Innovate UK announces partnership with the Health Innovation Network (HIN) South London to support UK innovators.
Mindset
Innovate UK’s £20 million Mindset programme is driving the growth of immersive digital mental health solutions in the UK. By funding projects that develop therapeutic interventions, Mindset is establishing a supportive ecosystem to facilitate the market entry of these innovations.
Through fostering collaboration between the immersive technology sector and mental health providers, Mindset aims to accelerate treatment by leveraging immersive digital therapies to offer faster and more accessible support for individuals with mental health concerns.
Innovate together
The partnership with HIN will see the creation of the XR Innovator Support Programme for UK innovators in advancing immersive digital mental health therapeutics. A suite of support will be on offer encompassing expert guidance for funding opportunity applicants and specialised support for both large-scale industrial research and smaller feasibility projects.
The programme will develop a knowledge-sharing community and see the initiation of transformative discussions through industry and health system roundtables.
The power of collaboration
The XR Innovator Support Programme will draw on the expertise of several organisations in mental health across the UK.
This collaboration enables UK-wide reach and combines complementary expertise in digital therapeutics, service user engagement, clinical research design, and regulation. These diverse skills are essential in tackling the challenges associated with integrating immersive technology into the healthcare system and society.
Unlocking innovations
Dr Stella Peace, Executive Director for the Healthy Living and Agriculture Domain at Innovate UK, said:
Fostering collaboration between the immersive technology sector and mental health providers is pivotal to driving innovation to address critical challenges in mental health care.
This programme, with its commitment to empowering innovators and providing robust support, will drive business growth by inspiring and unlocking innovations that make life better.
Dr Cynthia Bullock, Deputy Challenge Director for the UK Research and Innovation Healthy Ageing Challenge at Innovate UK, said:
Partnering with HIN will create a supportive ecosystem to allow immersive technology businesses to bring their mental health innovations to market to help more people access much needed treatment.
