Inspires: a global health tech revolution
National Centre for Child Health Technology
Sheffield Children’s NHS Foundation Trust has been at the forefront of child health for 150 years, with leading clinicians and researchers in everything from pathology, orthopaedics and respiratory care to specialisms in sleep and rare diseases.
But what's really changing the game on a global level, is the fact that Sheffield's Olympic Legacy Park will be the location of the National Centre for Child Health Technology (NCCHT), which will radically transform healthcare delivery in the future.
Bringing together world leading experts from across academia, healthcare, industry and technology, the NCCHT will act as a beacon of excellence for the NHS in developing new healthcare technologies with and for children and young people.
Just as we were (and still are) a trailblazer in industry and modern manufacturing, shaping how the world makes products, Sheffield is now also doing the same in the world of health tech especially for young people.
An introduction to the Child Health Tech sector in Sheffield
Professor Paul Dimitri has been the driving force behind the creation of the first ever National Centre for Child Health Technology.
In this video (from 2022) he explains some of the reasons why Sheffield is such an inspiration to the world in this area, along with the background that has taken the centre from idea to reality.
Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
One of the largest and busiest NHS Teaching Trusts in the UK, caring for over 2 million patients every year across their 5 hospitals. If that's not enough, they also continue to be at the forefront of many medical advancements which are adopted across the UK and internationally.
Last year, Sheffield Teaching Hospitals were chosen to host a new Government-funded national HealthTech Research Centre Network, which will support the development of technologies and innovations to support care for conditions including cancer, mental health, neurodegeneration and dementia, ageing, respiratory disease and cardiovascular conditions.
This network will identify and influence national health technology priorities to advance technological healthcare innovation across the UK.
NIHR HealthTech Research Centre in Paediatrics and Child Health
The National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) funds and enables world-leading research, that improves people's health and wellbeing, and promotes economic growth.
The NIHR HealthTech Research Centre in Paediatrics and Child Health here in Sheffield, is one of the 14 HealthTech Research Centres (HRCs) established nationally, that have been awarded almost £42 million in funding.
The NIHR HRC in Paediatrics and Child Health is hosted by Sheffield Children’s NHS Foundation Trust and is the only HRC dedicated to children and young people.
Child Health Technology Conference
Established in 2021, the Child Health Technology Conference is dedicated to exploring the intersection of technology and child health, bringing together world-leading experts from from academia, healthcare, and industry.
The conference serves as a dynamic platform for sharing knowledge, exchanging ideas, and fostering innovation. Over previous events, they have welcomed over 600 attendees from more than 33 countries, as they build a global child health technology community.
The 2025 edition of the event takes place 11 - 12 June, once again led by passionate Sheffield Conference Ambassador, Professor Paul Dimitri.
The wider health tech picture from the Sheffield region
The UK and the US are driving the growth of the global health tech sector, with a KPMG report for HM Government stating that the UK Health Tech economy was worth £34 billion in 2022, employing 150,000 people.
Just like many other leading cities and regions in this field, Sheffield is full of research projects, initiatives and trials to keep advancing how technology is used in healthcare - for children and adults alike.
This work is picked up on at a global level, and inspires the development of further solutions in a virtuous cycle of continual progress.
Here's a selection of projects happening in Sheffield and the wider region which are putting the city on the map...
Sheffield Children’s NHS Foundation Trust projects
KidsUp Accelerator
12 ambitious tech companies took part in the KidsUp Accelerator to improve children’s healthcare, refine their innovative products alongside young people, and promote them to the NHS and global healthcare market. The accelerator was funded by SYMCA and SCC and led by UpVentures, Par Equity and Sheffield Children’s.
NHS led projects
University of Sheffield led projects
Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre
The AMRC is at the centre of what makes Sheffield the capital of modern manufacturing, but it also helps drive our expertise in health tech. While research, trials and work with patients is ongoing in the city, this world-leading facility has the capabilities to develop the prototype solutions and manufacture products at pace.
Gene Therapy Innovation and Manufacturing Centre (GTIMC)
Accelerating the development of gene therapies into life-changing treatments for patients, GTIMC has been formed as part of a national network of Innovation Hubs for Gene Therapies. The Sheffield Innovation Hub will dramatically broaden the scope of gene therapy research in the UK, bringing together partners from the North of England, the Midlands and Wales.
Insigneo Institute
Driving innovative research at the interface of healthcare, engineering and science to transform health, The Insigneo Institute is a collaboration between the University of Sheffield, Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Sheffield Children's NHS Foundation Trust and Doncaster and Bassetlaw Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. Established in 2012, the institute has built a strong multidisciplinary network of over 400 academics, researchers and clinicians.
Advanced Wellbeing Research Centre (AWRC)
Sheffield Hallam University's AWRC is a world leading centre for physical activity research and innovation, located at the Sheffield Olympic Legacy Park.
They employ a unique model of co-location and collaboration, to address global challenges relating to physical activity and human movement.
Sheffield Hallam University led projects
Advanced Wellbeing Research Centre (AWRC)
The AWRC is all about global challenges relating to physical activity and human movement. It is a world leading centre located at the heart of the Sheffield Olympic Legacy Park, and attracts companies from all around the world in accelerator programmes. They have a unique model of co-location and collaboration, bringing researchers from multiple academic disciplines together with professional services staff, industry, local communities, local authorities, charities and the health and technology sectors.
Sheffield Multimodal Imaging Centre
SMIC is an environment where researchers thrive, businesses and healthcare providers are supported, and collaborations can grow. A facility at the forefront of multi-modal imaging science, these are innovative solutions to end-user driven technological and knowledge gaps, specifically for businesses in health, advanced manufacturing and forensic science so they can test, innovate and enhance their products and their operational workflows.
Advanced Food Innovation Centre (AFIC)
The AFIC is committed to problem-led, collaborative research, innovation, and knowledge exchange, delivering impactful solutions for sustainable and healthier food systems around the world. Located at Sheffield Olympic Legacy Park, AFIC’s mission is to enable healthier lives through preventative health, and drive future economies.
Multi-partner projects
National Centre for Sport and Exercise Medicine
A partnership between 12 organisations from across the health and care system representing all elements of civic life in the city, the NCSEM is focused on the design, implementation and evaluation of whole-system approaches to the promotion of physical activity.
South Yorkshire Digital Health Hub
Led by the University of Sheffield, this multi-partner project aims to drive the development of innovative digital technologies to improve the way diseases are treated and diagnosed. It will produce cutting-edge research, using data from smartphones, wearables, new sensors, and combining it with NHS data and artificial intelligence to develop new clinical tools.
The NIHR Sheffield Biomedical Research Centre (BRC)
Part of the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) and hosted by Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust in partnership with The University of Sheffield, this centre is dedicated to improving the treatment and care of people with long-term health conditions.
Move More Sheffield
Move More is the physical activity strategy for Sheffield, with the vision of creating a healthier, happier, and more connected city by bringing people together with a shared purpose.
They are re-engineering physical activity back into daily life through meaningful changes to the physical and social environment and work internationally on programmes to develop interventions for cities around the world.
South Yorkshire Children and Young People's Health Research (SCYPHeR)
SCYPHeR aims to build collaboration between institutions across South Yorkshire and embed high-quality research and practice in the region.
By strengthening connections between child health researchers at the University of Sheffield, Sheffield Hallam University, and Sheffield Children’s Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, they are integrating expertise from across the institutions and developing a strategic, joined-up approach to working together.
Companies to watch
Exciting Instruments
STEPS Prosthetics
SleepCogni
Sheffield Innovation Spine
From the above, you can see there is a wealth of talent and ideas flowing out of our city and into the world, inspiring all sorts of changes in global and social attitudes to health.
However, one aspect the city has lacked, is the capacity for scaling up - but that is also changing now, as another multi-partner funded initiative is underway.
The Sheffield Innovation Spine is an identified area within the city centre that seeks to secure investment to adapt and transform existing spaces into bigger and better facilities.
This means that the incredibly close and cross-pollinating sectors of health and tech can stay in Sheffield as they grow. This will help develop better job creation and economic value for the city, plus less disruption for the companies solving these vital challenges.
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The capital of modern manufacturing
The Advanced Manufacturing Innovation District (AMID) spans the border of Sheffield and neighbouring town of Rotherham, and was the first of it's kind in the UK. This 2,000 acre, already decade-old cluster of inventiveness, alongside the world-leading heavy industry and engineering expertise still present in the city, inspires and powers the future of a £200 billion sector in the UK alone.
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