WMHTIA extended as UK-wide Innovation Accelerator programme gets boosted by an additional £30m of public funding
The West Midlands Health Tech Innovation Accelerator (WMHTIA) – which is led by the University of Birmingham – is pleased to announce it will continue its support of Health Tech innovators following an additional funding of £4m for 2025/26.
Funding comes after a further £30m was spread equally across three UK regions participating in the pilot Innovation Accelerator programme that is focusing on locally-led innovation to drive economic growth and technological advancement.
The IA programme is led by Innovate UK on behalf of UK Research and Innovation and the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology. The WMHTIA is part of the West Midlands Combined Authority’s flagship Innovation Accelerator, which has secured an equal share of £10m to further support regional innovative businesses, researchers and entrepreneurs.
This additional funding builds on the £100 million already invested into the UK-wide pilot programme between 2022-25
The WMHTIA is pleased to continue supporting the regional Health Tech ecosystem following a successful launch which has already yielded significant economic and healthcare benefits:
- 110 jobs created or safeguarded in the West Midlands over three years
- 105 health tech companies/academic teams provided with intensive bespoke development support
- £2.48m awarded in secondary grant funding to support health tech development
- £28.4 million in co-investment secured at year one
- 269 health tech enterprises engaged in WMHTIA’s support network
- Development of strategic partnerships between the region’s academic partners, NHS trusts, and private industry
The WMHTIA partners remain committed to delivering impactful support to regional innovators.
Dean Cook, Executive Director of Place and Global at Innovate UK, said: “One of the objectives of the Innovator Accelerator programme is to connect local supply chains to national opportunities and challenges. Further investment in the West Midlands Health Tech Innovation Accelerator programme aims to accelerate the commercialisation of groundbreaking healthcare technologies, that will support our NHS.”
Professor Liam Grover, WMHTIA Lead and Head of School of Chemical Engineering at the University of Birmingham, said: “We are delighted with the additional funding, the first two years of the project have really shown the breadth and depth of the sector in the WMCA area and a third year will help us start to build a thriving cluster of activity.”
Dr Luan Linden-Phillips, WMHTIA Programme Manager, said: “We are thrilled to announce the continuation of this exciting programme for another year. The WMHTIA has made a real difference to West Midlands businesses, helping them drive their health technologies closer to market. The project is a testament to the power of collaborative working.”
Professor Marika Taylor, Pro Vice Chancellor and Head of College of Engineering and Physical Sciences at the University of Birmingham, said: “The WMHTIA is playing a pivotal role in supporting companies in bringing healthcare devices and innovations to the market. The additional funding will enable us to deepen the Accelerator’s impact on the region.”
Luke Southan, Director of SPARK The Midlands – established as part of Aston University’s WMHTIA partnership – said: “This extension is critical for ensuring that the know-how and capacity we have built up is not lost, and that we can continue to support some of the most exciting companies in our region, having already raised over £10m in follow-on funding.”
Junaid Arshad, Deputy Head of the College of Computing at Birmingham City University (BCU), said: “We are incredibly proud to be working closely with our WMHTIA partners during this extension. The initial phase of the programme has seen BCU engage with 20+ business with cutting edge healthcare solutions that have created jobs, new products and solutions.”
Thorsten Kampmann, Senior Advisor at the Manufacturing Technology Centre, said: “Supporting the WMHTIA with technical support and mentoring has already significantly accelerated the startup companies we worked with. Several new products were designed, new supply chains developed, and manufacturing solutions implemented. We look forward to continuing provisions of our services to the accelerator and the Health Tech community.”
If you are not a WMHTIA registered company, you can sign up to the WMHTIA Community and be amongst the first to hear about exclusive workshops, events, and future support opportunities within the WMHTIA.
For more information, visit www.wmhtia.com
Led by Innovate UK on behalf of UK Research and Innovation, the pilot Innovation Accelerators programme invested £100m in 26 transformative R&D projects between 2022-25 to accelerate the growth of three high-potential innovation ecosystems – Glasgow City Region, Greater Manchester and West Midlands. The programme was boosted by an additional £30m of public funding for 2025/26 spread equally across the regions. Innovation Accelerators is piloting a new model of R&D decision making that empowers local partnerships to harness innovation to drive regional economic growth, attract private investment, and develop future technologies.