Looking towards the UK market and want to gain six months’ worth of market research, networking, and market development support in just one week? Propel@YH Nordic Boot Camp can accelerate your market access efforts!
Nordic clusters and ecosystems team up with UK partners to organize the Propel@YH Nordic Boot Camp. The program builds on the success of an accelerator program organized by the Yorkshire and Humber Academic Health Science Network (AHSN) since 2019, and gives Nordic innovators access to five days of intensive support, knowledge and engagement with UK healthcare experts. Up to 10 companies across the Nordics will benefit from a week of masterclasses, workshops and networking events on topics such as understanding how the NHS works, NHS governance, finance and procurement frameworks, clinical safety and supplier regulations, developing evidence-based proposals and reimbursement models.
After the bootcamp week, Nordic companies will have a solid foundation to create a knowledge-based export strategy for introducing their solution to the UK market. Deep insight of the challenges and opportunities, who the right partners are, who the buyers are and the right market segment.
“We got 6-9 months’ worth of information out the 5 days we have been here”
Sarma Velamuri M.D. Luminare, previous participant in Propel@YH Boot Camp
A cross-Nordic collaboration
Funded by Nordic Innovation, the Nordic partners Norwegian Smart Care Cluster, Danish Life Science Cluster, Business Region Gothenburg and Swecare have joined forces to take lead on this program from the Nordic side. – We are very excited to get started on this project together with our UK partners, says Therese Oppegaard from Norwegian Smart Care Cluster. – We believe this opportunity will bring great value to the SME’s that participate, and to the Nordic health tech industry and ecosystem.
The UK market for digitalization of health and care is on the rise and regarded as a highly attractive market for Nordic companies. The NHS is the biggest public health system in the world, treating about 1 million patients a day, and represents major market opportunities with attractive patient databases for clinical trials and investigations. Iris Öhrn from Business Region Gothenburg says it is important that Nordic companies are ready to take part in this journey. – We know that companies within health- and care often will face a criterium of test and pilotage in a new market to make sure there is a product-market fit to the related health-and care system. To succeed, you need the funding, knowledge, and network to make it.
In the Nordics we are used to collaborating, and in a global perspective we are “stronger together”. Nordic experiences from a market of almost 27 million citizens is likely to be recognized as a valid reference for larger international markets such as UK, as it gives the sensation that the product has been developed in a larger population, validated by a larger region and/or can be commercialized in a large area. - By merging our ecosystems, we aim to strengthen the Nordic value chain within health and medical technology, increase the global competitiveness of Nordic SME’s and contribute to a rise of new cross-Nordic solutions, says Nanna Broch Mortensen from the Danish Life Science Cluster.
Being part of a network, sharing and learning from each other could be as important as getting information and contacts in other markets. – Our aim with this program is not only to present Nordic companies to potential new UK partners, but also to each other, Anna Riby from Swecare states. -The Nordics share many values when it comes to healthcare, which is reflected in the solutions developed here. This is a good foundation for collaboration and joint market efforts.
Leeds’s thriving health tech scene
The Boot Camp will take place in Leeds which nurtures a thriving HealthTech and life sciences sector. Over 22% of the UK’s digital health jobs are based in the region, and where 600 regional businesses supply products and services to the health and care sector. The Leeds City Region ecosystem includes:
- The best-case scenario is that companies will gain concrete leads or real-world evaluation projects after the program, says Tim East, Head of Propel@YH programs in Yorkshire and Humber AHSN.
– The results from our first international cohorts have been very good. We know there is a lack of awareness by Nordic companies on how to enter the UK healthcare market, and we are looking forward to be able to provide a crash course that will help them with their market development efforts.
Program outline
The first of two Propel@YH Nordic Boot Camp weeks is set to take place in Leeds in January, and a draught of the program outline is included below.
We invite all Nordic Health tech companies looking towards the UK market to attend our information webinar on September 1st to gain more information on the content and how to state your interest.
Feel free to contact the cluster representatives if you have any questions:
Therese Oppegaard, Norwegian Smart Care Cluster
Nanna Broch Mortensen, Danish Life Science Cluster
Anna Riby, Swecare
Iris Öhrn, Business Region Gothenburg