Digital innovations in Healthcare

We had the pleasure of working with Accelerator India, C-CAMP and the Electronics, Sensors and Photonics Knowledge Transfer Network on a workshop in Bangalore on Digital Innovations in Healthcare. We considered this an area of great potential for future UK-India collaborations. It may also be an area where companies in both countries could bid into the forthcoming programme of industrial R&D support. Here, Richard Cawdell of Accelerator India tells us about the event…

I had the excellent opportunity to be part of a series of significant UK-India events and activities in Bangalore during the week beginning September 16^th 2013, when innovation and cross border collaboration were the key themes. The coming together of India’s emphasis on Innovation as a catalyst to facilitate and support its rapid economic development and the UK’s dominant presence in R&D, Technology development and Innovation firmly placed Innovation at the heart of the burgeoning UK India relationship.

As part of the ‘GREAT month for technology and innovation’ held by the British Deputy High Commission in Bangalore in September 2013, the week’s activities also had a special emphasis on Cambridge, one of UK’s pre-eminent innovation ecosystems, through the Bangalore Cambridge Innovation Network (BCIN), an aspect which as a Cambridge alumnus, I found very satisfying.

“RiffStream#Bangalore-II – Digital innovations in Healthcare and Biotech” was a specific event that kicked off on September 17^th as part of the BCIN. RiffStream#Bangalore-II focused on innovations in Healthcare facilitated by mobile, digital, telecoms and computing technologies, leading to new devices, technologies and processes to do more with less to increase treatment efficacy. The key feature I found interesting was the exploration of the economics of doing more with less not only in the Indian market but also its impact and transferability to international markets. I believe this aspect is generally overlooked by international companies that are looking to expand into India.

Listening to the discussion of a wide range of products, services and solutions from the participating UK companies such as: advanced blood pressure measurement solutions; innovative sensors for medical devices, rehabilitation of mobility for stroke patients, adjustable eyeglasses, telehealth services and assistive technologies for healthcare practitioners, I was struck by the potential impact of these by addressing the needs of patients, clinicians and carers in India.

Key Indian speakers from the Bangalore/Karnataka region provided excellent insights into the challenges of healthcare delivery in India and how local practitioners are using innovative approaches to overcome them.

The presence of the Vice Chancellor of the University of Cambridge, Sir Leszek Borysiewicz, provided the event an additional impetus. Sir Leszek joined the event and delivered a brief but powerful lecture addressing the potential for collaboration between the UK and India generally and Cambridge and Bangalore specifically and how the University of Cambridge is keen to be at the heart of these.

Specific initiatives to emerge from RiffStream-Bangalore II include:

• A stroke rehabilitation start-up from Cambridge and York planning clinical validation and joint product development with Indian partners
• A UK adjustable prescription eyeglasses start-up partnering with Indian healthcare group for India trials and collaboration
• Proposed linkages between Cambridge University Hospitals and Healthcare Technology and Innovation Centre (HTIC), Chennai around cardio monitoring and diagnostics

I believe this is the start of a number of meaningful collaborations and partnerships between the UK and India in the healthcare digital innovation space that will not only benefit the Indian healthcare but also the UK and international healthcare sectors.

Richard Cawdell