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A doctor holds a mobile phone next to a tablet, showing a health app display

West Midlands Health Tech Innovation Accelerator (WMHTIA)

A doctor holds a mobile phone next to a tablet, showing a health app display

Led by the University of Birmingham, the WMHTIA focused on helping companies drive their health innovations towards markets success.

With £14.5m funding from Innovate UK, on behalf of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) and the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT), the WMHTIA commenced in April 2023 and ran until March 2025.

The programme was an ambitious approach, established to improve coordination and strategic planning amongst the region’s various innovation and commercialisation initiatives, as well as between the anchor organisations of the region’s HealthTech ecosystem.

As such, a consortium of 21 partners was convened, including four West Midlands universities, three regional network organisations, a Research and Technology Organisation, professional services, a GP Partnership and an NHS Trust.

Collectively, the partners engaged with over 250 businesses and provided bespoke intensive support to 114 health tech enterprises.

In just over two years, the WMHTIA’s impact included:

  • Funding: £2.48m in grants awarded to innovators and £67m total co-investment realised (of every £1 of Government funding unlocked £3.4 in private co-investment)
  • Economy: £38.3m uplift in regional GVA, £45m nationally
  • Jobs: 739+ job-years supported in the West Midlands
  • Innovation: Research & Development accelerated by 9-10 months on average
  • Procurement: 5 new technologies adopted by the NHS following WMHTIA partner support

Through a second Government funding award of £4.0m, the WMHTIA was extended to March 2026.

This final report summarises the achievements and learnings of the WMHTIA in supporting the commercialisation of promising health technologies.

Key outputs

  • Case Study: EarSwitch

    EarSwitch is revolutionising blood oximetry by targeting a central site of the body where everyone’s skin colour is the same

WMHTIA Pathfinder Report 2023-2025

The WMHTIA Pathfinder Report for 2023-2025 summarises the achievements and learnings of the West Midlands Health Tech Innovation Accelerator (WMHTIA) in supporting the commercialisation of promising health technologies. 

WMHTIA partners

WMHTIA delivery partners include: 

  • Acuwomen
  • Aston University
  • Azets
  • Birmingham City University
  • Birmingham Health Partners
  • Bruntwood SciTech
  • Cogniss
  • Element Materials Technology
  • Health Innovation West Midlands
  • Manufacturing Technology Centre (MTC)
  • Medilink Midlands
  • Our Health Partnership/Primary Care Accelerator
  • Plug and Play
  • Precision Health Technologies Accelerator (PHTA)
  • Shoosmiths
  • Smallfry Industrial Design
  • Technology Supply Chain (TSC)
  • University of Birmingham
  • University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust (UHB)
  • University of Warwick including Warwick Manufacturing Group (WMG) and West Midlands Health & Wellbeing Innovation Network (WMHWIN)
  • West Midlands Growth Company 

WMHTIA governance

The WMHTIA was part of the pilot Innovation Accelerator programme, led by Innovate UK on behalf of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) and the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT).

The West Midlands Innovation Accelerator was one of three regional accelerators funded through a share of a £100m.

This model of funding focused on locally-led innovation to drive economic growth and technological advancement by supporting regional innovative businesses, researchers and entrepreneurs.

In the West Midlands, local leadership was driven by the West Midlands Combined Authority.