Medilink North of England and 3M Business Innovation Centre (3M BIC) have agreed a strategic partnership to accelerate innovation, commercialisation and market adoption for health and medical technologies across Yorkshire and the North.
The collaboration brings together the 3M BIC and its sister site, the Health Business Innovation Centre (HBIC), combining their advanced facilities, expertise and integrated design and prototyping capabilities with Medilink’s regulatory, market‑access and commercial knowledge, creating a clear front‑door for companies into the NHS, investors and international markets.
Henry Rigg, Chief Executive Officer of the 3M BIC, said: “At a time when Huddersfield and West Yorkshire are rapidly emerging as a hub for health innovation, this collaboration will strengthen our growing ecosystem. It will connect ideas, expertise and infrastructure to accelerate innovation, provide commercial opportunities and support companies in reaching the NHS and international markets. We’re excited to kick off this collaboration and unlock valuable benefits for our members.”
Tom Elliott, Chief Executive Officer of Medilink North of England, said he was pleased to have established a strategic partnership between two organisations with strong experience in supporting business growth and innovation. He noted that the high-quality facilities at the 3M BIC and HBIC provide valuable opportunities for both Medilink and its members to maximise growth within Huddersfield’s dynamic environment. He also welcomed the chance to enhance support through specialist consultancy services and events developed through the partnership, benefiting all members.
The partnership will support companies at every stage of development, offering access to advanced prototyping and testing technologies, including additive manufacturing, microscopy, XCT and precision metrology, alongside Medilink’s expertise in regulatory and commercial strategy and market access. It will also enhance funding success through bid sprint support and provide tailored soft landing services to help organisations establish and scale within the region.
Some of the objectives and principles in the partnership include:
Shared Mission: To enable regional healthtech SMEs and scale‑ups to innovate, connect and grow through access to facilities, expertise, and routes to market.
Best‑practice Governance: Through relationship managers, a quarterly steering group, and simple KPIs (engagements, referrals, conversions to projects, funding secured, jobs supported).
Medilink North of England, is a professional membership association and specialist consultancy for the life sciences sector, part of Medilink UK, it helps businesses to innovate and prosper by improving sector connectivity and identifying opportunities, as well as helping organisations to grow by providing cost-effective consultancy support to become more competitive and profitable.
Together, the 3M Buckley Innovation Centre (3M BIC), with its strong track record in supporting business growth and innovation, and the Health Business Innovation Centre (HBIC) provide a dynamic environment in Huddersfield – offering flexible workspace, laboratories, specialist facilities for product development and access to academic, clinical and industry expertise.
Based on the University of Huddersfield’s National Health Innovation Campus in its Emily Siddon building, the newly opened HBIC supports health and life sciences organisations to develop, test and scale innovations, and forms part of the Huddersfield Health Innovation Incubator funded by the West Yorkshire Investment Zone.
