Health Innovation West Midlands (HIWM) has partnered up with Birmingham City University in a five year Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to deliver important research, innovation, and support knowledge exchange across the West Midlands. This agreement combines HIWM’s leadership in health innovation and BCU’s academic rigour to improve patient outcomes and support the NHS’s transformation agenda.

The agreement will allow HIWM and BCU to design and deliver joint research projects together, especially within BCU’s School of Nursery and Midwifery. The partnership will also engage with enterprise hubs such as STEAMhouse and the Institute of Innovation and Knowledge Exchange (IKE) to accelerate innovation and commercialisation.

Chief officer at Health Innovation West Midlands, Tim Jones, said: “This partnership reflects our shared ambition to place innovation at the heart of health and care transformation. By combining our strengths, we can accelerate the development and adoption of solutions that make a real difference to patients and communities.”

Professor Ian Blair, BUC’s pro vice-chancellor academic, said: “The University is committed to shaping a healthier future for the region and building on the strong relationship that already exists with Health Innovation West Midlands (HIWM).

“The MoU presents us with a unique opportunity to embed academic excellence into the heart of healthcare innovation and empower our staff and students to co-create solutions with real societal impact, which is fundamental to our 2030 Strategy.”