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Health innovation hub launched

Friday, October 19 12:00:51

A Health Innovation Hub Demonstrator Project that will develop products such as a paperless GP referral system and a mattress steriliser was unveiled in UCC today.

It was launched by the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation Richard Bruton and the Minister for Health Dr James Reilly.

The Project, which will bring together the health system, enterprise and academia in an environment where new ideas can be developed and grown, is a key measure under the Government's Action Plan for Jobs 2012.

The aim of the Project which is based on international models including the North Carolina Research Triangle is to allow healthcare companies to more quickly and more successfully deliver commercial products and services which can create jobs, by giving them access to the health service in order to test products in a real life environment and refine their products to ensure they can ultimately offer the solutions which healthcare needs.

It is also designed to allow the health service to find efficiencies and improvements by facilitating the HSE and hospitals to engage and participate with innovative companies creating solutions to problems they face.

Today's announcement marks the official opening of the Demonstrator Project of the Hub, which involves a facility located at the UCC complex at Western Gateway Building, Cork. This phase of the Project brings together six innovative Irish healthcare companies with the health service by providing dedicated contact points, office space and access to the hospital system in Cork.

The Hub will build on the strong pharmaceutical, medical device and software industries currently established in Ireland. Medical devices and pharmaceuticals alone directly employ over 50,000 people and are responsible for over E50billion in annual exports. Driven by the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation and the Department of Health, it is a collaborative venture between Enterprise Ireland, IDA Ireland, Science Foundation Ireland, the Health Service Executive, Cork Institute of Technology and University College Cork.