Innovation
Seizing international HealthTech opportunities
Scotland is standing at a major crossroads for grasping a major international healthcare opportunity, says Executive Chair of InnoScot Health, Graham Watson. He considers the country’s global innovation prospects.
When it comes to forging the kind of international innovation ties which can make an enduring impact on the global healthcare stage, Scotland stands at something of a crossroads. Fundamentally, the country has to do better
– too much ground has already been ceded to others and much of what we have pioneered, others have learnt from and then overtaken us. There remain standout successes, however, and we must strive to excel at them, in turn taking back our place as a leader on the global map, creating fresh jobs, attracting inward investment, and ultimately delivering improved patient outcomes. Many lauded the recent news that Edinburgh-
based Canon Medical Research Europe had received £3.6m from Scottish Enterprise towards a £14m investment in AI-led data analysis with the aim of improving medical scans, benefitting both patients and health services. The latest research project from Canon Medical Research Europe will essentially develop smart solutions to automate routine tasks, speeding up patient scanning, and allowing
consultants to make faster, better-informed decisions on behalf of patients. The funding was announced ahead of plans
for a trade delegation of Scottish HealthTech companies including Canon Medical Research Europe to travel to Japan Expo’s Digital Health and Life Sciences Activation event, providing a showcase of Scottish medical innovation including robotics and AI. At the same time, other commentators
pointed to Scotland’s cancer treatment waiting times, together with a survey from the British Medical Association (BMA) Scotland indicating that almost three in 10 patients had turned to private healthcare in the past two years which, according to its chairman Dr. Iain Kennedy, equated to the NHS “dying before our very eyes”. It has been suggested by some that the
recent trade mission to the Far East represents unacceptable neglect of pressing challenges at home – but clearly a balance must be struck between the priorities of today and those of tomorrow if Scotland is to have a sustainable future. Globally promoting Scotland’s MedTech sector,
unique expertise, and ambitious drive to develop new tech-enabled methods of improving services is important for sowing the seeds of growth, investor interest, and prosperity. It is the old adage of speculating to accumulate – showcasing Scotland’s capabilities on a bigger stage in order to generate fresh business ties, transform fortunes back home, and nurture the prospects needed to overcome key domestic challenges. Scottish Government Cabinet Secretary for Health & Social Care, Neil Gray travelled to Osaka and Tokyo to deliver a keynote speech on Scotland’s health system and its rich history of innovation, chairing a pitching session, hosting a networking reception, and visiting Canon Medical Systems – a key partner in Scotland’s growing MedTech network. How did Canon Medical Systems become an important partner? If we go back to the start of that relationship, then we find an impressive Edinburgh University spinout called Voxar which was launched in 1994 then acquired by Canon in 2016. That is the nature of business; welcoming external investment is how international collaborative connections flourish and doors to new markets are opened. Canon Medical Research Europe is now known as a centre of expertise in Scotland for AI-based medical imaging, boasting a team of over 100 scientists, engineers and clinical experts. The company has been involved in initiatives
such as the Industrial Centre for Artificial Intelligence Research in Digital Diagnostics (iCAIRD), which began with 10 partners, 10 projects, and £10m of dedicated funding and grew to become the largest healthcare AI research programme in the UK with 40 partners, 50 projects, and £25m in public and private funding. Speaking ahead of the trade mission to Japan,
Canon Medical Research Europe President, Ken Sutherland said: “It makes me very proud to think that the innovation we create here in Scotland can benefit the people of Scotland and, through our parent company, the rest of the world.” Scottish Enterprise Chief Executive, Adrian
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