10th November 2017

ABHI launches UK health Innovation Hub in Texas

The Association of British Healthcare Industries (ABHI) and the Dell Medical School at The University of Texas at Austin are delighted to announce the establishment of the “ABHI Innovation Hub”.

The creation of the Hub, a first for ABHI, will offer UK companies the opportunity to locate themselves at a world-class facility and develop their US business within an ecosystem of clinicians, investors and mentors. It offers companies a compelling office location, providing them the infrastructure to focus on accelerating market access in Texas and beyond.

The Hub will be located within Dell Med’s Health CoLab, a new initiative that provides space and creates connections for start-up companies that share the school’s mission to create healthier communities, starting in Austin and the surrounding area. The Health CoLab directly supports the school, seeking out innovation that promotes health, enhances medical services, increases care resources and access for people in this community in ways that can be scaled to other communities.

“The ABHI Innovation Hub at Dell Medical School will offer UK companies a unique opportunity to collaborate in a truly world class facility,” said Phil Kennedy, Chairman of the ABHI. “The Hub will support promising medical technology innovation whilst looking to develop value based healthcare for the benefit of patients in Texas, throughout the US and at home in the UK.”

The Dell Medical School has a strong focus on supporting health entrepreneurs and businesses. In addition to the CoLab, companies that base themselves in the Innovation Hub will be able to participate in the ‘Texas Health Catalyst,’ a programme designed by the Dell Medical School to foster health research and advance innovation.

“We are very excited to be working with ABHI to strengthen ties between the UK and Austin across a variety of health and technology areas,” said Ruben Rathnasingham, Assistant Dean for Health Product Innovation at Dell Medical School. “We look forward to working with the ABHI, its members and the UK going forward.”

The partnership also extends support to Texas-based companies that are looking to understand and enter the UK healthcare market. Through ABHI’s International Membership scheme, companies looking to introduce innovative medical technology (MedTech) to the UK will be offered insight and market-access knowledge, as well as assistance from a number of partner organisations, including the UK’s Department of International Trade.

“Through this collaboration, companies will be closer to a range of innovation initiatives that we have created and are continuing to create at Dell Med,” said Mellie Price, the school’s Executive Director of Commercialization. “They will find themselves in a rich, creative environment.”