these end users.
Over the course of its three-year programme, SIGHT worked with over 400 highly innovative SMEs across England, helping them to develop and deliver their next generational technologies for improving healthcare to market.
Examples include:
- which was used to track the spread of the virus within our University community.
- ioLight developing to enable scientists to analyse samples on the spot.
- to help parents of disabled children find support.
SIGHT has helped over 400 SMEs to develop and deliver their next generational technologies for improving healthcare to market.
Its impact has helped to establish successful relationships between universities, hospitals and healthcare SMEs that can be built on through further programmes and collaborations. SIGHT achieved the following objectives that included:
- 8 businesses attracted to launch in the UK, with five registering in .
- 90 academics from across all faculties were engaged in the programme with 75 clinical staff from PHUT engaging with SIGHT member companies.
- Over 500 companies in the network.
- Hosted 60 events in person and virtual, with around 1,200 attendees.
The European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) award of £1.7m was increased to £2.2m due to the programme’s success. In addition, the University provided supplementary funding to enable the programme to expand its activities beyond the EU parameters, thus allowing international businesses to be engaged as well. An independent assessment of SIGHT indicated that for every £1 invested in the programme, £22 was returned to the UK economy.
We in SIGHT are very grateful for the engagement and support over the past three years. The programme has generated some significant impacts, which we will seek to capitalise upon for the benefit of the University, its partners and our region.
The programme received national recognition. It was recommended by MHCLG for inclusion in ministerial briefing on Brexit as one of the best three UK EU funded programmes. Dame Caroline Dinenage, MP for Gosport, referenced SIGHT in a Westminster Hall debate on 28 March 2023 regarding ‘Medical Technology Regulations and the NHS’ as providing ‘an important boost to the regional economy’
We in SIGHT are very grateful for the engagement and support over the past three years. The programme has generated some significant impacts, which we will seek to capitalise upon for the benefit of the University, its partners and our region.
The health tech industry is of vital importance to both the local and national economy. It is our ambition to build on the project’s legacy and to expand SIGHT support to our community in order to achieve greater impact on wellbeing and the lives of patients.
Keep watching for some exciting future plans.
Quotes from SIGHT members –
“SIGHT is a fantastic idea and they really have cracked the whole business of being a common point of entry to academic and medical teams for SMEs.”
“They have you covered in all aspects of your medical device market, from regulatory to understanding the needs of the UK market, you name it, they have it!”
“I am very happy with the support provided, my business has progressed hugely thanks to SIGHT's support.”
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