Yorkshire’s status as a rising health tech powerhouse will be in the spotlight this May, as leaders from across government, business and academia come together for a high-profile event exploring how the region is shaping the future of healthcare innovation.
Taking place at the historic Old Medical School in Leeds on Wednesday 21 May 2025, Powering Yorkshire’s Health Tech Revolution is being hosted by ourselves and Savills, in partnership with Estates Gazette, and forms part of the official fringe programme for the UK Real Estate Investment & Infrastructure Forum (UKREiiF).
The breakfast panel will bring together senior voices from across Yorkshire to discuss how flagship developments – including the Old Medical School and Sheffield Olympic Legacy Park – are positioning the region as a national and international hub for health and life sciences.
The event will also spotlight the strength of Yorkshire’s growing innovation ecosystem and the importance of the “triple helix” model – where universities, industry and the public sector come together to unlock investment, accelerate innovation and deliver real-world healthcare improvements.
As part of the session, speakers will also explore some of the most pressing challenges and opportunities shaping the region’s health tech future – from unlocking lab space and retaining STEM talent, to scaling NHS-ready solutions and protecting homegrown IP from being lost to international buyers.
Dame Linda Pollard, Chair of Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, will open the event and join the panel discussion. She commented:
“What better place to share and discuss the brilliant work taking place in Yorkshire Health Tech than at the Old Medical School at Leeds General Infirmary? Together with Scarborough Group International we are creating a health tech innovation hub that helps clinicians, researchers and entrepreneurs turn the latest scientific advances into successful new products and services that can improve health outcomes and drive economic growth. We are at the forefront of innovation here in Leeds and I’m looking forward to a really interesting and stimulating event.”
Other confirmed speakers for the panel include:
The session will be chaired by Evelina Grecenko, Senior Life Sciences Reporter at Estates Gazette.
Following the discussion, attendees will be invited on a short, guided tour of the Old Medical School – offering a first-hand look at the site ahead of its transformation into a regional hub for innovation.
SGI, one of the event’s lead organisers, is working closely with Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust on plans to transform the Old Medical School into a dedicated health tech innovation hub – part of the city’s wider £2 billion Innovation Arc.
In South Yorkshire, SGI is also partnering with Legacy Park Ltd to expand Sheffield Olympic Legacy Park, delivering new commercial space and infrastructure to support innovation in sport, health and wellbeing.
Deb Hetherington, from SGI, said:
“Successful innovation isn’t just about real estate – it’s about people, relationships and purpose. What we’re building here is a connected, open ecosystem where great ideas can thrive. We want to create the conditions where a start-up can sit next to a global healthcare player, and both benefit.”
This event comes at a time of real momentum for the region’s health tech sector. Just last week, it was confirmed that Health Innovation Yorkshire & Humber will lead the new West Yorkshire Healthtech Accelerator – a £4.5 million initiative backed by the West Yorkshire Mayor’s Investment Zone. Over the next four years, the programme will support up to 240 businesses, expanding the successful Propel@YH model to help innovators scale into the NHS, attract investment and accelerate the adoption of new technologies across health and care.
With places limited and strong interest already building, early registration is highly recommended.
