The two organisations have signed a UK-first RDI (Research, Development and Innovation) collaboration agreement that will streamline the collaboration process on mutually beneficial research and innovation projects in four main areas: cardiovascular, neuroscience, medical surgery and diabetes.
Building on the already successful relationships the Trust has with other industry partners; this partnership will accelerate the development of medtech solutions for unmet clinical needs that could ultimately benefit patients and healthcare providers globally.
Dr Katherine Boylan, Deputy Managing Director of Research and Innovation (Innovation) at MFT, said: “We are delighted to sign this partnership agreement which highlights our existing strong commercial relationship with Medtronic, allowing us to capitalise on opportunities to work together. Medtronic’s standing as one of the largest, most innovative healthtech companies in the world aligns perfectly with the innovation ambitions of MFT.
“This collaboration provides a huge opportunity to pioneer breakthroughs in healthcare and accelerate our joint projects to design and deliver innovative research that will really make a difference in the NHS, to benefit people in Greater Manchester and beyond.”
The partnership will be supported by MFT’s Clinical Data Science Unit which safely and efficiently transforms anonymised clinical data for public and professional benefit, using a state-of-the-art Trusted Research Environment. This data will support the development of new innovations ensuring the NHS is fit for the future.
The partnership will also provide opportunities for MFT’s existing hosted infrastructure, including the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) HealthTech Research Centre (HRC) in Emergency and Acute Care, with the strategic focus to utilise new technology to meet the big 3 shifts from the NHS 10 Year Plan, including hospital to community and analogue to digital, by increasing remote patient monitoring and community-based care complimented by Medtronic’s product portfolio.
Dr. Matthew Williams-Gray, Senior Director of UK & Ireland at Medtronic, said: “We are thrilled to strengthen our longstanding partnership with MFT through this groundbreaking RDI collaboration agreement.
“This partnership aligns perfectly with Medtronic’s commitment to pioneering innovative health technology solutions that address unmet clinical needs. By co-developing novel solutions in cardiovascular, neuroscience, medical surgery, and diabetes, we aim to accelerate the transformation of healthcare and improve patient outcomes. Together, we are poised to make a significant impact on the NHS.”
The new agreement between MFT and Medtronic will build on the two organisation’s existing partnership which has been delivering improved care and better clinical outcomes for patients over the past decade through the piloting of medical technology solutions in hospitals operated by the trust, including ‘TriageHP Plus’, a remote heart monitoring pathway which has proven to dramatically reduce the number of hospitalisations due to heart failure.
In October 2024, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) recommended NHS use of the pathway for heart failure patients with cardiac implantable electronic devices (such as pacemakers).
The announcement follows the launch of the new life sciences prospectus from Manchester’s Inward Investment Agency (MIDAS) and the Oxford Road Corridor.
The prospectus highlights Manchester’s position within the UK’s £120 billion growing life sciences market and the leading role the city-region can play in the future of life sciences.
The city-region stands at the forefront of the government’s ambition to establish the UK as a global life sciences superpower, positioning Manchester as the UK’s key growth opportunity for life sciences investment and innovation.
