Describe Understand and Define

Agor Innovation is driving the development of Wales’ innovation ecosystem, empowering business growth through leadership, learning and collaboration.

Agor Innovation acts as a ‘switchboard’ for all the University has to offer, signposting businesses to the expertise we can provide, bridging the gap between industry and academia.

• • Intellectual Property knowledge and support
  • Early-stage feasibility studies for new innovations
  • Personal and business growth opportunities through bespoke leadership development programmes, professional learning and the Help to Grow Management programme
  • Support to identify and apply for grant funding
  • Internships and Student Placements
  • An extensive network including SMEs, Higher Education Institutions, Health Boards and professional bodies
  • Identify, scope and develop innovation and skills partnerships across industry and academia
  • Access to academic expertise in a variety of areas including Science, Engineering, Business, Healthcare etc

Agor Innovation strives to support stakeholders from all sectors – industry, academia and the community – to build a thriving innovation ecosystem across Wales.

We work with key partners including the Royal Academy of Engineering, M-SParc, NHS Wales and national and international businesses and institutions, to drive the innovation agenda.

Agor Innovation is ready to work with you to identify and address your needs.

At the Academy for Health Equity, Prevention, and Wellbeing (AHEPW) our mission is to advance health equity and promote wellbeing in Wales and beyond. The academy is hosted by Bangor University, and we offer comprehensive postgraduate programmes (PGCert, PGDip, MSC, ProfDoc), individual courses, and flexible learning modules in Prevention, Population Health, and Leadership. We employ a mixture of online and in-person experiences to meet the needs of busy professionals. In addition, we provide free online workshops and consultancy services led by a team of experienced professionals and educators dedicated to empowering you to make a positive impact in health,wellbeing and leadership. As one of Welsh Government’s Intensive Learning Academies, we are acollaborative hub focused on enhancing skills, sharing knowledge, and turning research into real-world solutions. Our mission is to create a healthier, more equitable future!

Our Academy significantly contributes to the six stages of the Health and Social Care Innovation Framework; from defining health equity challenges and identifying solutions (stages 1 & 2), to developing and rigorously evaluating interventions (stages 3 & 4), and finally facilitating adoption and widespread implementation (stages 5 & 6). Through our research, community engagement, and knowledge translation we aim to ensure that the needs of all populations are met and that health equity can be achieved.

Swansea Bay University Health Board covers a population of around 390,000 in the Neath Port Talbot and Swansea areas. The Health Board employs approximately 12,500 staff. It has three major hospitals providing a range of services: Morriston and Singleton in Swansea, and Neath Port Talbot Hospital in Baglan, Port Talbot.

The Welsh Centre for Burns and Plastic Surgery covers south and mid Wales and the southwest of England. Morriston also delivers one of two cardiac surgery services in Wales. Other specialist services include cleft lip and palate, renal, fertility and bariatric (obesity). The self-funding, Joint Clinical Research Unit conducts commercial studies and collaborates closely with other centres in key health areas which include cardiovascular disease, diabetes and renal disease.

The National Strategic Clinical Networks are designed to drive change, improve outcomes, reduce variation, and improve the health and lives of people in Wales.

They are an important vehicle for realising the ambition set out in the National Clinical Framework and describe ‘what good looks like’ in each of their respective areas, as well as expectations for delivery across health for our population.

Working between operational service delivery in health boards and trusts and the formulation of policy and strategy in Welsh Government, each network has clinical leadership at its core. They draw directly on the expertise of clinicians working in front line service delivery in primary, community, secondary and tertiary care.

The networks use and contribute data and evidence, as well as engaging widely with the third sector, patient representatives, and industry.

• The Value-Based Health and Care (VBHC) Academy in the School of Management, Swansea University (part of the Welsh Government Intensive Learning Academy programme) provides education, research and consultancy in VBHC.  Our experienced international faculty of academics and practitioners work with innovative health, health policy, social care, third sector and global life sciences companies in Wales and across the World to accelerate the adoption and understanding of Value-Based Healthcare, innovative and value-based procurement and value-based supply.

Hywel Dda University Health Board provides healthcare for over 390,000 people in West Wales covering both Primary and Secondary care and has Clinical Research Centre facilities across the region. The Health Board’s positive research culture promotes collaboration between academics, clinicians and companies, ultimately improving services to its clinicians, partners and patients. The Board is home to a dedicated Research, Innovation and Value Based Healthcare department and the TriTech Institute and is part of “A Regional Collaboration for Health” (ARCH), a partnership with Swansea Bay University Health Board and Swansea University. ARCH is a unique collaboration project aimed at improving the health, wealth and wellbeing of southwest Wales.

Powys Teaching Health Board provides health services and improves health for 133,000 people living in Powys – a large rural county of 2000 square miles, approximately a quarter of the land mass of Wales. The very rural nature of Powys means that the majority of local services are provided locally, through GPs and other primary care services, community hospitals and community services.

Cardiff and Vale University Health Board is one of the largest NHS organisations in Wales. The Board employs approximately 14,500 staff and provides health services to a population of around 472,400 people living in Cardiff and the Vale of Glamorgan as well as serving a wider population across South and Mid Wales for a range of specialties. The Board supports a varied research agenda and work with industry partners on a range of diagnostic and prognostic developments and clinical trials. The medical physics and clinical engineering services, Rehabilitation Engineering Unit and CEDAR Health Technology Research Centre welcome opportunities for research and development collaborations in a variety of areas.

Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board provides a full range of primary, community, mental health and acute hospital services for a population of around 676,000 people across the six counties of North Wales (Anglesey, Gwynedd, Conwy, Denbighshire, Flintshire and Wrexham) as well as some parts of Mid Wales, Cheshire and

Shropshire. The Health Board has three acute hospitals. It provides industry and business partners with opportunities to work with mental health, acute, community and primary care services delivered by general practices, dentists, opticians and pharmacists.

• Accelerating the adoption of transformative technologies and practices.
• Enhancing patient outcomes while reducing system pressures.
• Collaborating across sectors to drive innovation in healthcare.
• Building a sustainable framework for innovation, research, and improvement.

We are a leading UK technology facility offering access to a wide range of facilities and comprehensive specialist technical expertise.

We offer access to a wide range of life sciences research facilities, supporting and enabling academic and industrial research across the life sciences industry.

Our research facilities focus on delivering support in:

• Cell analysis and imaging
• Genomics and bioinformatics
• Proteins and diagnostics

Our team of scientific and technological experts offer a comprehensive service including experimental design advice, sample preparation, data generation and data analysis.

Our ISO 9001:2015 accreditation demonstrates our strong and ongoing commitment to quality. Our GCLP accreditation demonstrates our excellence in supporting clinical trials.

We welcome customers from businesses and the research community.

Part of the NHS Wales family and a trusted partner, DHCW is taking forward the next generation of services needed to transform health and care delivery:

• Supporting frontline staff with modern systems and secure access to information about their patients, available wherever they want to work
• Delivering new digital solutions to support care for cancer patients, to help nurses, to modernise critical care units, to update hospital pharmacy, prescribing and community care
• Using data to provide insight and improve how health and care services are delivered and accessed by patients
• Helping Welsh people manage their own health and recovery from illness by putting health services in their pocket. Giving people access to their own digital health record and apps from any device making it easier to connect with health and care services
• Combatting cyber crime through a dedicated cyber resilience unit
• Using digital standards to allow for faster development and delivery of digital services
• Protecting valuable data assets by modernising data storage and adopting a ‘cloud-first’ policy

WHSSC (hosted by Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board) was established in 2010 by the seven Local Health Boards in Wales to ensure that the population of Wales has fair and equitable access to the full range of specialised services.

WHSSC are responsible for the joint planning of Specialised and Tertiary Services on behalf of Local Health Boards in Wales.

In establishing WHSSC to work on their behalf, the seven Local Health Boards (LHBs) recognised that the most efficient and effective way of planning these services was to work together to reduce duplication and ensure consistency.

Who we are

The SBRI Centre of Excellence, established in 2018 and funded by the Welsh Government, is hosted within Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board. Its purpose is to identify and address unmet needs in health and care across Wales. Our goal is to drive innovation within the public sector, ensuring that innovators focus on solving the challenges we face – essentially, we act as a bridge between innovation and the needs of the public sector.

What we do

We do this by working with Public Sector colleagues across Wales, offering support to frame those persistent problems for which there is no readily available solution, framing them as an open competition, and inviting specialists across industry, third sector and academia to propose their innovative ideas.

The best and brightest applicants will receive funding to collaborate with us (and the challenge owners) as a team, to develop a tailored solution, guided by the Centre’s Project Management Office which oversees aspects such as contracts, deliverables, governance, and safety. By the end of the process, the solution will be successfully developed, evaluated, and prepared for scaling, commercialisation, and wider adoption.

How we can help at stages of the Innovation Framework

• Describe, Understand & Define – we work with colleagues to help them define and scope out the challenges they face, through sensitive and confidential conversations and workshops. Rather than focus on the solution, we work with the problem and what a good outcome would achieve.
• Explore & Identify Solutions – whilst we don’t identify solutions, due diligence will be carried out to ensure that there are no ‘off the shelf’ solutions that might be a suitable path than SBRI. Once established that SBRI is the correct path, the Centre will launch the competition and invite innovative proposals.
• Develop Solutions – the best applications will be developed further; some challenges might be based on very early-stage feasibility, others will be pilots and demonstrators – this depends on the specific need, market, and timescale requirements of the challenge.
• Creating Evidence, & Proving Value – innovations are thoroughly evaluated in collaboration with colleagues; Phase 2 and 3 challenges will prototype and demonstrate solutions, capturing real-world evidence for evaluation and improvement.
• Adoption, Adaption & Deployment Readiness – solutions are tested and refined, creating ‘fit-for-purpose’ products and services that have been developed through a partnership between colleagues and supplier, preparing the conditions and culture for change.
• Spread & Scale – ongoing collaboration with health boards and the wider Innovation Ecosystem across Wales ensures key stakeholder support and engagement, whilst the facilitation of multi-site trials contributes to the adoption and scaling of innovations.

Based at Swansea University’s School of Management, the IHSC Academy develops programmes to support senior and aspiring leaders in driving innovation within health and social care. Through practical approaches, these programmes help organisations enhance systems, processes, and technologies to improve outcomes.

The IHSC can support NHS Wales staff at all stages of the innovation framework, offering several scholarships part funded by the Welsh Government to professional learners from across Wales. Content from our courses has been made available to assist with your journey through the pathway, including lecture videos, interviews, tool summaries, and infographics.

Fostering Innovation in Healthcare Through Collaborative Learning and Research

Healthcare systems worldwide face increasing pressures from rising costs, aging populations, and complex patient needs. To address these challenges, the All-Wales Intensive Learning Academy for Innovation in Health and Social Care at Swansea University is developing new models of collaborative learning and research. Led byDr. Daniel Rees and Dr. Roderick Thomas, the Academy works with healthcare providers, industry partners, and academic institutions to drive healthcare innovation.

Addressing Healthcare Challenges Through Innovation

Healthcare demand continues to outpace available resources, making traditional spending increases unsustainable. The Academy focuses onInnovation Management, aiming to maximize patient outcomes relative to costs. This approach reorients healthcare systems to compete on delivering better patient care rather than just controlling costs. Supported by the Welsh Government, the Academy fosters transformation through learning, research, and consultancy.

Developing Skills for Healthcare Research and Innovation

Since its 2021 launch, the Academy has developed postgraduate programmes, including MSc, Postgraduate Diplomas, and Certificates in Advanced Health and Care Innovation, Complex Systems Management, and Healthcare Technology. These flexible, blended-learning courses cater to working professionals and are accredited byCMI, FMLM, and CPD. The Academy has successfully trained 885 students (2021-2024), with many securing promotions or leadership roles. Applied learning is central, with work-based projects replacing traditional dissertations, allowing professionals to apply insights directly to industry challenges.

Research and Engagement for Real-World Impact

The Academy emphasises applied research, securing over £2 million in funding (Welsh Government, UK Government, MOD, Innovate UK, ESRC & EPSRC) and supporting 60+ industry-led projects. Notable initiatives include  PhD research scholarships, where professionals conduct doctoral studies on healthcare challenges. Research has directly influenced the Welsh Government’s Innovation Strategy, showcasing the Academy’s role in bridging academia, industry, and policy. Current research topics range from clinical burnout and compassionate leadership to stroke severity prediction and cancer care innovation.

Building an Innovation Ecosystem

Beyond education and research, the Academy fosters collaboration across healthcare, social care, and industry. Initiatives such ashackathons, leadership development programmes, and knowledge transfer partnerships strengthen the innovation landscape. Collaborations with Swansea University’s iLab and Agor Innovation further connect academic research with industry applications. One example is the Partnership Development Programme, an 18-month initiative designed for clinical and executive leaders within Welsh health boards.

Health and Care Research Wales is a networked organisation, supported by Welsh Government, which brings together a wide range of partners across the NHS in Wales, local authorities, universities, research institutions, third sector and others.

We work in close partnership with other government agencies and research funders (both in Wales and across the UK); industry partners; patients; service users; public and other stakeholders.

We work together to promote research into diseases, treatments, services and outcomes that can lead to discoveries and innovations which can improve and even save people’s lives.

Public Health Wales is the national public health agency in Wales. They work to protect and improve health and wellbeing and reduce health inequalities for the people of Wales.

Public Health Wales collects and analyses health data to identify key health issues and trends and works with Universities to conduct research into public health.

The Bevan Commission is Wales’ leading health and care think tank, hosted and supported by Swansea University. The Commission was originally established in 2008 by Professor Sir Mansel Aylward to provide independent advice and consensus on health and care-related matters to the Welsh Government. Honouring the legacy of Aneurin Bevan, we work to ensure that people in Wales have access to high quality, affordable and sustainable health and care services.

The Bevan Commission is made up of 24 internationally renowned Bevan Commissioners; health and care experts drawn from a variety of disciplines including industry, NHS, local government, armed forces, academia and the third sector.

For the past 16 years we have worked with frontline staff, senior leadership, members of the public, academia and industry to produce cutting-edge research and support groundbreaking innovation that has helped raised the quality and international reputation of Wales’ health and care system.

Through its flagship innovation programmes; the Bevan Exemplars; Bevan Fellows; and the Adopt, Spread and Embed Programme; the Commission supports health and care innovation in Wales by working alongside health and care professionals to try out, test, spread and embed innovative approaches to the delivering care.

How the Bevan Commission Supports the Innovation Framework:

Describe, Understand, and Define:

Through its role as the leading think tank for health and social care in Wales, the Bevan Commission, plays a role in describing, understanding and defining challenges and opportunities facing health and care services in Wales.

Develop Solutions:

Through its suite of innovation programmes, the Bevan Commission supports health and care professionals from across Wales to develop and refine new products, processes, services and delivery models in real-world settings.

Creating Evidence and Proving Value:

Through its suite of innovation programmes, the Bevan Commission provides a structured 12-month programme of guidance for health and social care professions, supporting them to try out, test and evaluate new ways of working to determine impact, feasibility, and scalability.

Adoption, Adaptation, and Deployment Readiness:

Through its Adopt, Spread and Embed Programme, the Bevan Commission advocates for and provides a structured programme of support for health and care innovators across Wales to prepare for and drive the wider adoption and adaptation of their evidence-based innovations.

Spread and Scale:

Through its Adopt, Spread and Embed Programme, the Bevan Commission also provides a structured programme of support for health and care innovators across Wales to drive the wider spread and scale of evidence-based innovations.

We are the forefront of innovation in unplanned clinical care. We provide thousands of patients a year with advice, support and signposting to the right services through our “hear and treat” services. This includes NHS Direct Wales and the 111 service (in the Swansea Bay, Powys, Hywel Dda and Aneurin Bevan areas); and our Clinical Desk. We take hundreds of thousands of patients to a place of care, or home, every year through our Non-Emergency Patient Transport Service (NEPTS).

The TriTech Institute’s mission is to research, develop and evaluate health and well-being innovations on a local, national, and global scale. The TriTech Institute offers a single point of access to Health & Social Care in Wales with academic experts, a regional clinical NHS testbed, and an agile and efficient approach.

Collaborating with the life science sector and various Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) across Wales and the UK, the team of clinical scientists, researchers, engineers, data scientists, nurses, pharmacists and doctors conducts research and real-world evaluations on healthcare innovations. The team is composed of individuals holding dual NHS/HEI honorary contracts and encompasses a variety of backgrounds including NHS, HEI and industry.

Describe, Understand, and Define

Support 

The TriTech Institute employs a structured approach to drive healthcare innovation. This methodology begins with Describing the unmet needs and challenges within the healthcare system, ensuring a clear understanding of the context and requirements. Next, the institute focuses on Understanding these needs through comprehensive research and stakeholder engagement, which includes gathering insights from patients, healthcare professionals, and industry experts. Finally, the Define phase involves outlining precise solutions and strategies to address the identified needs, ensuring that innovations are both practical and impactful. This approach ensures that the TriTech Institute’s initiatives are well-informed, targeted, and capable of making a significant difference in healthcare delivery

Training  Quality Management

Resources  Clinical scientists, researchers, engineers, data scientists, nurses, pharmacists and doctors

Find out more  Testimonials – TriTech Institute

Explore and Identify Solutions

Support 

1.Horizon scanning, Demand signalling

2.Regulatory support & Quality Management

3.Pilot studies, clinical trials, clinical investigations or initial testing of an innovation.

4.Research – this involves organisations commissioning clinical investigations and trials to ensure the effectiveness and safety of their innovations

5.Real World Evaluation – this will involve organisations commissioning evaluative research to understand the wider impact of their health and well-being innovations; clinical pathway models, Med-Tech, Digital / AI and services, as part of routine care.

Training  Quality Management & RWE

Resources  Clinical scientists, researchers, engineers, data scientists, nurses, pharmacists and doctors

Find out more  Our Institute – TriTech Institute

Develop Solutions

Support 

Regulatory support & Quality Management

Pilot studies, clinical trials, clinical investigations or initial testing of an innovation.

Research – this involves organisations commissioning clinical investigations and trials to ensure the effectiveness and safety of their innovations

Real World Evaluation – this will involve organisations commissioning evaluative research to understand the wider impact of their health and well-being innovations; clinical pathway models, Med-Tech, Digital / AI and services, as part of routine care.

Training  Quality Management

Resources Clinical scientists, researchers, engineers, data scientists, nurses, pharmacists and doctors

Find out more  Our Partners – TriTech Institute

Creating evidence & Proving Value

Support

Real World Evaluation – this will involve organisations commissioning evaluative research to understand the wider impact of their health and well-being innovations; clinical pathway models, Med-Tech, Digital / AI and services, as part of routine care. Such evaluative research provides the opportunity to assess, for example, service and staff user experiences of the innovations including patient reported outcomes and experience, health economic analysis and the costs associated with their introduction, useability design and whether operational and service improvements will result.

Training  Quality Management

Resources  Clinical scientists, researchers, engineers, data scientists, nurses, pharmacists and doctors

Find out more Live Projects – TriTech Institute

Adoption, Adaption & Deployment Readiness

Support 

TriTech systematically evaluates the readiness of new innovations for clinical implementation. This involves assessing various factors such as regulatory compliance, financial viability, and the potential impact on patient outcomes and staff experiences. The goal is to ensure that innovations are not only effective but also seamlessly integrated into existing healthcare systems. This comprehensive evaluation process helps to maximize the benefits of new technologies while minimizing risks, ultimately leading to improved patient care and operational efficiency

Training   Quality Management

Resources. Clinical scientists, researchers, engineers, data scientists, nurses, pharmacists and doctors

Find out more.  Live Projects – TriTech Institute

Spread & Scale

Support

Our approach to spread and scale involves a multidisciplinary strategy that combines clinical and scientific expertise with academic research and industry partnerships. By focusing on Value-Based healthcare, TriTech aims to ensure that innovations are not only developed but also effectively implemented and evaluated in real-world settings. This comprehensive approach helps to improve patient outcomes and promote healthier lives on a larger scale

Training  Quality Management   

Resources  Clinical scientists, researchers, engineers, data scientists, nurses, pharmacists and doctors

Find out more Case Studies – TriTech Institute

As the independent life science network for Wales, MediWales brings together industry, academia and the clinical community to support the advancement of human life science in Wales and create collaborations and business opportunities for its members, while also celebrating their success and promoting the strengths of the sector within Wales. With that, MediWales supports global trade development, improves access to vital clinical expertise and engages with government to align support with sector needs.

MediWales creates collaboration through publications and popular programme of events that focus on strategic issues for the life science industry, including regulatory updates, market access, finance and funding, clinical unmet needs, international trade and a range of special interest groups.

How MediWales Supports the Innovation Framework

Describe, Understand and Define – MediWales delivers events and supports the creation of partnerships to build the right teams and expertise to fully understand an opportunity.

Explore and Identify Solutions – The MediWales team has deep knowledge and a wide range of contacts in healthcare, industry and research to support market assessment and horizon scanning and to identify solutions.

Adoption, Adaption and Development and Development Readiness – MediWales works closely with health and social care innovation leads to support the adoption of innovative solutions to address health and care priorities.

CEDAR (Centre for Healthcare Evaluation, Device Assessment and Research) produces evidence to support decision-making in healthcare, producing comprehensive reports on the clinical, cost-effectiveness, regulatory and safety aspects of emerging health technologies, healthcare interventions and NHS service reconfiguration. Cedar provides services to the Welsh Value in Health Centre (WViHC), National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), Welsh Health Specialised Services Committee (WHSSC), and Welsh Government. They work closely with industry, academia, and health professionals to initiate and run evidence reviews, research studies and evaluation.

CEDAR undertakes evidence reviews on a variety of topics. These can be in-depth systematic reviews or rapid evidence gathering projects. CEDAR staff are trained in systematic review methodologies including literature searching, critical appraisal, evidence synthesis and meta-analysis. CEDAR has an established partnership with the Specialist Unit for Review Evidence (SURE) at Cardiff University. CEDAR is contracted by National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) to carry out evidence reviews on medical technologies and by the Welsh Health Specialised Services Committee (WHSSC) to provide rapid reviews to support their commissioning policies. They also carry out stand-alone evidence reviews for a variety of customers and project types.

The University of South Wales (USW) has a proud history of working in partnership with industry, businesses, and communities to create real-world impact. With campuses in Cardiff, Newport, and Pontypridd, USW offers a distinctive portfolio of industry-informed courses, co-designed with employers to ensure graduates have the skills, knowledge, and experience to thrive. As Wales’s leading widening participation university, USW is committed to addressing social inequalities, supporting students from all backgrounds to achieve their potential, and contributing to the economic, social, and cultural prosperity of our region and beyond. Through innovation, collaboration, and a shared sense of purpose, USW is helping to build better futures for students, partners, and communities.

In line with this commitment to innovation and collaboration, the USW Health and Wellbeing Accelerator leverages decades of experience and deep expertise in health, care, and education, combined with robust connections across the Welsh healthcare ecosystem, to drive meaningful innovation in health and wellbeing. This expertise directly addresses pressing health issues, including healthy ageing, population health promotion, and improved care quality for vulnerable groups.

In collaboration with faculties and professional services across the University, the Accelerator fosters user-led training, innovative curricula, and bespoke solutions tailored to organisational and business challenges.

For more information on the USW Health and Wellbeing Accelerator, visit: Health and Wellbeing Accelerator – University of South Wales

The University of South Wales’ Intensive Learning Academy (ILA) for Leading Digital Transformation is a pioneering initiative designed to develop and support leaders across health and social care in Wales in driving digital transformation. Aligned with Welsh Government’s Digital and Data Strategy for Health and Social Care in Wales, the ILA provides training, development, and knowledge exchange opportunities to equip professionals with the skills needed to innovate, improve services, and introduce digital efficiencies.

Since its launch, the ILA has delivered learning and collaboration activities to over 4,500 health and social care professionals, with over 100 students enrolled in the MSc Leading Digital Transformation. Participants have implemented digital solutions that enhance operational efficiency, streamline procurement, and reduce patient referral times—resulting in an estimated £6.7 million in cost savings for NHS Wales.

Beyond Wales, the ILA fosters international knowledge exchange through its Change Management Podcast, which has attracted over 100,000 listeners worldwide. This growing community of innovators ensures the continued evolution of digital solutions in health and social care.

For more information on the ILA’s work, visit: Intensive Learning Academy – University of South Wales

The Role of the ILA in the Innovation Framework

The Intensive Learning Academy for Leading Digital Transformation (LDT ILA) was established to meet an expressed need from Welsh Government for a new offer to address the perceived gap in the effective leadership of digital transformation efforts across the health and wellbeing sector in Wales.

The ILA has made significant progress in the four years of operation and we believe we have a unique and important offer within the wider innovation ecosystem in Wales and draws representation from a wide number of partner organisations and stakeholders to ensure our outputs remain user centred.

The emerging importance of digital innovation within the Health and Wellbeing System in Wales has been highlighted in multiple key strategic documents. A Healthier Wales (2019) set out a broad ambition for the NHS in Wales to become an exemplar in the use of digital and data in the provision of health and care and in improving population health. The establishment of Digital Health and Care Wales with a new system leadership role for digital development has created a new momentum in Wales. The Health and Care Workforce Strategy developed jointly by Health Education and Improvement Wales and Social Care Wales has two strategic themes explicitly devoted to digital capability in the workforce and the development of a stronger approach to leadership and succession, both by 2030 (Themes 4 and 6).The Welsh Governments Digital Strategy and Innovation Strategy both emphasise the importance of leadership in the digital domain as central to the improvement of health and wellbeing in Wales in parallel with wider developments across the economy and society more generally.

A common theme emerging from the strategic discourse is the gap in digital skills amongst managers and leaders within our health and care system alongside the limited capability across our system to bring about transformational change using digital technology. The importance of addressing this issue was highlighted by the Covid 19 pandemic. At this time our health and care system was forced to adopt innovative digital platforms at speed to facilitate ongoing access to health and care and the management of the system when face to face working was compromised. Tangible progress has been made toward the strategic goal of a digital first model of delivery but there is more to do.

We believe the ILA has a unique role to play within the innovation and leadership development systems in response to these pressures. Our core offer is a suite of leadership programmes and activities centred around supporting managers and leaders across all levels of the system to gain the technical knowledge and skills they need and the leadership and change management skills required to deliver transformational change.

Innovations delivered by the ILA so far have produced an evidenced cost efficiency saving of £6.7m with in NHS Wales and Social Care.

Additional Resources to Enhance the Website:
We can contribute a range of resources, including:

• Case studies on digital transformation in NHS Wales
• Video recordings of keynote sessions from ILA conferences
• Links to the Change Management Podcast and other learning resources

Three strategic partners—Swansea University, Hywel Dda University Health Board, and Swansea Bay University Health Board—have formed a unique partnership known as the Regional Collaboration for Health (ARCH). It includes Swansea, Ceredigion, Pembrokeshire, Carmarthenshire, and Neath Port Talbot local authority regions.

Demand and Capacity Modelling, Health Needs Assessment, Workshops/Events, Process Mapping, Data Gathering, Goal/Objective Setting, Scope setting, Inviting challenges / challenge led, Understand the clinical model THE WELSH HEALTH HACK

Public Services Boards (PSBs) improve joint working across all public services in each local authority area in Wales.

Wellbeing assessments, meet responsibilities of the Future Generations Act

Who we are

Life Sciences Hub Wales connects innovative companies with NHS and healthcare providers to drive meaningful health and economic impact. By supporting the adoption of cutting-edge solutions, we help transform healthcare in Wales and beyond.

We work closely with frontline health and social care teams to identify critical challenges and match them with high-impact innovations. Our tailored approach, backed by deep expertise, ensures real-world benefits for patients and healthcare providers alike.

What we do

We provide expert support to accelerate the adoption of innovation in health and social care. Our services include:

• Partnership Development – Connecting organisations with innovators, industry events, and collaboration opportunities.
• Project Management – Supporting innovation from setup to large-scale implementation.
• Business Case Development – Helping create strong, evidence-based business cases for clinical adoption.
• Adoption-Ready Proposals – Tailored implementation plans based on structured assessments.
• Market Reporting & Rapid Scans – Insights on innovation landscapes, regulatory pathways, and health economics.
• Innovation Assessments – Evaluating market readiness and offering strategic feedback.
• Funding Advice – Identifying investment opportunities and supporting bid development.
• Showcasing Innovation – Publishing case studies, industry news, and guest blogs to amplify impact.

How we help

Partnership Development

We connect organisations with the right innovators to accelerate adoption. Whether through strategic partnerships, industry networking, or expert-led roundtables, we facilitate collaboration that drives real change.

Business Case Development

We support innovation projects with data-driven business cases aligned with the Five-Case Model, ensuring robust and evidence-based decision-making for clinical adoption.

Adoption-Ready Proposals

Our structured innovation assessments ensure proposals are tailored for successful adoption, including evaluation reviews, implementation plans, and ongoing support.

Market Reporting & Rapid Scans

Our sector intelligence team provides market insights, regulatory guidance, and health economic analysis to help organisations navigate the innovation landscape.

Project Management

We support the full innovation lifecycle, from pilot testing to large-scale rollout. Our team ensures effective change management and connects organisations with the most suitable innovation partners.

To find out more about our support services, visit: Innovation support | Life Sciences

Showcasing Health and Social Care Innovation in Wales

We provide a platform for partners to share best practices and amplify their work.

• Submit a Case Study – Click here to submit a case study
• Submit a News Story – Click here to submit a news story
• Promote an Event – Email us at hello@lshubwales.com
• Write a Guest Blog – Send us your idea at hello@lshubwales.com

Resources & Insights

We provide key resources to support health and social care innovation, helping organisations access funding, networks, and expert insights.

• Funding Database – Access the latest funding opportunities.
• Organisational Directory – Find innovation ecosystem partners in Wales.
• Innovation Projects – Stay updated on collaborative projects happening across Wales.
• Training & Development – Discover health and social care innovation training providers.
• Industry Newsletters – Stay informed with the latest sector updates.

Explore resources – Visit our website

The Healthcare Technology Centre (HTC) is a specialist research and development organisation based at Swansea University. The HTC provides a structural link between academic institutions, industrial partners and healthcare providers and supports technological developments and cutting-edge solutions to healthcare challenges to enhance healthcare outcomes. It has primarily supported projects concerning healthcare informatics, digital health solutions, and the creation of medical equipment. Additionally, it also houses a dedicated team of researchers who specialise in evaluating healthcare innovations across Wales.

The Wales School for Social Prescribing Research (WSSPR) is funded by Welsh Government through Health and Care Research Wales and sits within PRIME Centre Wales. It aims to improve the health and wellbeing of society through social prescribing research and evaluation.

Scoping Reviews, Data Gathering, Framework Development

PRIME Centre Wales is a research centre focusing on primary and emergency care, funded by Health and Care Research Wales in order to develop and coordinate research proposals and support researchers. It is an all-Wales centre co-led by Cardiff University, Bangor University, University of South Wales, and Swansea University.

PRIME works across the 6 stages, with a particular focus on stages 2-4.

PRIME Centre Wales benefits the NHS and the people of Wales by providing a strong academic and evidence base to underpin primary and emergency care.

Our collaborative work between leading academics, individuals, communities, and organisations is essential in co-producing large-scale high-quality research with impact.

This underpins improvements to primary and emergency services, bringing innovative services closer to communities, empowering patients and families in their care, making services more integrated and person-centred, and ensuring that the population of Wales receives the greatest benefit from the health and social care resources available by adopting an equitable and value-based healthcare approach.

PRIME’s unique multi-disciplinary collaboration is a single research community across Wales researching primary and emergency care in Wales to achieve important benefits to our group, the NHS, Welsh Government, and the people of Wales, through:

1. Creating a centre of excellence in primary and emergency care, crucial for attracting prestige research funding into Wales and providing a strong academic base for primary and emergency care
2. Delivering high-quality research that addresses increasingly complex challenges encountered in primary and emergency care
3. Adopting an integrated whole-systems approach to improve services, working at the critical interface between primary, emergency, and social care
4. Ensuring clear “pathways to impact” plans are developed and implemented to maximise public and patient benefit from our research, including a high level of engagement, research co-production, and knowledge exchange with all our stakeholders

Building capacity for primary and emergency care research in Wales, including the development of research methods, skills, patients, and members of the public and the workforce. This will include the development of new principal investigators and support for clinicians in becoming research leaders. This will ensure that we can continue to have a strong academic base for primary and emergency care services in Wales in the future.

The NIHR is funded by the Department of Health and Social Care to improve the health and wealth of the nation through research. Working in partnership with the NHS, universities, local government, other research funders, patients and the public – we fund, enable and deliver world-leading health and social care research that improves people’s health and wellbeing and promotes economic growth.

Regional Partnership Boards have been established as part of the Social Services and Well Being Act to improve the well-being of the populations and improve how health and care services are delivered. Each regional collaboration in Wales oversees strategic methods to deliver integrated health and social care services, bringing together health boards, local authorities, and the third sector to fulfil the care and requirements of people in their area. All RPB’s must produce a regional population assessment and a regional are plan and report.

Health Technology Wales (HTW) is a national body working to improve the quality of care in Wales. They collaborate with partners across health, social care and the technology sectors to ensure an all-Wales approach. They are funded by Welsh Government and hosted within NHS Wales, but independent of both. Their remit covers any health technology that isn’t a medicine, such as medical devices, surgical procedures, psychological therapies, tele-monitoring or rehabilitation. HTW is dedicated to ensuring that innovative new technologies are implemented across Wales in a safe, effective and cost-effective way. They aim to foster the creation and uptake of health technologies across Wales that they deem advantageous to patients, medical practitioners, and the healthcare system as a whole. This is primarily achieved through horizon scanning, evidence syntheses and the methodical review and evaluation of health technologies in terms of their safety, efficacy, and cost-effectiveness, further to the creation of user guidelines and education and training in collaboration with universities and research facilities.

How HTW addresses different areas of the framework:

• Explore & identify solutions

We aim to identify non-medicine technologies and solutions that could improve outcomes for the people of Wales. We actively seek topic suggestions from health and care professionals or providers, but anyone can suggest a topic for us to consider through the form on our website. If a suggested topic is within our remit, we will then explore whether there is enough available evidence to do an appraisal and whether the topic meets our appraisal selection criteria. These considerations are outlined in a Topic Exploration Report (TER), which is published on our website. Our Assessment Group then use the TER alongside other considerations to decide whether to progress the topic to a full appraisal and guidance.

• Creating evidence and proving value

We assess the potential value of a technology by undertaking an evidence appraisal. This involves reviewing, synthesising and critically appraising the evidence on the effectiveness and cost effectiveness of a health technology compared to standard care. Each assessment is documented in an Evidence Appraisal Report (EAR). The draft EAR is reviewed by topic experts (including technology manufacturers) and the Health Technology Wales Assessment Group and Appraisal Panel before finalising. The EAR is used by our Appraisal Panel to inform evidence-based Guidance on the use of the technology in Wales. For technologies that are not yet ready for appraisal, HTW offers a scientific advice service. This service aims to help companies and technology developers to clearly articulate their technology’s value proposition and build the evidence base required to demonstrate any value claims made.

• Adoption, adaption and deployment readiness

Health Technology Wales aims to increase the adoption of health technologies which have been proven to offer value to the people of Wales. Our Appraisal Panel makes evidence-based Guidance on the use of health technologies in Wales. Our Guidance is not mandatory, but there is an expectation from Welsh Government that it is adopted by relevant health and care organisations in Wales. We regularly monitor the adoption of guidance through our annual adoption audits. Each health board and other relevant bodies are expected to report on how they have considered our appraisal and guidance. Our guidance has ‘adopt or justify’ status and therefore, if an organisation has chosen not to adopt our Guidance, then they are asked to outline their rationale and justify their decision.

Making a positive difference to social care in Wales. Our focus is on well-being, with a vision of wanting every person who needs support to live the life that matters to them. We aim to achieve this by building confidence in the workforce and leading and supporting improvement in social care. To do this, we work with people who use care and support and a broad range of organisations. Our work means we: set standards for the care and support workforce, making them accountable for their work, develop the workforce so they have the knowledge and skills to protect, empower and support those who need help, work with others to improve services for areas agreed as a national priority

Find out more about how we can help at each stage of the Innovation Framework by clicking the links below:

• Describe, Understand and Define: ‘innovation coaches’ Innovation coaching – Social Care Wales – Research, Data & Innovation
• Creating Evidence and Proving Value:
  ‘evaluation support’ Evaluation support – Social Care Wales – Research, Data & Innovation
  ‘evidence summaries’ Evidence summaries – Social Care Wales – Research, Data & Innovation
  ‘get support for your research’ Get support for your research – Social Care Wales – Research, Data & Innovation
• Adoption, Adaption & Deployment Readiness:
  ‘innovation coaches’ Innovation coaching – Social Care Wales – Research, Data & Innovation
• ‘digital innovation offer ’ Understand your digital potential | Social Care Wales
• Spread and Scale: : ‘project finder’ Project finder – Social Care Wales – Research, Data & Innovation