helping a trust promote innovation
the challenge:
Helping Southend University Hospitals Foundation Trust
develop an innovation framework to capture and promote innovation
within the trust and to enhance its links with academia.
our approach:
We initially worked with a committee of trust directors and
external advisers to determine the objectives and timeline for the
innovation framework, as well as ways to capture and demonstrate
quick results. We drafted the framework, attended the innovation
working group (which acted as a ‘dragons’ den’ to test the rigour
of the proposed framework) and subsequently drafted the governance
framework for an innovation company established by the trust to
take the medical products to market. We provided advice on the
private public interface, employees’ rights to intellectual
property rights, the company structure and its interface with the
board, and attended board meetings throughout.
the results:
The first products will go to market this year. The trust and
the company are in early negotiations with the academic sector in
relation to spin-offs of new medical products including sterile
scopes and inward investment of research grants.