March 2025 Newsletter

Remote Asthma Management SBRI Challenge – Phase 2 Winners Announced

We are pleased to announce the successful winners of the Phase 2 selection process for the Children and Young People Remote Asthma Management Challenge. This is an SBRI competition funded by the Chief Scientists Office and hosted by HISES. We are delighted to reveal that Red Star and QIoT, have been selected to move forward into Phase 2 of the competition which started on 12th March 2025.

Red Star will continue to collaborate with HISES as their Innovation Hub partner and QIoT will continue to work in partnership with the West of Scotland Innovation Hub, to support the development and refinement of their prototype solutions.

Phase 2 will take place over 12 months, during which each participating company will work with their Innovation Hub partner to proactively address the challenge.

Improving Hip Fracture Outcomes Using Data SBRI Challenge – Clinical Engagement Event

On Monday, 3rd March 2025, HISES had the pleasure of hosting an engaging and insightful event at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh, marking a significant step forward in Phase 2 of our Hip Fracture SBRI project.

This session was a key opportunity for clinical engagement and feedback on the innovative solution being developed by Red Star.

The session was open to all orthopaedic staff members and provided the opportunity for live demonstration, Q&A and focused 1:1 drop-in sessions with our industry partner. The Red Star project aims to develop a working data visualisation and analysis dashboard that is interoperable with existing clinical IT systems to increase efficiency of clinical team communication and workflow.

This is an SBRI competition funded by the Chief Scientists Office and hosted by HISES.

HISES Collaborative with Edinburgh College of Art Project with Product Design Students

HISES have collaborated with Edinburgh College of Art third year Product Design students at the University of Edinburgh in a series of innovation challenge workshops. In the last workshop, we worked on user journey mapping around a challenge scenario and developing ideas for prototype solutions using the role of Design in Service Innovation.

In the second workshop we focused on idea generation. Based on the research conducted in the first part of the course, students are now beginning to ideate product service systems that reduce loneliness, mitigate social isolation, and prevent people needing to seek formal healthcare.

Using our experience within health and care innovation, we supported the students to generate ideas and focus on the value proposition and viability of these proposed concepts. We are looking forward to the further development and refinement of their ideas over the next two weeks before their final presentations.

Holyrood’s Round table Event Report: Unlocking Preventative Care in Scotland

In what ways can digital tools help GP surgeries manage patient demand and improve access to care – and how can hard-pressed staff be encouraged to buy into all this change? This was one of the central questions at Holyrood’s round table event Unlocking Preventative Care in Scotland: Leveraging Digital Tools to Improve Access, Relieve Pressures and Forge a Healthier Future, held at Dynamic Earth, Edinburgh on 18th February.

Eight figures from the digital and healthcare sectors, including Samantha Smith-Garrett, Senior Innovation Programme Manager from NHS Lothian and HISES, discussed in detail how to overcome the barriers to rolling out digital solutions within NHS Scotland.

Kathy Harrison Wins Digital Leader Award

Kathy Harrison, Programme Lead for the DataLoch initiative, received the Digital Leader Award at the 2025 Holyrood Connect Digital Health and Care Awards. The Award is in recognition of Kathy’s key role in creating the environment and culture that has enabled a successful, large-scale digital transformation project within health and social care.

Kathy has been at the forefront of transforming secure data access through DataLoch, building upon the foundations of the Lothian Regional Safe Haven. She has driven change not only in collaboration with NHS Lothian partners but also with research groups and the Scottish Safe Haven Network, enabling a transformed, secure data access service. Thanks to her leadership, DataLoch is the only Safe Haven in Scotland that hosts primary care data alongside secondary care data.

NHS Lothian R&D Conference 2025

NHS Lothian’s Research and Development Conference 2025 provides an excellent forum to showcase exemplar clinical research studies that have been supported by NHS Lothian. Abstracts are now invited for oral and poster presentations at the NHS Lothian R&D Conference 2025.

The Conference will be held on Thursday 22 May 2025 at the John McIntyre Conference Centre, Edinburgh. The theme of this year’s conference is ‘The Evolving Landscape of Clinical Research in NHS Lothian’.

Due to the success of the call, registration is now closed but please email the Edinburgh Clinical Research Facilities team (education@edinburghcrf.ed.ac.uk) if you would like to be added to the waiting list.

NHS Scotland Event 2025 – Call for Posters closing soon!

This year’s NHS Scotland Event will take place on 9th June 2025 at the Technology & Innovation Centre, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow. This year’s poster exhibition will feature around 200 projects that are taking place across NHS Scotland and partner organisations to support our key priorities.

Submissions are welcome from NHS Scotland employees, voluntary and partner organisations, and other public or private sector organisations on any aspect of work they are undertaking in, with or on behalf of NHS Scotland. The closing date for submitting poster abstract submissions is 18th March 2025.

Announcing the MEXA Generative AI for Mental Health Research Accelerator

MEXA is thrilled to announce the Generative AI for Mental Health Research Accelerator, a four-month program designed to support interdisciplinary research teams in preparing foundational research on the application of generative AI to improve measurement of and intervention in anxiety, depression, and psychosis.

With generous funding from Wellcome, this accelerator will support teams with the resources, mentorship, and strategic guidance to pilot research or pilot model development, positioning them as strong candidates for an exclusive large-scale funding call (up to £3 million per award) from Wellcome open only to accelerator participants.

Expression of Interest Deadline – 14th April 2025. Learn more by registering to attend the Launch Webinar on 24th March 2025. Register for Session 1 10:00 – 11:00 OR Session 2 17:00 –18:00.

BHF Healthcare Innovation Fund – Round 4 Applications open!

Round 4 applications are now open for the British Heart Foundation (BHF) Innovation Fund. BHF is seeking to test and evaluate innovative approaches to the delivery of improved services for patients with cardiovascular disease. By innovative approaches we mean the application of an idea that is not considered to be routine practice elsewhere in the NHS.
BHF are seeking applications on ideas that have been:

• scoped by an appropriate group of stakeholders and are ready to be tested and evaluated in practice, or
• tested locally by an appropriate group of stakeholders and are ready for early stage of scaling.

Applications must be supported by a regional innovation board which in Scotland will be one of the three regional Innovation Hubs. Applications close on Monday 28th April 2025 at midday.

NIHR i4i Connect – Closing soon!

The NIHR (National Institute for Health and Care Research) Invention for Innovation (i4i) programme is accepting outline applications to their latest researcher-led Connect funding opportunity. Connect is a researcher-led funding opportunity and supports small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in need of a funding boost to reach the next stage in the technology development pathway.

This is a two-stage funding opportunity. To apply for the first stage, you should submit an outline application. If invited to the second stage, you will then need to complete a full application. Closing date: 18th March 2025 at 1:00 pm.

CivTech 10 Accelerator has launched!

In total, 14 companies have made it to the next stage, working together with Challenge Sponsors to develop their Minimum Viable Products (MVPs) over the next few months. CivTech Round 10 has a total of up to £9 million investment from the Scottish Government and at the end of the process, the businesses will hope to win contracts ranging in value from several hundred thousand pounds to £1.3 million.

CivTech 10 is the first round of the programme to focus on AI and this year’s lineup includes looking at how can technology make the sharing of data across organisations with separate legal obligations as seamless and easy to manage as possible, and so encourage activity that could maximise public good outcomes, including but not limited to the use of AI and automated data analysis. Check out the latest press release below for more details on the CivTech Round 10 Challenges and the innovators solving them.

CivTech 11 is coming!

CivTech is gearing up for its next round of Challenges this summer, and there’s already lots of interest from public and third-sector organisations. But don’t worry, it’s not too late for you to get in on the action if you’ve got a problem that needs solving! The first step in developing a CivTech Challenge is to get in touch with one of the Team’s Innovation Managers, by emailing civtech@gov.scot

Part-time Project Support Officer Vacancy

The Centre for Sustainable Delivery (CfSD) are currently recruiting a Project Support Officer part-time opportunity of 14.8 hours (0.4 WTE) covering 2 – 3 days per week. This role will offer the post holder with a unique opportunity to support the day to day running of national innovation projects and programmes as part of the Accelerated National Innovation Adoption (ANIA) Pathway.

This role will provide high level project support across a range of activities to support the assessment and delivery of new technologies across NHS Scotland.

Closing date: 30th March 2025.

Undertaking Digital Maturity Assessment in the Scottish Healthcare System Webinar

Register to attend the Transforming Health and Care Systems Shared Learning webinar on 25th March from 10 – 10:45am.

The Scottish Government’s Digital Health and Care team, working with COLSA have developed a Digital Maturity Assessment that can be used as a standardised management tool for digital transformation by organisations across healthcare and social care in Scotland.

The presenters will demonstrate how the model uses an online platform to measure digital maturity across more than 400 indicators divided into 20 categories across the three top level themes “Readiness”, “Capabilities” and “Enabling Infrastructure” against the current subject matter expert picture of ‘What Good Looks Like’.

Patenting in Europe: The new framework

Join InnoScot Health for their first educational webinar of 2025, entitled ‘Patenting in Europe – the new framework’, on 26th March 2025 from 12 – 12.45pm.

This free to join session will highlight the importance of healthcare innovators understanding fresh intellectual property (IP) developments which are set to impact how they protect their ideas. The webinar will be a great opportunity to acquire knowledge around:

• evolving patenting requirements amid increasing MedTech demand
• recent developments including the possible impact of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine translation on trademarks and designs and the looming European AI Act
• the introduction of the Unitary Patent Convention (UPC) in the EU, allowing for a single European patent to be valid in multiple member countries.

Lothian Clinical Research Welcome Day – Open for booking

ACCORD and Edinburgh CRF are delighted to announce a Welcome Day on 3rd April 2025 for those who have recently been appointed into a clinical research role in NHS Lothian or University of Edinburgh. Suitable for all roles including clinical research support staff, delivery teams, researchers, and academics. Objectives for the day include:

• To introduce the research landscape in NHS Lothian and understand where and how individual roles fit within this;
• To raise awareness of the support structures and resources available to those working in clinical research;
• To network and engage with colleagues across the organisation;
• To inspire and motivate individuals in their new role.

This event is free-of-charge to attend.

Digital Access Solutions in Primary Care: The Role of Technology Webinar

Digital communication systems sit at the heart of primary care technology. Their aim is to improve the quality of care through enhancing the patient’s experience of services and enable GPs to become more efficient to cope with patient demand. Technologies such as cloud-based telephony, AI tools, and the NHS app all contribute to reducing pressures on GP surgeries and improving communication between primary care professionals and patients.

This webinar taking place 10 – 11am on 29th April 2025 will delve into the opportunities and challenges of digital technologies, with a particular focus on:

• How we effectively manage capacity and demand
• Where innovative technologies are being used successfully
• Overcoming barriers to adoption, such as digital skills and funding
• Empowering patients and facilitating access to the right care

This event is free to attend for those working in the public and third sectors.

DataFest 2025

Hosted by The Data Lab, Scotland’s innovation centre for data and AI, DataFest is Scotland’s leading data & AI conference, where experts gather to discuss and shape the future of data & AI.

The last few years have seen an unprecedented shift in the way AI technologies are viewed and used. AI has been thrown into the limelight and is permeating throughout industries from law to construction and everything in between. At DataFest 2025 there will be help for you to navigate through the world of data & AI with expert guides as we seek to understand how we can leverage these technologies for maximum impact.

DataFest 2025 will take place across 12th – 13th May 2025 at Edinburgh’s beautiful Assembly Rooms.

EIE25: Scotland's Tech Investor Showcase

Hosted by the University of Edinburgh, EIE25 presents the leading spinouts, startups, and scaleups from Scotland’s top universities, all focused on tackling global challenges.

Co-hosted with the Tech Tour Growth Deeptech event, EIE25 provides a premier networking platform for global investors to explore impactful opportunities and engage with Scotland’s vibrant innovation ecosystem. EIE25 Showcase Day will be hosted at the John McIntyre Conference Centre on 15th May 2025.

This year’s event will showcase new fields of emerging tech born from Scotland’s world class universities and academics, whilst highlighting the startups and scaleups at the cutting edge of tech in Scotland.

MDMC Annual 4th Conference 2025

Join the Medical Device Manufacturing Centre’s (MDMC) Annual Conference on 28th May 2025. This exclusive event brings together top professionals from the industry, NHS, and academia to discuss the groundbreaking services shaping the life sciences and healthcare sectors. Gain valuable insights into NHS and Scottish government initiatives, explore the innovative offerings at MDMC, and stay up to date with the latest advancements from leading industry experts.

Whether you’re looking for the latest MedTech developments or strategies to grow your business, this is an unmissable opportunity to connect with professionals, companies, and stakeholders in Scotland’s dynamic life sciences and healthcare community.

Attendees will also have the chance to take part in lab tours, showcasing state-of-the-art equipment in large analytical facilities and cutting-edge research laboratories at MDMC.

Public Sector Digital Transformation 2025

Holyrood Connect’s annual Public Sector Digital Transformation event will return to Edinburgh on 12th June 2025, to delve into Scotland’s strategic direction of travel and how the digital landscape has evolved in recent years. Join us for a day packed with networking, interactive panel discussions and masterclasses and learn about:

• The future of Scotland’s public services
• Modernising IT to enhance the citizen experience
• Real-life examples of public sector digital transformation
• The importance of AI, regulation, and transparency

Save the Date – HDR UK Conference 2025

Save the date for HDR UK Conference 2025 – the UK’s No.1 conference on health data science! Next year’s hybrid conference will take place across 15th and 16th October 2025 at the Scottish Event Campus (SEC), Exhibition Way, Glasgow.

The conference will feature world-class keynote speakers and opportunities to share your science through submitted talks and posters. With leading exhibitors and a variety of networking events, this is an event to add to your calendar now.

We expect to open registration in March 2025 with full details of tickets and prices. You can download the ‘Save the Date’ calendar hold and find out more here.

HISES LinkedIn

HISES are on LinkedIn! Keep up to date with the latest news from the South East Innovation Hub and wider Innovation ecosystem in Scotland via our new LinkedIn page.

Latest funding opportunities

Check out the latest health and care funding opportunities from across the sector on the funding section of our website.