'Innovation village' to go ahead despite LGI delay

Work on a new "innovation village" linked to Leeds General Infirmary is set to continue, despite a plan to rebuild the hospital being delayed until 2030.

The proposed hub, which is designed to link the city's two universities to the hospital, is "crucial" to developing new technology, medical start-ups say.

When Guarav Chauhan was involved in a serious car crash he spent more than a year wearing casts and splints on his neck, arms and knees.

Like many he was plagued by discomfort, itching, and odours as a result of the tight-fitting plaster.

But, working with fellow engineering graduate Ali Abdi, he used his experiences and knowledge of 3D printing to find a solution.

Together they developed a lightweight, waterproof splint with the help of Nexus Leeds, the collaboration and innovation hub of the University of Leeds, and launched Cast3D.

Mr Abdi said access to Nexus had given them the chance to collaborate with academics and the hospitals.

He said: "Those collaborations and introductions really allowed us to do the clinical developments to come to the point where we're now doing clinical trials."

He said having a space in the city for technology to be "developed, tested and introduced" was "very important" and that developing the innovation village would "mean the success of some of these technologies".

Since its launch in 2019, Nexus has worked with 191 companies. It said more than half of its member businesses were health tech innovators.

Little Journey is an app which helps prepare children for hospital treatment and is now used in around 100 hospitals worldwide.

It was founded in 2018 by anaesthetist Dr Chris Evans and Sophie Copley to help children and their families overcome their fears.

Ms Copley said the support they received through Nexus was vital.

"Two people alone can't make it happen [but we] got support with funding and were able to develop the product through a healthcare system," she said.

Bruno Scaglioni's team have also benefitted from being part of the healthcare innovation hub at Nexus.

Atlas Endoscopy is working to improve access to colonoscopies through specialist robotic technology using magnetics.

The company has trialled the technique in America and is hoping to carry out a wider trial in the UK this year.

He said being part of a hub like the one in Leeds had been "crucial, because we are next to the university, we are next to the hospital, we are in a place an ecosystem that attracts talent".

"For high-tech companies like us, the team and the people who are part of the company are really the biggest asset you can have," he said.

"There is no way to attract talent if you don't have an ecosystem around you."

Under hospital plans, the new innovation village would be built across five hectares between Calverley Street and Woodhouse Square and based around the Old Medical School.

Prof Phil Wood, chief executive of Leeds Teaching Hospitals, said it was estimated the development would create 4,000 jobs and provide a £13bn boost to West Yorkshire's economy.

There had been fears the proposal would be shelved after the government said the redevelopment of LGI would not begin before 2032.

But Prof Wood said leaders in the city had pulled together to make sure the innovation district kept going.

"Plan A was that that was going to be part of the back of the hospital but, in the last few weeks, we've come together to see how we keep the innovation district going," he said.

James Lewis, the leader of Leeds City Council, said the authority was "absolutely committed" to "stimulating innovation and economic growth", adding that the innovation village would "further solidify Leeds' position as a global health-tech hub".

However, Alec Shelbrooke, Conservative MP for Wetherby and Easingwold, told the BBC he had "'zero confidence" the work would happen as "nothing is being built".

It is hoped the redevelopment of the Old Medical School will begin by the end of the year, with developers Scarborough Group International hopeful they will be able to complete the work by the middle of 2027.

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