TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT Insight


COMPANIES BRAVE THE DRAGONS IN WALES


The Wales Regional Branch Conference in May saw a new format of presenting take centre stage at the ICC, Newport, with exhibiting companies invited to present as part of the first ‘Welsh Dragons’ Den’ segment of the conference.


T


he novel structure allowed exhibitors to pitch their latest company offering to a panel of ‘dragons’, with feedback


being given in front of an audience of delegates, who were then also welcomed to ask further questions. Two of the day’s presenters from the


conference give their thoughts on the new format and experience.


Healthcare Estates Wales


Dragons’ Den – Challenging Established Thinking


Andrew Carnegie, managing director, Air Sentry “Winning the Healthcare Estates Wales Dragons’ Den with Aristotle was both an


honour and an encouraging indication that there is a growing appetite across the NHS to challenge established approaches to technical challenges within the built environment which in our case includes clinical ventilation.


“The Dragons’ Den format is particularly valuable because it requires innovators to move beyond technical detail and explain, in a short period of time, why a new approach genuinely matters. “Rather than simply presenting specifications or compliance, the emphasis is placed on solving real problems faced by healthcare estates teams and, ultimately, improving patient care. “For decades, much of healthcare


ventilation has relied on an open-loop philosophy. Systems are designed and commissioned to meet a set of operating assumptions, with periodic validation providing assurance that


Above, left to right: Mark Furmage, Des Keighan, James Chadwick and Anthony Goddard – the ‘dragons’ listen to pitches from the audience.


18 Health Estate Journal August 2026


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