A Vision of a Collaborative Future for the Healthcare Sector in Northern Ireland
Recognising the shared vision of improving healthcare and strengthening the economy, Health and Social Care (HSC) Innovations, HSC Research & Development (R&D) Division and BioBusiness Limited (BioBusiness) have recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding. This will facilitate collaborative working and knowledge exchange and commercialisation activity between academia, industry, and HSC bodies (clinicians and researchers).
The parties express their commitment to continue to develop and deliver a mutually inclusive and supporting partnership between the Life and Health Technologies Industry and the Health and Social Care research and delivery organisations within Northern Ireland.
Dr Peter Donnelly, CEO, BioBusiness Ltd; Dr Janice Bailie, Assistant Director, HSC R&D Division; Dr David Brownlee, Innovation Advisor, HSC Innovations
The vision for this partnership is framed within the aspiration for an innovative globally competitive economy where its population has access to best quality care utilising the latest technologies and support tools. The essence of this partnership is to recognise and value the contribution from businesses, clinicians and researchers and support the technology and knowledge exchnage between collaborating organisations.
HSC bodies regularly identify and qualify solutions to unmet clinical healthcare needs, and by working with industry and academic partners, these solutions can be refined and developed into products through collaborative partnerships.
This Memorandum of Understanding is a further step in recognising the valuable support and collaboration that has previously occurred between HSC Innovations, the HSC R&D Division, and BioBusiness. The partnership will seek to address the following objectives:
- to facilitate and enable industry to avail of clinical expertise and support
- to develop closer links and support for clinical investigations and trials
- to promote collaborative research for new innovative products and services
- to support knowledge exchange and commercialisation activity and sharing best practice
Dr Peter Donnelly, Chief Executive of BioBusiness, emphasised the importance of collaboration between industry and health and social care organisations:
“It is absolutely vital that companies develop products that have a clear clinical need identified and that the efficacy of the device or medicine is validated through clinical investigations and trials. Industry can support the clinical research and the knowledge and technology transfer route to commercial regulatory approved devices and medicines.”
Dr Janice Bailie, Assistant Director of the HSC R&D Division, added:
“This Memorandum of Understanding affirms the intention of HSC R&D Division to work collaboratively with industry partners, towards the co-creation of innovative technology solutions that will bring benefits for both patient care and the health economy.”
Dr David Brownlee, Innovation Advisor at HSC Innovations stated:
“by working in partnership with Biobusiness, we will ensure that new ideas and concepts that provide solutions for unmet clinical needs, are given every opportunity to be developed in partnership with industry to improve patient care.”