MedTech Regulatory Special Interest Group: The UKCA Mark Regulatory Requirements
2021-03-17 10:00 - 11:30 (Europe/London)
The next Medtech Regulatory Special Interest Group (SIG) will take place online. Join us as we help you to get to grips with the new UKCA Marking requirements in this post-Brexit era. Important new obligations apply for all Medical Device and IVD businesses and it is vital for companies to understand what they have to do and when, the first milestone deadline is 30th April 2021 so you can’t afford to miss this.
The topics being discussed are:
-Trading within the UK and between the UK and Europe just got more complicated?
-The United Kingdom of Great Britain & Northern Ireland
-The new UKCA Mark, what are the rules now?
-Product and Company Registrations
-Timelines and Deadlines
-UK Responsible Person & Authorised Representative
-UK Approved Body vs Notified Bodies
-Quality Management Systems
-UK Designated Standards
-Multiple Markets
-Labelling Changes
There will also be an opportunity to ask the presenters questions in a Q&A session.
DURATION: 1 hour 30 minutes

This free to attend event is held as part of the ACTIS programme – a project part-funded by the European Regional Development Fund, click here to be re-directed to further information about the project. This event is classed as State Aid to participating businesses, the value of which is £190, but is delivered completely free of charge to participants.

Speaker Profiles
Peter Rose, Managing Director, PRQR Ltd (Chair)
Peter is the founder of PRQR Ltd. With 26 years of experience with Medical Devices and IVDs, Peter has expertise covering Quality Assurance, Regulatory Affairs, Sterilisation, Cleanrooms and Contamination Control. He is a Microbiologist, Chartered biologist, Member of the RSB, Practitioner Member of the CQI and a Member of TOPRA

Ed Wright, Partner, Shakespeare Martineau
Ed works with clients from all sectors including life sciences and technology, media and telecoms on wide-ranging non-contentious commercial, contractual, IP, ICT, e-commerce, data protection, competition and public procurement law issues. He advises on IP creation, ownership, protection and exploitation, including technology transfers, R&D collaborations and agency, distribution/reselling and franchising arrangements.
Ed has a keen interest in drafting/advising on IP licensing arrangements and, whenever possible, presents and writes on topical commercial and/or IP matters.

WEBINAR: Infectious Diseases Special Interest Group (SIG) - Care Homes and COVID-19: Infection control strategies and innovations
2021-03-18 10:00 - 11:30
Join the next online Infectious Diseases Special Interest Group, this SIG will focus on Care Homes and COVID-19: Infection control strategies and innovations.
This event is in partnership with De Montfort University and led by Dr Katie Laird, Reader in Microbiology and also Head of the Infectious Disease Research Group at De Montfort University. Presentations will be given on:
– Ventilation requirements in care homes – strategies during and after COVID-19
– Infection control and zoning in care homes
– Ozone as an alternative to thermal disinfection of healthcare linen
Please see speaker details and biographies at the bottom of this page, in addition to our main speakers we shall also be hearing a short 5 minute presentation from:
– Paul Lymer, Business Manager PCR & Veterinary of HORIBA UK, as he shares Pockit iiPCR Analyser from HORIBA Medical – On-site Testing for Covid-19
DURATION: 1.5 hours
This free to attend event is held as part of the SoLSTICE programme – a project part-funded by the European Regional Development Fund, click here to be re-directed to further information about the project. This event is classed as State Aid to participating businesses, the value of which is £190, but is delivered completely free of charge to participants.
Speaker Profiles:

Dr Katie Laird, Head of the Infectious Disease Research Group at Leicester School of Pharmacy, De Montfort University
Katie has a BSc (Hons) in Biology and obtained a PhD in applied microbiology in 2008. During her PhD she developed and patented an essential oil based antimicrobial vapour, whilst her postdoctoral work included the assessment of natural antimicrobials efficacy against post-harvest pathogens.
Her research interests include the use of natural products as antimicrobials in particular to combat hospital acquired infections and biofilms. Her other area of research includes the assessment of healthcare laundry as a potential route of cross contamination in the clinical arena.

Eric Fewster, Water & Environmental Manager, BushProof
Eric Fewster has 24 years of hands-on operational experience as a water supply and sanitation specialist in the design, implementation and evaluation of water & sanitation projects in both emergencies and development situations, with the ability to understand the local context and constraints inherent in low-income countries. In 2005 he co-founded BushProof, an award-winning for-profit business based in Madagascar which is involved in water supply provision. In terms of experience with infectious diseases, in 2011 he set up cholera treatment centres in Haiti and in 2014 was the water/sanitation lead for an Ebola management centre in Sierra Leone. Around the time lockdown began in the spring 2020, when cases in care homes was increasingly evident from other countries like Spain and Belgium, he decided to help produce some pragmatic guidance for care homes on preventing and controlling infection of SARS-CoV-2 in the care home context. Since it first went online in mid-April, it has since informed the advice given by the British Geriatric Society and Care Quality Commission, and it has been continually updated and expanded, using the experience of a wide range of co-contributors with different experiences.

Shrien Dewani, Director, Evolve Care Group
Initially qualifying as a Chartered Accountant, Shrien quickly fell in love with Health and Social Care back in 2004. Shrien co leads Evolve Care Group with Eve Carder as well as `Evolve Care Academy and Connections Count Social movement.
Shrien’s interest has long been in creating care packages that recognise the importance of an individuals emotional needs as well as their physical safety needs. This has led to design and implementation of the Evolve Household model of care. The foundation of small group living has been instrumental in the creation of strict zoning within Evolve services, which together with a wider robust infection control strategy has supported containment and elimination of the COVID 19.

Eve Carder, Clinical Director, Evolve Care Group
Having worked in care homes since the age of 16, Eve truly lives and breathes Care Home life. After completing Nursing at Nottingham University, Eve set about challenging the design of the model of care in the settings where she worked. After a short stint at Dementia Care Matters as Deputy CEO, Eve took the post as National Clinical Director at Evolve Care Group.
Under Eve’s Clinical Leadership Evolve Services have designed and implemented a model of care based upon international best practice research and have been recognised for the outstanding outcomes they achieve. At the start of the pandemic Eve’s COVID 19 manual was used by a number of Care Homes in England and Wales to assist in the creation of protective strategies. This work has been used to contribute to Bushproof and British Geriatrics Society and to consult with Public Health Wales on their Care Homes risk matrix.

Jackie Hook, Head Chemist, JLA Ltd
Jackie is a Charted Chemist, Member of the Healthcare Infection Society (HIS) and Infection Prevention Society (IPS). She is also a member of the IPS Care Home Specialist Interest Group. Previous to her engaging in the laundry and ozone industry Jackie spent 25 years in Research & Development for the UK Railway Industry in a range of scientific disciplines. She was an active member of a professional forum introducing new technologies into the railway environment. She joined JLA Ltd. in 2004 and is active in laboratory and site testing, and compilation of training and health/safety procedural documentation, coordinating and liaising with leading professional bodies and institutes. Her responsibilities include Investigating and assisting in new developments relating to laundry and ozone technologies. Working closely with microbiologists and healthcare professionals Jackie has contributed to the introduction of ozone laundry systems into the UK. Project managing including wash program development and microbiological investigation at a number of field trials including the QE2 hospital in Welwyn Garden City and Woodend Hospital Laundry, Aberdeen to demonstrate and document the benefits of ozone. Work involving in vitro and clinical studies has led to ozone laundry disinfection finally receiving recognition by the UK’s Department of Health under the guise of the Rapid Review Panel in September 2009. Jackie is also active in promoting training and education within the laundry industry and is passionate in increasing the awareness and importance of adequate disinfection of healthcare linen.

Medilink Midlands Virtual Coffee Break (Members-Only)
2021-03-23 10:00 - 11:00
We look forward to our Spring Virtual Coffee Break, taking place on 23 March from 10 am – 11 am.
The informal gathering will be hosted by Darren Clark, Chief Executive at Medilink Midlands. These online coffee breaks provide an opportunity to share current challenges and experiences and make introductions to those that can help.
The theme for this coffee break will be an overview of the current digital landscape with Liz Ashall-Payne, Founder and CEO of the Organisation for the Review of Care and Health Apps (ORCHA) who offer unique app review, accreditation, curation and prescription services. Working with national health bodies and health service providers, their mission is to distribute quality apps into healthcare services across the world.
We’re here to help, so let Medilink along with the virtual group work together to help each other with any concerns, issues, or solution needs you may have. If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to submit in advance to make sure we cover your needs and meet expectations. Click here to submit.
Dial-in details will be provided to delegates by a member of the Medilink Midlands events team once the online registration form has been completed.
Medilink Members only.
If you’re interested in becoming a member, please get in touch info@medilinkmidlands.co.uk
Book Now

Chair:

Dr Darren Clark, CEO, Medilink Midlands

VIRTUAL WORKSHOP: Creating Valid Evidence & Evaluation for the NHS for Medical Devices
2021-03-24 10:00 - 11:00
Join the third of our two-part virtual workshops, Creating Valid Evidence & Evaluation for the NHS for Medical Devices, delivered by the East Midlands Academic Health Science Network (EMAHSN).
This session will provide an overview about the kinds of evidence and evaluation that the healthcare system really wants in order to support their buying decisions.
This is the third part of the 3 session workshop series designed to get you ready to successfully secure business with NHS organisations
PART 1 is a pre-recorded webinar that you can watch at a time convenient to you.
The pre-recorded webinar will cover:
• Evidence needed for regulatory purposes
• Principles and models of evaluation and principles of study design for evaluating healthcare interventions, to outline the value proposition of the innovation
——————
PART 2 is a live 1-hour Q&A session on Wednesday 24th March 10:00am – 11:00am
In order to gain access to this live session, delegates are required to watch the pre-recorded webinar prior to attending.
The Q&A session will be held with a panel of experts from the EMAHSN and delegates will have the opportunity to ask questions directly to the team.

Upon registration you will be sent a link to the pre-recorded webinar by a member of the Medilink Midlands events team. Joining details for the live Q&A session will be distributed separately once the webinar has been viewed.

SPEAKER PROFILES:

Julian Patel, Commercial Manager, East Midlands AHSN

Aisha Ajij, Project Support & Industry Liasion Officer/ITP – AAC Delivery Lead, East Midlands AHSN

Philip Miller, Evaluation Researcher, East Midlands AHSN

Dr Sarah Bolton, Business Manager, The Centre for Healthcare Equipment & Technology Adoption (CHEATA)

Innovation Day 2021
2021-03-25 09:00 - 17:00 | The Nottingham Belfry, Mellors Way, Off Woodhouse Way, Nottingham, NG8 6PY, United Kingdom
Due to the current situation, Innovation Day will now be a virtual event. The date will be confirmed in due course. If you have any queries, or would like to register your interest as a delegate, exhibitor or sponsor please click here

Innovation Day sits firmly in our calendar of events and is a must-attend event for those in the Life Sciences sector across the East Midlands, regularly attracting 250+ delegates and 30+ exhibitors.
The day consists of a conference, with top speakers covering hot topics relating to the sector, an exhibition, with plenty of time to network throughout the day.
-Network with the who’s who of the Life Sciences sector in the East Midlands
-Catch up with business colleagues and make new connections
-Gain insights from key speakers from across academia, business and the NHS
So, whatever your interest in Life Sciences, Innovation Day is not to be missed.
For further details please click here.
The Headline Sponsor for Innovation Day is BioCity, a proud patron of Medilink East Midlands. BioCity provides a home to the curious, to the radicals and the pioneers going toe-to-toe with the healthcare challenges that affect us all, globally. BioCity is an ambitious business incubator supporting the growth of ambitious life-science businesses.
Early Bird Rates:
Member Rate = £68.00 +VAT
Non-Member Rate = £85.00 +VAT
Exhibition and Sponsor Opportunities:
Please click here to view the exhibition package.
Details of the sponsor opportunities may be found click here.

WEBINAR: TeleHealth Technologies for the future
2021-03-25 10:00 - 11:30
This webinar will offer the opportunity to hear from Academics from the Open University who will be discussing their work in developing and studying technologies to enable effective, secure and innovative TeleHealth solutions.
This event is in partnership with The Open University Faculty of Wellbeing, Education and Language Studies. Presentations will include:
– Future trends in engineering design, where telehealth can support
– COVID-19 antibody test/vaccination certification mobile app prototype, based on blockchain technology
– Decentralised Trust and Privacy for Digital Health
– Trends in product development to 2040 and their implications for Telehealth
– Plus we will be hearing from Hospital Services Limited (HSL) a specialist distributor of medical supplies and surgical equipment and consumable products. As we hear about their latest technologies and how they’ve been able to respond positively to the COVID-19 pandemic, as they look at – what is the future of Telehealth?
DURATION: 1.5 hours
This free to attend event is held as part of the ACTIS programme – a project part-funded by the European Regional Development Fund, click here to be re-directed to further information about the project. This event is classed as State Aid to participating businesses, the value of which is £190, but is delivered completely free of charge to participants.
Speaker Profiles:

Gaynor Henry-Edwards, Research Manager, Faculty of Wellbeing, Education and Language Studies – The Open University
Gaynor manages the Health and Wellbeing Strategic Research Area at The Open University. The Strategic Research Area supports, coordinates and promotes health and wellbeing research across the university. Open University researchers conduct research in health and wellbeing across various disciplines and areas including healthcare management, ageing studies, reproductive and sexual rights, assistive technologies, patient data management, mental health and biological health sciences. The scope of University expertise ranges from the science underpinning health and disease through to the medical humanities. The Open University is committed to working towards social justice specialising in participative and inclusive research methods with marginalised and vulnerable communities.

Professor Claudia Eckert, Professor of Design, The Open University
Claudia is Professor of Design at the Open University. Her background is Mathematics and Philosophy. She has an MSc in Applied Artificial Intelligence from the University of Aberdeen and a PhD in design from the Open University. She spent nearly ten years in Cambridge in the Engineering Design Centre before returning to the Open University. She carries out empirical studies of design processes in engineering, construction and fashion; and researches on understanding and supporting designers in industry. She also works on theoretical concepts underlying design practise. She has published over 250 papers in reviewed journal and conferences. She is a member of the board of management of the Design Society and a co-chair of the Design Process Special Interest Group of the Design Society.

Dr Allan Third (she/her), Research Fellow with the Knowledge Media Institute, The Open University
Allan (she/her) is a Research Fellow in the Knowledge Media Institute of The Open University, researching the Semantic Web, Linked Data, and Blockchains, with applications to education, healthcare, and the scientific process. She holds a PhD from the University of Manchester, in the logical analysis of the semantics of English, and has worked on various topics within her research areas at the Universities of Leeds and Oxford and the Open University. She has extensive experience in UK and European research projects, as contributor and work package leader, primarily in the fields of digital healthcare (VPH-Share, CARRE) and education (SlideWiki, Up2U, QualiChain, DEL4ALL). She is heavily involved in the blockchain and education components of the ongoing Institute of Coding and QualiChain projects, in which KMi is a partner. She has been a tutor multiple times at the ESWC Summer School, and produced research papers on the impact of Blockchain technologies for the EU Blockchain Observatory and Forum. Dr. Third is a member of several related past and current Web standardisation efforts, including the W3C Blockchain and Credentials Community Groups, and the Verifiable Credentials Working Group. As well as her extensive technical knowledge, Dr. Third has a background in Philosophy, and a strong interest in social issues, and the effects of technology on society.

Dr Manoharan Ramachandran – Research Associate and mobile application developer, The Open University
Manoharan is a Research Associate and a mobile application developer at the Open University. Manoharan received his PhD in Intelligent Transportation Safety from Bournemouth University in 2018. After completing his PhD, Manoharan joined the Open University as a Research Associate in 2018. His current research focuses on how Blockchain can be used to store lifelong learning records of students and to create an industry-standard accreditation tool for learners in the UK. His research is funded by the Institute of Coding, which is the UK’s initiative to increase graduate computing skills and employability. Manoharan has also developed several award-winning mobile applications in the field of transportation safety. Particularly for his work on drowsy driver alert mobile application, he has received the Qualcomm developer of the month award in the year 2016 (Qualcomm is the primary manufacturer of Android mobile phone processors). Manoharan developed the COVID-19 antibody test/vaccination certification mobile application prototype on top of iOS/Android platform along with his colleagues at the Open University. He also runs Tamil-language Blockchain news and tutorial Youtube channel with 38,000+ subscribers mainly focusing on the Tamil speaking people around the world.

Sam McMaster, Director of Telehealth, Hospital Services Limited
Sam attended Belfast Royal Academy, he then spent 1 year as a Community Service Volunteer and then went on to attend University at Newcastle upon Tyne. He joined Plessey Telecommunications in Nottingham as a Lecturer. Developed and delivered course work on the digitisation of networks and integrated digital communications systems.
Sam’s career saw him move from Lecturing to Product Development and Management, which is where he was first involved with VC. He then moved into Project Management designed and deployed some of the largest private voice & data networks in existence at the time, including the Government Telephone Network, Whitehall; and the Post Office network across all of the UK.
He then went on to form a telecommunications consultancy company, INTAC, operating out of the University Science Park in Nottingham. Contracts from the Government, the Post Office, European Space Agency, Cisco, Motorola and more. He also formed Questmark (initially in New Zealand but followed quickly in Europe). Owned and managed the business until sale in 2017. Became the premier videoconferencing systems and services supplier in the UK.
In parallel was founder and VP of Technology at Access ISDN Inc in Dallas TX, founded 1993 sold in 1997. Sam joined HSL to head up development of Telehealth business unit in 2018.
He loves his family (now have 9 grandchildren!), football, writing and photography, and much more too much to list. Fundamentally love this precious life we have.

WEBINAR: COVID-19 and beyond, a clinicians perspective
2021-03-31 10:30 - 11:30
Professor Ian Hall, Director, NIHR Nottingham Biomedical Research Centre will be joining us 5 months on from our last webinar with Ian where we heard about the launch of a new study platform for the next generation of COVID-19 clinical research: The Nottingham Recovery from COVID-19 Research Platform (NoRCoRP).
NIHR Nottingham Biomedical Research Centre are at the front line of national research fighting COVID-19, read more here.
In this webinar, Ian will present on:
– An update on COVID-19 and the vaccination progression
– The latest news from The Nottingham Recovery from COVID-19 Research Platform (NoRCoRP)
– Challenges of managing non COVID work and thoughts on how the system might adjust to working in the future
– How to configure the UK post Brexit to delivery clinical translational research taking advantage of some of the lessons learnt from COVID
DURATION: 1 hour
This free to attend event is held as part of the INSTILS programme – a project part-funded by the European Regional Development Fund, click here to be re-directed to further information about the project. This event is classed as State Aid to participating businesses, the value of which is £127, but is delivered completely free of charge to participants.
Speaker Profile:

Professor Ian Hall, Director, NIHR Nottingham Biomedical Research Centre
Professor Ian is the Director of the NIHR Nottingham, Biomedical Research Centre. He is a chest physician based at NUH NHS Trust and the University of Nottingham, and has a long track record of research into the mechanisms underlying the development of a range of lung diseases. He currently chairs the national BRC Director’s forum, sits on NIHR Strategy Board, and is a member of UK-CTAP.

WEBINAR: Cell Therapies: Bench to Bedside
2021-04-01 10:00 - 11:30
Cell therapies could be the magic bullet for treating many different and previously intractable diseases. However creating a new cell therapy is fraught with complexities – sourcing, growing, transporting cells and other components for these therapies can be difficult. This event in partnership with the Medical Technologies Innovation Facility (MTIF) brings together speakers from charity, industry and academic sectors to provide considered insights into the different stages of cell therapy development from bench to bedside.
The webinar will address:
• The sustainable and ethical sourcing of human adult derived biological products as starting materials and criteria to consider when selecting the correct starting materials.
• Translating cell therapy into an implantable medical device with the adoption of substrates and scaffolds.
• Understanding cellular interactions with substrates and hence need to evaluate in-vitro biocompatibility.
• Reproducible and robust high throughput in-vitro testing for cell therapy performance validation.
There will be an opportunity to ask questions of our presenters in a Q&A session post presentation.
This webinar is open to all organisations seeking insight into cell therapy and the practicalities of development for patient use.
This free to attend event is held as part of the INSTILS programme – a project part-funded by the European Regional Development Fund, click here to be re-directed to further information about the project. This event is classed as State Aid to participating businesses, the value of which is £190, but is delivered completely free of charge to participants.
Speaker Profiles
Mike Hannay, Managing Director, Medical Technologies Innovation Facility (MTIF)
(CHAIR)

Professor John Hunt, Medical Technologies Innovation Facility (MTIF)

Katie Griffee, Business Development Manager, Anthony Noaln Cell & Gene Therapy Services
Katie supports cell and gene therapy researchers and developers access a scalable source of cellular starting material for R&D through to clinical application. Katie has a BSc in Biomedical Sciences and 7+ years’ experience working with pharmaceutical and biotech companies across Europe and the US.

Emma King, Sales Engineer, Hamamatsu Photonics UK Limited
Presentation: High Throughput Screening (HTS) of stem cells using the Hamamatsu FDSSµcell
Emma King studied Anatomy, Developmental and Human Biology at Kings College London, writing her thesis on cancer cell migration.
As part of the Research and Life Science group at Hamamatsu Photonics, Emma is responsible for business development activities for Functional Drug Screening Systems (FDSS) in the UK.

Ann Kramer, CEO, The Electrospinning Company
Ann Kramer is CEO of The Electrospinning Company, an SME with a biomaterial platform with applications in regenerative medicine and cell therapy. Ann spent 20 years in agritech multinationals, then 15 years in UK SMEs including Oxitec, Immunocore and Biosyntha.

Medilink Midlands Virtual Coffee Break - Members Only
2021-04-07 10:00 - 11:00
Our online Coffee Breaks provide a great opportunity to catch up with our growing networking of Members.
At this informal gathering hosted by Darren Clark, Chief Executive at Medilink Midlands the theme will be mental health in the workplace and we will be joined by:
– The team at the University of Derby to hear how they have helped companies as they have been rolling out the Mental Health & Productivity Pilot
– Shakespeare Martineau will provide input from a legal angle on disability discrimination issues and issues arising from mental health concerns in the workplace
– Rachel Cutler, Business Psychology and Consultant, in place of fear, Rachel supports businesses to create an environment which puts the well-being of their work community first
These online coffee breaks provide an opportunity to share current challenges and experiences and make introductions to those that can help.
We’re here to help, so let Medilink along with the virtual group work together to help each other with any concerns, issues, or solution needs you may have. If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to submit in advance to make sure we cover your needs and meet expectations
Dial-in details will be provided to delegates by a member of the Medilink Midlands events team once the online registration form has been completed.
Medilink Members only.
Chair:

Dr Darren Clark, Chief Executive Medilink Midlands

Professor Dean Fathers, Chair and Non-Executive Board Member, Mentor and Consultant (attending with Kate and Robin from the University of Derby)

Kate Wood – Project Manager Mental Health and Productivity Pilot, University of Derby

Robin Pepper – Knowledge Exchange Manager, University of Derby

Rhys Wyborn, Partner, Shakespeare Martineau

Rachel Cutler, Business Psychology and Consultant, in place of fear

WEBINAR: Digital First: Laying the foundations for scalable label and artwork management for SMEs in the life sciences industry
2021-04-08 10:00 - 11:00
Medilink Midlands in partnership with Kallik, invite you to attend this ‘Digital First’ Laying the foundations for scalable label and artwork management specifically designed for SMEs in the life sciences and health care sector.
Manual labelling processes run the risk of failing regulatory compliance audits, errors and recalls, alongside far longer project completion timescales. In this webinar Kallik CEO, Gurdip Singh, urges the benefits of small to mid-sized life science companies going digital with their label management as early as possible, outlining the digital transformation journey.
Topics covered include:
– What is labelling and artwork management (LAM)?
– What are the business challenges in the life sciences industry regarding LAM?
– How to maximise regulatory compliance while minimising product completion time.
– Improving your business’ digital maturity.
Although product approval and organising suppliers are essential tasks, prioritising your label & artwork management process today will help ensure your business can scale for the future. A robust, streamlined LAM process can abolish bad, time consuming practice before it even begins. After all, a big company starts as a small company.
This session will end with a 20 minute debrief whereby Gurdip will answer any outstanding questions or queries.
TO BOOK YOUR FREE PLACE, CLICK HERE

Speaker Profile:

Gurdip Singh is the CEO of Kallik, a labelling & artwork management software company specialised in serving the needs of highly regulated industries. Prior to joining Kallik, Gurdip held numerous senior leadership positions within the IT and software industry, and is passionate about driving organisational transformation in heavily-regulated industries.

VIRTUAL EVENT: Funding your innovation during lockdown – Speak to the Advisers
2021-04-13 10:00 - 11:00
We remain open for business during the current lockdown and we will continue to support our members, clients and the life sciences community, albeit in a more virtual way.
How can our projects help you fund your innovation? Delivered by Medilink Midlands, join this meeting to meet our team of Advisers for a detailed interactive discussion on innovation grant funding and support. We will talk through examples of the types of projects we can fund and also what other support is available across the East Midlands region.
During this virtual meeting you will:
-Find out what grant funding is available
-Find out how we can support you to fast-track your innovations and bring your ideas to market
-Have the opportunity to ask questions directly to our team of knowledgeable advisers and find out how you can obtain further support
-Identify who is the dedicated Adviser for your area
-Receive information on the grants we have available to help companies overcome innovation barriers
This is an interactive meeting, where attendees are encouraged to join via their webcam and to ask questions directly to our advisers.
DURATION: 1 HOUR

PLEASE NOTE: The funding and support discussed in this meeting is only available for companies in the East Midlands region.
This free to attend meeting will be held as part of the INSTILS programme – a project part-funded by the European Regional Development Fund. Click here to be redirected to further information about the project. This event is classed as State Aid to participating businesses, the value of which is £127, but is delivered completely free of charge to participants.
Medilink Midlands Innovation Advisers:

Lyndsey Allen

Neil Barnes

Alasdair Gaw

Jo Maltby

Teresa Smith

VIRTUAL COFFEE BREAK - East Midlands Academic Health Science Network
2021-04-20 12:30 - 13:30
Join EMAHSN for an informal virtual coffee break on Tuesday 20 April at 12:30pm, we will be joined by Sally Robinson who is Head of Contracting and Performance at a local NHS Hospital. Sally will be providing insight in regards to her role and responsibilities and tips for innovators who are looking to engage with the Healthcare system. This informal gathering will provide you with the opportunity to share your experiences and ask questions.
Networking opportunities are a key part of Medilink Midlands events and whilst the current COVID-19 crisis still restricts face to face events, this online opportunity enables the life sciences community to still connect with one another.
Grab a coffee, a biscuit and join us.
Joining details will be provided to delegates by a member of the Medilink Midlands events team once the online registration form has been completed.

If you have any topics that you’d like to discuss in future EMAHSN coffee breaks, please feel free to email any suggestions to us by clicking here.

Chair: Julian Patel, Commercial Manager EMAHSN

Aisha Ajij, Project Support and Industry Liaison Officer, EMAHSN

Guest Speaker: Sally Robinson, Head of Contracting and Performance, United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust
Sally’s role is to manage the relationship between provider and commissioner, to protect and negotiate income and performance. She works daily with clinical services to develop pathways and bring in new ideas – ensuring appropriate detail is captured to improve success rates when it comes to business cases, cases of need and commissioning requests.

WEBINAR: Food Supplements Special Interest Group (SIG) - Has Brexit changed how Food Supplements will be managed in 2021?
2021-04-21 10:00 - 11:00
Join us online for our next Food Supplements Special Interest Group (SIG) to hear about the impact of Brexit on food supplements.
This webinar will discuss:
– What has changed?
– What has stayed the same?
– What is new?
As well as update, we invite our delegates to take part in a question and answer session.
DURATION: 1 hour
This free to attend event is held as part of the INSTILS programme – a project part-funded by the European Regional Development Fund, click here to be re-directed to further information about the project. This event is classed as State Aid to participating businesses, the value of which is £127, but is delivered completely free of charge to participants.
Speaker Profiles
Chair: Janet Worrell, Head of Regulatory, JensonR+
Janet is an experienced regulatory affairs professional, having supported a diverse portfolio of products, for a number of companies across the East Midlands. Janet’s experience covers early concept development, food supplements, over the counter (OTC) medicines, inhaled therapies and clinical trial applications. Janet enjoys collaborating with companies to develop their regulatory strategy to deliver commercial success. Janet is an independent board member of the East Midlands Academic Health Science Network supporting innovation within NHS.

Nick Bennett, Head of Product Development, IVC Brunel Healthcare
Nick is Head of Product Development at Brunel Healthcare
where he is responsible for all aspects of development, regulations and new product introduction. He has worked in the food supplement industry for over 18 years specialising in all matters relating to product development and the health support that can be delivered from appropriate nutritional supplementation. Nick qualified in Nutritional Biochemistry from Nottingham University in 1994 and has been a Registered Nutritionist since 2003. During this time Nick has worked in a variety of food supplement companies of different sizes, most recently Boots for 5 years before joining the UK’s number one food supplement manufacturer, Brunel in 2009.

WEBINAR: Extended reality applications (virtual, augmented & mixed reality) in healthcare and surgery
2021-04-22 10:00 - 11:30
The next Medical Technologies & Systems Special Interest Group (SIG) will take place online, join us as we discuss Extended reality applications (virtual, augmented & mixed reality) in healthcare and surgery.
Attend to hear about:
– Remote surgical collaboration through Virtual Reality
– VR as a tool to bridge the gap between academic and clinical practice. The past, present and the future
– Mixed Reality – The Future of Surgery Starts Now
DURATION: 1.5 hours
This free to attend event is held as part of the INSTILS programme – a project part-funded by the European Regional Development Fund, click here to be re-directed to further information about the project. This event is classed as State Aid to participating businesses, the value of which is £190, but is delivered completely free of charge to participants.
Speaker Profiles:

Chaired by: Professor Philip Breedon, Professor of Smart Technologies, Nottingham Trent University
As well as his role at Nottingham Trent University, Philip is also a Chartered Engineer and a Chartered IT professional. He is a member of the Department of Health’s National Institute for Health Research invention for innovation funding panel and holds a number of journal editorial positions. His research interests and latest projects centre on new and emerging technologies and materials. This includes wearable technologies, 3D printing of pathological models, additive and subtractive manufacturing for medical applications, surgical robotics, cardiovascular devices, augmented /virtual/immersive technologies and environments, the surgical pathway and investigative research related to the utilisation of ‘smart materials’ for medical applications. Through promoting his work and research activities he now works with a number of surgeons and clinicians across Europe.

Richard Vincent, CEO & Founder, FundamentalVR
Richard has 20+ years’ experience of building international businesses and has throughout his career sought opportunities for positive market disruption through technological application. It was this desire that led him to co-found FundamentalVR to help address an age-old problem for the medical market; how to create safe, realistic, measurable spaces to learn and develop skills. In his role as CEO Richard is responsible for building a world class team of medical, learning and technologist who together can realise the company’s ambition of creating the world’s first global, haptically enabled, low cost ‘flight simulator for surgeons’.

Jan Antons, Business Development Manager, Vertual Ltd
Jan qualified as a therapy radiographer in 1992 and worked clinically in Bristol before working in various roles in the industry, including product specialist, product manager and clinical specialist roles. An MSc in radiotherapy followed in 2008 with a thesis focusing on prostate brachytherapy. After a 2-year placement in the US and experiencing the US Healthcare market, Jan joined Vertual, a Hull-based SME, in 2009 as a product specialist. From 2010 to 2019, Jan managed a large territory and distribution partners within the assigned regions, including the UK and Ireland, the US, South America and Canada. After completing an MBA in 2019, Jan started her current role as business development manager.

Dr Linda Brützel, Product Manager, Brainlab
Linda is a physicist with expertise in biotechnology and medical science, currently working as a Product Manager at German medical technology company Brainlab. Linda has a strong background in data analysis, programming and technical development of experimental setups. After completing her PhD on ‘Structure and Conformational Dynamics of 3D DNA Origami Objects Probed by Small-Angle X-Ray Scattering’ she worked as a Product Manager for PNDetector and as image analysis consultant at Astra Zeneca (formerly known as Definiens).

Virtual Workshop: Introduction to NHS Market Access
2021-04-27 13:00 - 14:00
BOOKING IS NOW CLOSED FOR THIS EVENT. This event will run again on 27th July, for details please click here.

Join our two-part CPD accredited virtual workshop, Introduction to NHS Market Access, delivered by the East Midlands Academic Health Science Network (EMAHSN).
Combined, the two sessions will give innovators key insights into the complexities of the NHS and wider healthcare ecosystem as well as the support available to help you to introduce your health technology product or service into the NHS.
PART 1 is a pre-recorded 45 minute webinar that you can watch at a time convenient to you.
The webinar will cover:
– The NHS Structure
– Understanding pathways and cash flow
– Getting your message right
– What support you can expect from the AHSN
——————
PART 2 is a live 1-hour Q&A session that will take place on Tuesday 27th April 2020.
In order to gain access to this live session, delegates are required to watch the pre-recorded webinar prior to attending.
The Q&A session will be held with a panel of experts from the EMAHSN and delegates will have the opportunity to ask questions directly to the team.
Upon registration you will be sent a link to the pre-recorded webinar by a member of the Medilink Midlands events team. Joining details for the live Q&A session will be distributed separately once the webinar has been viewed.

SPEAKER PROFILE:
Live Q&A Chair:

Tim Robinson, Commercial Director, East Midlands Academic Health Science Network

Pre-recorded Webinar:
Nicholas Brown, Commercial Manager, East Midlands Academic Health Science Network
Nick joined the East Midlands Academic Health Science Network as Commercial Manager in 2015. Prior to this, Nick has more than 20 years’ experience of the medical industry working with manufacturers, distributors and clinical staff from the UK and European health sectors, from both the sales and marketing side, as well as in a consulting and advisory role. His Commercial Manager role focuses on building closer links between healthcare and businesses; identifying new services and products that can be introduced for the benefit of patients throughout the region – as well as marketed throug

WEBINAR: Bioprinting: from benchside to bedside
2021-04-29 14:00 - 15:30
Join the next online Additive Manufacturing & 3D Special Interest Group (SIG), this SIG will focus on Bioprinting as we hear from an academic, a clinician and a business as they present what they have learned.
This event is in partnership with The University of Nottingham – Centre for Additive Manufacturing.
The webinar will cover:
– The development of smart biomaterials for bioprinting multi-cellular living tissues
– Translation of bioprinted tissues into clinic, challenges and opportunities
– Entrepreneurship in bio-printing: biohybrid neural devices
DURATION: 1.5 hour
This free to attend event is held as part of the INSTILS programme – a project part-funded by the European Regional Development Fund, click here to be re-directed to further information about the project. This event is classed as State Aid to participating businesses, the value of which is £190, but is delivered completely free of charge to participants.
Speaker Profiles:

Chaired by: Laura Ruiz Cantu, Transitional Assistant Professor, Centre for Additive Manufacturing, The University of Nottingham
Laura’s research is focused on the use of Additive Manufacturing technologies for Regenerative Medicine and drug delivery applications. Laura has extensive expertise in several AM technologies including micro extrusion printing, inkjet 3D printing, micro stereolithography and most recently volumetric additive manufacturing. Some of her work includes, developing libraries of photocurabe biomaterials for 3D printing subdermal implants, 3D bioprinting cartilage for facial reconstruction, developing methodologies for rapid screening of inks and 3D printing of long term subdermal implants for chronic diseases. Currently, Laura and team are working on developing smart osteoinductive photocurable biomaterials for inkjet printing and microSLA. Laura is also associated to the smart materials HUB from the UK Regenerative Medicine Platform. As part of the HUB she is working on implementing different 3D printing technologies for the manufacture of scaffolds for bone regeneration.

Dr Sang Jin Lee, Associate Professor, Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine (WFIRM)
Sang is an Associate Professor of the Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine (WFIRM), Wake Forest School of Medicine, with an affiliate appointment in the Virginia Tech-Wake Forest University School of Biomedical Engineering and Sciences (SBES). The WFIRM is an international leader in translating scientific discovery into clinical therapies. WFIRM were the first in the world to successfully implant a laboratory-grown organ into humans and today are working to grow more than 30 different organs and tissues in the laboratory. He extensive knowledge and experience in biomaterials science, especially, biodegradable polymers and tunable hydrogels, with specific training and expertise in key research areas for tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. His research team has developed various biomaterial systems that improve cellular interactions by providing appropriate environmental cues. These biomaterial systems consist of drug/protein delivery systems, nano/micro-scaled topographical features, and hybrid materials that can actively participate in functional tissue regeneration. Recently, his team is utilizing automated 3D bioprinting technology to manufacture complex, multi-cellular living tissue constructs that mimic the structure of native tissues. This can be accomplished by optimizing the formulation of biomaterials to serve as bioinks for 3D bioprinting, and by providing the biological microenvironment needed for the successful delivery of cells and biomaterials to discrete locations within the 3D structure. He has authored more than 150 scientific publications, 15 patent registrations/applications, 500 scientific presentations, 70 invited lectures and mentored over 160 trainees, ranging from undergraduate students to practicing physicians.

Professor Paolo De Coppi, Consultant Paediatric Surgeon, Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH)
Paolo is a Consultant Paediatric Surgeon at Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH) and Head of Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine at the UCL Institute of Child Health in London. He has been an Honorary Professor at the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Belgium, since 2013, an Adjunct Assistant Professor at the Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, since 2009 and an Honorary Assistant Professor in Paediatric Surgery at the University of Padua, Italy, since 2005. He has a special interest in congenital malformations and their treatment using minimally invasive techniques. He has focused his research interests on stem cells and tissue engineering by trying to find new modalities for the treatment of complex congenital anomalies. While working with Anthony Atala, M.D., at the Boston Children’s Hospital (Massachusetts), he identified the possibility of using stem cells from amniotic fluid for therapeutic applications. This finding generated an international patent and garnered the cover story of Nature Biotechnology January 2007. This finding has opened the door to discovery for novel approaches to correct congenital malformations. Recently he was awarded a WellcomeLeap grant that will be focused on engineering human kidneys and urinary tracts in collaboration with Prof David Long and the kidney development and disease group at UCL.

Dr Benjamin Paul, CEO, Neuroloom Ltd
Ben founded Neuroloom Ltd in 2017 to commercialise his neurotechnology inventions and has since won multiple competitions and instigated several University and business consortiums. As the sole inventor of Neuroloom’s core patent Ben has presented to academic, clinical and commercial audiences and has co-authored several academic papers. Before founding Neuroloom, Ben completed an MSc in Bioengineering and a PhD in Manufacturing at the University of Nottingham. Neuroloom’s expertise is coordinating living neurons so they can reliably integrate with living tissue and coordinate the tissues activity, whether in the dish or in the body.

WEBINAR: It's all about the data!
2021-05-05 10:00 - 11:00
Join us for the next in the series of our Clinical Trial Special Interest Groups with Afortiori Development at this webinar where we will be discussing data!
The clinical data you collect on your product will be what is scrutinised by regulatory authorities and payers in order to allow you to access your market. Data must be ethically obtained, appropriate, clean, managed according to regulatory requirements and ready for analysis. Don’t make costly mistakes and learn too late that your data isn’t acceptable.
DURATION: 1 hour
This free to attend event is held as part of the SoLSTICE programme – a project part-funded by the European Regional Development Fund, click here to be re-directed to further information about the project. This event is classed as State Aid to participating businesses, the value of which is £127, but is delivered completely free of charge to participants.
Speaker Profiles:

Chaired by: Dr Nicola Wall, Chief Executive Officer, Afortiori Development
Nicola co-founded Afortiori Development after long careers in clinical research within a variety of roles. Nicola has extensive experience and a proven track record in global clinical trial management, quality assurance and process management in the healthcare industry. Afortiori have built an impressive global team of clinical trial specialists, clinicians and biostatisticians with experience in adult, paediatric and neonatal clinical research, and both primary and secondary healthcare settings.

David Baker, Data Management Lead, Afortiori Development
David has over 40 years of clinical experience including 30 years research experience within the pharmaceutical industry, specialising in biometrics and project management. He spent 8 years managing a biometrics department at one of the world’s foremost contract clinical research organisations and has worked as a Global Project Manager overseeing the processes and deliverables on programmes and studies in Asia, Europe, Australasia and the Americas for a variety of clients across a wide range of therapeutic areas including respiratory, diabetes, oncology, neonatology, transplantation and medical devices.

Elizabeth Ralph, Chief Operating Officer, Afortori Development
Elizabeth has a proven track record spanning 20 years in global clinical trial management, quality assurance and process management in the pharmaceutical industry. She is the co-Founder and operational leader with Afortiori Development supporting clients who need to obtain clinical evidence for their healthcare product.

VIRTUAL WORKSHOP: Is your Business Case NHS Ready?
2021-05-12 10:30 - 11:30
BOOKINGS FOR THIS WORKSHOP HAVE NOW CLOSED. Please click here to book the next workshop on Thu 5 August.
Join the second of our two-part CPD accredited virtual workshops, Is your Business Case NHS Ready?, delivered by the East Midlands Academic Health Science Network (EMAHSN).
The challenge as innovators and companies selling to the NHS is often that when you have a product that improves patient outcomes and saves cost you still cannot get it adopted by the NHS. This is frequently because there isn’t a fully developed business case.
PART 1 is a pre-recorded 40 minute webinar that you can watch at a time convenient to you.
The pre-recorded webinar will cover:
– What a business case is, what is its purpose and why is it so important?
– Who reviews the business case and how are they evaluated?
– How to construct a good business case
——————
PART 2 is a live 1-hour Q&A session on Wednesday 12th May at 10.30am.
In order to gain access to this live session, delegates are required to watch the pre-recorded webinar prior to attending.
The Q&A session will be held with a panel of experts from the EMAHSN and delegates will have the opportunity to ask questions directly to the team.

Upon registration you will be sent a link to the pre-recorded webinar by a member of the Medilink Midlands events team. Joining details for the live Q&A session will be distributed separately once the webinar has been viewed.
SPEAKER PROFILES:
Live Q&A Session Chair: Julian Patel, Commercial Manager

Mike Watson, Digital Lead
Mike is responsible for taking forward our approach to supporting change through digital innovations working with a wide range of partners from across the East Midlands to take forward the most promising digital innovations and ways of working. Mike is also responsible for horizon scanning the rapidly evolving landscape for digital and Artificial Intelligence solutions.

Aisha Ajij, Project Support and Industry Liaison Officer

Aisha develops contacts with industry partners and helps ensure the effectiveness of supporting processes such as our Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system.

Pre-recorded webinar: Nicholas Brown, Commercial Manager, East Midlands Academic Health Science Network (note, Nicholas no longer works for the EMAHSN)
Nick joined the East Midlands Academic Health Science Network as Commercial Manager in 2015. Prior to this, Nick has more than 20 years’ experience of the medical industry working with manufacturers, distributors and clinical staff from the UK and European health sectors, from both the sales and marketing side, as well as in a consulting and advisory role. His Commercial Manager role focuses on building closer links between healthcare and businesses; identifying new services and products that can be introduced for the benefit of patients throughout the region – as well as marketed throughout the UK and abroad, providing wealth creation opportunities across the East Midlands.

Medilink Midlands Virtual Coffee Break (Members- Only)
2021-05-13 10:30 - 11:30
Join us for our next Members-Only Virtual Coffee Break, taking place on 13 May from 10:30am – 11:30 am.
The informal gathering will be hosted by Darren Clark, Chief Executive at Medilink Midlands. These online coffee breaks provide an opportunity to share current challenges and experiences and make introductions to those that can help.
The theme for this coffee break will be an overview of ‘What now for employers? Life after the Pandemic’ from Rhys Wyborn, Partner at Shakespeare Martineau.
We’re here to help, so let Medilink along with the virtual group work together to help each other with any concerns, issues, or solution needs you may have. If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to submit in advance to make sure we cover your needs and meet expectations. Click here to submit.
Dial-in details will be provided to delegates by a member of the Medilink Midlands events team once the online registration form has been completed.
Medilink Members only.
If you’re interested in becoming a member, please get in touch info@medilinkmidlands.co.uk

CHAIR: Dr Darren Clark, CEO, Medilink Midlands

GUEST SPEAKER: Rhys Wyborn, Partner, Shakespeare Martineau

VIRTUAL WORKSHOP: Digital Health Special Interest Group (SIG) Working Group
2021-05-19 14:00 - 15:00
In partnership with PDMS we are delighted to be adding another Special Interest Group (SIG) to our series of SIGs where we provide the opportunity for clinicians, academics and businesses to forge new partnership and to collaborate. Digital Health is frequently being described as the future of healthcare and it is more important than ever that Digital Health is given the focus needed for the future success.
To kick start the working group and to start discussions on what themes/topics should be presented at the future SIGs we are holding a online working group. If you have something to contribute to this group then please join us on Wednesday 19 May online at 2pm to share your ideas.
The session will be chaired by Chris Gledhill, Managing Director, PDMS and Professor Dean Fathers, Chair and Non-Executive Board Member, Mentor and Consultant – see profiles below.
DURATION: 1 hour
This free to attend event is held as part of the SoLSTICE programme – a project part-funded by the European Regional Development Fund, click here to be re-directed to further information about the project. This event is classed as State Aid to participating businesses, the value of which is £127, but is delivered completely free of charge to participants.
Please note: whilst this event is held as part of the SoLSTICE programme, this event is not restricted to those in the Leicestershire area.
Dial-in details will be provided to delegates by a member of the Medilink Midlands events team once the online registration form has been completed.
Speaker Profiles:

Chris Gledhill, Managing Director, PDMS
Chris co-founded PDMS in 1993 with a mission to help organisations get the maximum value from information technology and their associated data assets. His experience lies in recognising the business benefits of information technology to make services cheaper, safer and more convenient. This extends across the whole spectrum of activities associated with software development and the implementation of digital technology in general.
He attended Manchester University and Cranfield Institute of Technology and gained his Diploma in Company Direction from the Institute of Directors. Drawing on his extensive knowledge and passion for technology, Chris has recently been re-elected as an SME representative on the techUK Central Government Council. Chris also sat on the Advisory Panel as part of an Independent Review of the Isle of Man health and social care system conducted by Sir Johnathan Michael in 2019.
Chris has a particular interest in digital health and citizen centric services – putting the individual at the core and designing digital services to help improve a patient’s experience and outcomes.
With more than 30 years’ experience in Enterprise and Digital technology, Chris is still passionate about the benefits that organisations and individuals can achieve through good software engineering. However, he still firmly believes that technology isn’t the best starting point – it’s the problems that need to be solved and the outcomes that need to be achieved.

Professor Dean Fathers, Chair and Non-Executive Board Member, Mentor and Consultant
Dean has a wealth of experience in a range of organisations, from FTSE/blue-chips in the private sector, large national Government Departments and Public Agencies, including over 20 years experience as the Chair of a variety of NHS organisations, to medium sized private, entrepreneurial companies. He is an accomplished Director, having held numerous executive and non executive board positions and also has international experience as an organisational change leader, practicing as a Board/Executive Development Consultant in fields as diverse as; the automotive industry, construction, distribution, education, media, retail, and pharmaceutical/health sectors in Europe, North America and Asia Pacific. The development of strategy as a driver for change and sustainable long term success is his forte and this is linked to a deep understanding of best practices principles of board governance which he has honed through a number of visiting professor roles at Cass, Leeds, Lincoln and Nottingham Business Schools. Amongst his portfolio of roles Dean Chairs the Centre for Organisational Resilience at Lincoln International Business School which is exploring the relationship between governance and mental health.

Bio Integrates 2021
2021-05-20 08:45 - 17:00
Focused on the biotech, start-ups and emerging pharma segment
Following the continued success of last year’s inaugural digital event, Life Science Integrates is delighted to announce the 3rd Bio Integrates conference. Addressing the needs of innovative companies developing the therapies of tomorrow, this one-day conference provides a unique forum to discuss the major challenges impacting the sector.
Broadcast live on 20th May 2021, Bio Integrates is a unique opportunity to engage with top executives in biotech, CDMO, supply chain, and funding and investment.
This year our three core themes are for the event are:
Connection: Finding the right investors, partners and vendors is key to accelerating your products. How do you make the best connections?
Reflection: 2020 was an unprecendent year. What impact has it had on biotech funding, pipelines, and ecosystem?
Projection: What does the future hold for life science investment and infrastructure?
For more information and to view the agenda and high-profile speakers please go to
www.lifescienceintegrates.com/bio-integrates-2021
MEDILINK MEMBERS OFFER: We have 25 complimentary tickets for Medilink Members (SMEs only). Please click here to contact us by 17:00 on 17 May 2021 to obtain your promo code to obtain your tickets.
Additional Offer: To register for a delegate pass with 25% discount, please register here by 17:00 on 18 May 2021 and use promo code MLM25
Please note: The complimentary tickets are on a first come, first served basis. Registrations cannot be accepted after this date of 18th May.
Get involved and be part of the new Digital Innovation Village at Bio Integrates 2021
This year, high-quality poster presentations will be an important element of Bio Integrates 2021.
Bio Integrates would therefore like to solicit posters that present recent and late-breaking research on topics relevant to the Biotech Community, to be displayed in our new Innovation Village. For full details please Click here. Please note that the deadline has been extended to Wednesday 12th May.
You’ll get a complimentary pass to the event if you submit a poster, the deadline for requesting a place at Bio Integrates 2021 and submitting your information to karen.chapple@lsi-uk.com is Tuesday 5 May.

WEBINAR: IP: Four things you should be doing right now
2021-05-20 10:30 - 11:30
These are unprecedented times for all businesses, with pressure to adapt to a constantly evolving ‘new normal’. With challenges to address on multiple fronts, there are four areas of focus to help ensure your intellectual property approach is aligned to your immediate business priorities.
Join us and Potter Clarkson at this webinar to hear about the four things you should be doing right now. Dr Daniel Hudson, UK and European Patent Attorney, Partner at Potter Clarkson will provide tips and insights on the following four areas:
1. Determining business critical activities
2. Consider a more collaborative approach
3. Managing risk
4. Planning ahead
DURATION: 1 hour
Speaker:

Dr Daniel Hudson, UK and European Patent Attorney, Partner at Potter Clarkson
Daniel is a partner in the electronics and computing patent group at Potter Clarkson, an award-winning, top-tier firm of European patent and trade mark attorneys and IP solicitors. He works with innovative organisations to recognise and protection inventions. Dan drafts and prosecutes UK and European patent applications in the digital heath space, and works with patent attorneys around the world to manage the international prosecution of families of patent applications. He particularly enjoys addressing the challenges involved with prosecuting related families of patent applications to obtain comprehensive protection for his clients’ inventions in view of their commercial objectives.

My Question is...Networking Lunch: What do Med Tech Companies Need to Thrive?
2021-05-25 13:00 - 14:00
Following on from a successful collaborative event between One Nucleus and Medilink Midlands on Collaborating to Support Biotech and Med Tech Businesses Across Our Neighbouring Regions we are continuing our collaboration with a dedicated My Question Is…Networking Lunch. The goal is to keep the dialogue going and to continue amplifying support across the wider region that our respective networks cover, whilst asking the right questions that can help to identify key areas of support.
As with all our My Question Is…Networking Lunches, we will be selecting questions posed by our network and once selected those individuals will host a breakout room of six people to discuss that question, feeding back towards the end of the session. All welcome to join!
We welcome your suggestion for questions. To submit a question, please click here to email Alicia Gaillez of One Nucleus.
Programme:
13.00 Arrive and welcome
13.10 Move to breakout rooms
13.40 Breakout rooms close and feedback session
14.00 Close
Free to attend and open to all
TO BOOK YOUR PLACE PLEASE CLICK HERE
You will be redirected to the One Nucleus booking page. Please note that this event is free of charge to attend.
Webinar details will be sent from One Nucleus closer to the date of the event.

Webinar: Getting it Right: Med-tech Product Design
2021-06-01 10:00 - 11:30
The physical embodiment of a medical technology and its interaction with the healthcare professional or patient end user can make or break its adoption by the wider market. At the same time med-tech product design is carried out in a highly regulated sector where demonstration of compliance to international standards is critical to achieving market authorisation. This event in partnership with the Medical Technologies Innovation Facility (MTIF) brings together speakers from the NHS, industry and academia to provide considered insights into the area of Med Tech product design.
The webinar will address:
-Balancing safety, function and form – how using professional design services can save project time and costs
-The role of human factors in assessing med-tech product design
-The value of obtaining end user acceptance data though expert clinical evaluation
-Design and Achieving Regulatory compliance
This webinar is open to all organisations seeking insight into medical product design and the particulars of clinical evaluation and human factors assessment.
There will also be an opportunity to pose your questions to our presenters in a Q&A session after the presentations.
This free to attend event is held as part of the INSTILS programme – a project part-funded by the European Regional Development Fund, click here to be re-directed to further information about the project. This event is classed as State Aid to participating businesses, the value of which is £190, but is delivered completely free of charge to participants.
Please note: whilst this event is held as part of the INSTILS programme, this event is not restricted to those in the D2N2 area.
Speaker Profiles

Professor Mike Hannay, Managing Director, MTIF (CHAIR)

Professor Peter Ford, Professor of Design, Design Matters MTIF
Peter Ford has over 40 years of experience in designing a wide range of products and medical devices for companies that include Pfizer, Huntleigh Healthcare, 3M and Inspiration Healthcare. Peter currently directs the Design Matter product design research group at NTU.

Dr Robert Reisel, Technical Director, MTIF
Robert has been Technical Director at MTIF since June 2020.
For the last 8.5 years he developed Class I, II and III medical devices for global wound and incontinence management from bench to bedside working in the UK and Germany.
He is responsible for Operational, Product Development, Quality, Regulatory, HSE and a Technical Team of 5 people.

Professor Daniel Clark, OBE , Director, CHEATA
As head of a large Clinical Engineering service and over 35 years working in healthcare technology, Dan has huge experience of technology in healthcare, particularly the NHS. He also has considerable expertise in innovation of healthcare technology and the adoption of new technology into clinical applications.

Alex Mariou, Surgical Solutions Project Manager, STERIS Solutions Ltd
Alex is a Project Design Manager at STERIS UK. STERIS is a global leader in the design, manufacture, sale and support of Infection Prevention products, Operating Room equipment and Endoscopy Devices. Alex has 10 years’ experience in the healthcare equipment industry and has specialised in designing and providing solutions for Integrated Theatres using cutting edge technology and equipment. Working across the UK, Alex provides surgical equipment for operating rooms and clinical care areas and is responsible for preparing proposals for projects and managing the process from order to installation.

WEBINAR: Grant Application Writing Masterclass
2021-06-03 10:30 - 11:30
Join us and TBAT Innovation Ltd for a Grant Funding Masterclass, delving into how to write a successful grant application for Innovate UK.
Knowing how to write your grant funding application is the most important part of applying for innovation funding.
Many competitions have success rates of below 10%; therefore, your application needs to stand-out, showcase your innovation and demonstrate your knowledge and expertise, all within tight word-limits.
Through years of successfully helping businesses just like yours, apply for Innovate UK funding competitions, TBAT are experts in writing successful funding applications that will capture the assessor’s attention and highlight why your innovative project should be funded!
During this 1-hour masterclass, TBAT will cover:
– The 10-question application form
– How to answer each question
– Their top tips for applying for Innovate UK funding
– What to do if you need help applying
This is great opportunity to learn how to apply for current Innovate UK funding competitions such as the Smart Grants and secure up to 70% of your project costs via these opportunities.
DURATION: 1 hour
Speaker Profiles:

Matt Symonds, Managing Director, TBAT Innovation Ltd
Matt joined TBAT Innovation in 2007 and shortly after became a Director of the business. He has a mechanical engineering degree and is an experienced project manager as a result of ten years’ experience in the Aerospace, Power Generation and Rail sectors with companies like Rolls-Royce and Bombardier Transportation.

Vincent Seddon, Business Development, TBAT Innovation Ltd
Vincent joined TBAT in 2019 to head up Business Development for their Oxford office after spending 10 years supporting Corporate clients to plan and grow their businesses as well as mentoring and coaching local business managers with the Barclays Business Bank.

How cyber safe is your organisation & supply chain?
2021-06-08 13:00 - 14:00
Medilink Midlands Virtual Coffee Break – members only
Our June virtual coffee break will take place on Tuesday 8 June from 1 pm – 2 pm.
This month we will be discussing cybersecurity, and we will be joined by the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), which was set up in October 2016 in support of a national ambition, outlined in the UK Government’s National Cyber Security Strategy, to make the UK the safest place to live and work online.
During the session, representatives from NCSC will provide an insight into what we should be doing to protect ourselves against cybercrimes that target business owners, and also the many support streams available to SME businesses.
In addition, we have invited some of our member experts in the field of cybersecurity who will be able to contribute to our discussions.
Hosted by Darren Clark, Chief Executive at Medilink Midlands, these online coffee breaks provide an opportunity to share current challenges and experiences and make introductions to those that can help.
We’re here to help, so let Medilink along with the virtual group work together to help each other with any concerns, issues, or solution needs you may have.
If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to submit in advance to make sure we cover your needs and meet expectations. Click here to submit.
Dial-in details will be provided to delegates by a member of the Medilink Midlands events team once the online registration form has been completed.
Book Now
Medilink Members only.
If you’re interested in becoming a member, please get in touch info@medilinkmidlands.co.uk
Speaker profile:
The NCSC helps to manage and mitigate the impact of cyber attacks. Our other ambitions are to better understand cyber threats; reduce the attacks that get through; respond when they do; and nurture a culture where cyber security can thrive in the future.
As the national authority on cyber security, the NCSC provides timely, accessible and consistent advice to individuals and organisations, empowering them to take action to protect themselves online.

Food Supplements Special Interest Group (SIG)- Concept to Launch of your food supplement
2021-06-10 10:00 - 11:00
Supplements and nutrition is one sector that continues to grow. Innovation and new concepts are key drivers for the increase in consumer spend in this area. Have you ever wondered what you need to consider to create your own food supplement and drive new business into this sector and for your company?
Join us online for our next Food Supplements Special Interest Group (SIG) to hear about what you should consider. We will cover the nutrients, additives, container closure (your pack), your claims (what you can and cannot say), pilot scale manufacture, validation, commercial scale manufacture, stability and customer complaints.
As part of this brief overview, you can take part in a question and answer session, with the panel, Nick Bennett (Chrysalis Health & Beauty) and Janet Worrell (Jenson R+ Limited).
DURATION: 1 Hour
This free to attend event is held as part of the INSTILS programme – a project part-funded by the European Regional Development Fund, click here to be re-directed to further information about the project. This event is classed as State Aid to participating businesses, the value of which is £127, but is delivered completely free of charge to participants.
Please note: whilst this event is held as part of the INSTILS programme, attendance is not restricted to companies in the D2N2 region and is open to all.
Speaker Profiles:

Chair: Janet Worrell, Head of Regulatory, JensonR+
Janet is an experienced regulatory affairs professional, having supported a diverse portfolio of products, for a number of companies across the East Midlands. Janet’s experience covers early concept development, food supplements, over the counter (OTC) medicines, inhaled therapies and clinical trial applications. Janet enjoys collaborating with companies to develop their regulatory strategy to deliver commercial success. Janet is an independent board member of the East Midlands Academic Health Science Network supporting innovation within NHS.

Nick Bennett, Technical Director, Chrysalis Health & Beauty
A registered Nutritionist since 2003, Nick joined Chrysalis Health and Beauty as Technical Director in May 2021.
His extensive career spans over 25 years in the supplement industry including time spent in combined technical, regulatory and development roles in both small manufacturers as well as some of the world’s largest organisations.
Nick started his career after completing a BSc in Nutritional Biochemistry at Nottingham university where his final year project explored how nutrition affects behaviour. Most recently, Nick helped to lead the industry for 5 years as chair of the Council for Responsible Nutrition UK.
Nick values the benefits of appropriate supplementation and is always keen to help choosing legally compliant supplements become easier for the average consumer.

VIRTUAL WORKSHOP: Creating Valid Evidence & Evaluation for the NHS for Medical Devices
2021-06-15 13:00 - 14:00
REGISTRATION HAS NOW CLOSED FOR THIS SESSION. The next live Q&A will take place on Wednesday 15 September. To register please click here
Join the third of our two-part CPD accredited virtual workshops, Creating Valid Evidence & Evaluation for the NHS for Medical Devices, delivered by the East Midlands Academic Health Science Network (EMAHSN).
This session will provide an overview about the kinds of evidence and evaluation that the healthcare system really wants in order to support their buying decisions.
This is the third part of the 3 session CPD accredited workshop series designed to get you ready to successfully secure business with NHS organisations
PART 1 is a pre-recorded webinar that you can watch at a time convenient to you.
The pre-recorded webinar will cover:
• Evidence needed for regulatory purposes
• Principles and models of evaluation and principles of study design for evaluating healthcare interventions, to outline the value proposition of the innovation
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PART 2 is a live 1-hour Q&A session on Tuesday 15th June 1:00pm – 2:00pm
In order to gain access to this live session, delegates are required to watch the pre-recorded webinar prior to attending.
The Q&A session will be held with a panel of experts from the EMAHSN and delegates will have the opportunity to ask questions directly to the team.

Upon registration you will be sent a link to the pre-recorded webinar by a member of the Medilink Midlands events team. Joining details for the live Q&A session will be distributed separately once the webinar has been viewed.
SPEAKER PROFILES:
Julian Patel, Commercial Manager, East Midlands AHSN

Aisha Ajij, Project Support & Industry Liasion Officer/ITP – AAC Delivery Lead, East Midlands AHSN

Philip Miller, Evaluation Researcher, East Midlands AHSN

Dr Sarah Bolton, Business Manager, The Centre for Healthcare Equipment & Technology Adoption (CHEATA)

WEBINAR: The Application of Digital Technology in a Pandemic
2021-06-16 10:00 - 11:30
Digital Health solutions are understandably now at the forefront of health care initiatives. Join De Montfort University’s Digital Health Team for this webinar to discuss the latest research, innovation and developments in technology which supports the future of health and social care.
This webinar will cover:
-Digital technologies in the public health response to Covid-19: contact tracing and communication with communities
-Digital technologies used by individuals and groups to promote wellbeing
-The effects of using digital technologies with diverse communities during the pandemic
-Artificial intelligence and Covid-19 vaccination process.
This webinar is open to all businesses keen to explore and understand the digital health landscape.
This free to attend webinar will be held as part of the SoLSTICE programme – a project part-funded by the European Regional Development Fund. For further details please click here. This event is classed as State Aid to participating businesses, the value of which is £190, but is delivered completely free of charge to participant
Please note: Whilst this event is held as part of the SoLSTICE programme, attendance is not restricted to companies in the LLEP area.
DURATION 1 hour 30 minutes

Speaker Profiles:

Stuart Hilton, Head of Commercial Partnerships, DMU
Biog to follow

Professor Bertha Ochieng, Professor of Integrated Health and Social Care, DMU
Bertha Ochieng is Professor of Integrated Health and Social Care, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, De Montfort University. A key aspect of her research is in examining digital solutions that support development of integrated models of health and social care and community engagement.

Professor Ivan Browne, Director of Public Health at Leicester City Council
Ivan Browne is the Director of Public Health at Leicester City Council and has been spearheading the local response to COVID 19 in the City. He is a professor of public health practice with De Montfort University and has a particular interest in the potential of digital technologies to improve population health and wellbeing.

Q& A Panel

Dr Fabio Caraffini, Associate Professor in Computer Science, DMU.
Fabio Caraffini is the programme lead for the MSc Intelligent Systems/Intelligent Systems & Robotics and the institute head of research students for the Institute of Artificial Intelligence. He has extensive research experience in designing and applying heuristics for optimisation, Computational Intelligence for classification problems, and their joint use to optimally address real-world problems.

Dr Mario Gongora is Associate Professor in the School of Computer Science and Informatics at De Montfort University (DMU), he is the Faculty Enterprise Lead and a senior member of the Institute of Artificial Intelligence at the Faculty of Computing, Engineering and Media. Dr. Gongora is a leading researcher in the subject of applied computational intelligence, particularly in the fields of Data analysis in large and complex datasets and modelling Natural Phenomena, including identification, simulation, and optimisation.

Professor Francisco Chiclana is a Professor of Computational Intelligence and Decision-making with the Institute of Artificial Intelligence and School of Computer Science and Informatics, De Montfort University, Leicester, U.K. Prof. Chiclana is currently a Highly Cited Researcher in Computer Sciences (according to Essential Science Indicators by Clarivate Analytics). He is an Associate Editor and a Guest Editor for several ISI indexed journals. His research interest includes fuzzy preference modelling, decision support systems, consensus, recommender systems, social networks, rationality/consistency, and information fusion.

Dr Raymond Moodley is currently a visiting researcher at the Institute of Artificial Intelligence, DMU. He is an expert in Applied AI with a primary focus on AI for Societal Enhancement and has led research, developed AI algorithms, and published papers in several aspects of societal enhancement including in Education, Health, Crime Prevention, and Consumer Retail. Dr Moodley also has over 20 years of commercial experience including in business strategy and in the design and implementation of large-scale IT projects.

MedTech Integrates 2021
2021-06-22 08:45 - 16:00
Focused on technology, diagnostics, devices, therapeutics organisations, and regulators
Inspired by the success of the inaugural MedTech Integrates in last October, Life Science Integrates is delighted to announce the second Medtech Integrates conference. This one-day gathering of technology, diagnostics, devices and therapeutics organisations, as well as clinicians and regulators, provides a platform to discuss the major challenges impacting the MedTech sector.
Broadcast live on 22 June 2021, Medtech Integrates addresses the needs of the MedTech community to overcome the challenges needed to achieve a transformation of diagnostics and devices in healthcare.
This year our three core themes are for the event are:
Detection: Disease detection is key to diagnosis and treatment. How are we accelerating the clinical translation of MedTech, and is it impacting wealth as well as health?
Reflection: 2020 was an unprecedented year. What impact has it had on medtech development and commercialisation?
Projection: What does the future hold for virtual clinical consultations and trials, data sharing and disease prediction? And how will regulations change?
Networking: You will also have the opportunity to network amongst the exhibition area during specific times of the day. Be sure to say hello to the Medilink team.
For more information and to view our agenda and high-profile speakers please go to
www.lifescienceintegrates.com/medtech-integrates-2021
MEDILINK MEMBERS OFFER:
We have 25 complimentary tickets for Medilink Members (SMEs only). Please click here to contact us by 17:00 on 18 June 2021 to obtain your promo code to obtain your tickets. Please note: The complimentary tickets are on a first come, first served basis. Registrations cannot be accepted after this date.
In addition, to register for a delegate pass with 25% Medilink Member discount, please click here to contact us by 17:00 on 18 June 2021 to obtain your promo code. Please note: Registrations cannot be accepted after this date.
