Leaders from across the life sciences and health technology community gathered this week for the West Midlands Health Tech Innovation Accelerator (WMHTIA) Impact Event, held as part of Life Sciences Week 2025.
The event, focused on Impact, Insights & the Future of Health Tech, highlighted the achievements of the two-year programme and set the stage for continued collaboration and growth in the region.
The event was welcomed by Mike Wright, Chair of the West Midlands Innovation Board, who emphasised the strategic importance of health tech innovation to the region’s economic future.
Dr Luan Linden-Phillips, Programme Manager for WMHTIA, then shared key impacts from the programme, including:
- £67.3m of co-investment realised
- 28 new companies formed during the programme
- 5 products procured by the NHS – a process that usually takes years, but accelerated through WMHTIA support
- The arrival of two internationally recognised support programmes into the region: SPARK The Midlands and Plug and Play UK Health
These achievements underline how WMHTIA has accelerated growth, strengthened collaboration and helped position the West Midlands as a national leader in health tech innovation.
Among the many companies supported through WMHTIA is Cytecom, a Midlands-based health tech innovator developing rapid diagnostics for antimicrobial resistance. Cytecom’s progress has recently attracted national attention, including a feature on the BBC, which explored how their technology could help transform the fight against one of the world’s most pressing healthcare challenges. Their success story is just one example of how WMHTIA has enabled pioneering businesses to gain visibility, attract investment and accelerate innovation with the potential for global impact.
Melanie Davidson, CEO of Medilink Midlands, said:
“The WMHTIA has demonstrated the real power of targeted support and collaboration. By bringing together business, academia, healthcare providers and investors, we’ve shown what’s possible when the region works as one. The £67.3m of co-investment realised is just the beginning – what really matters is the stronger, more connected ecosystem that’s been built around it.
The event was not just about celebrating what’s been achieved, but also about making the case for sustained investment to take the West Midlands health tech cluster to the next level. This is a sector with the potential to transform healthcare, strengthen the economy and position the Midlands on the global stage.”
Image from left to right: Chitro Ghose, Coventry University, Magdalena Pacholsk – Coventry University , Luan
