A world leading Horizon Scanning Facility

The NIHR Innovation Observatory is a world leading health and care innovation scanning centre, providing data-driven insights to foster innovation and equitable access to high-quality care.

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£22 million NIHR investment to strengthen UK health and life sciences innovation

NIHR Innovation Observatory at Newcastle University has been awarded £22M by the National Institute for Health and Care Research to continue research identifying emerging medicines, diagnostics, devices and digital technologies.

Full announcement here

Resources

Latest Dashboards

Live Dashboards

Advanced Therapy Medicinal Products

September 2023

Live Dashboards

Repurposed Medicines Dashboard

December 2022

Live Dashboards

Biosimilar medicines monitored by the NIHR Innovation Observatory

December 2022

What we do

What is Horizon Scanning?

Horizon scanning is a method that systematically searches for and analyses signs of important developments to help us plan for the future.
In healthcare, these developments can include new medicines, medical devices, diagnostics, digital health tools and other types of interventions.
The intelligence and insights provided by horizon scanning allow decision makers to anticipate changes in healthcare so that they can respond to challenges and opportunities.

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Explore our Horizons

We look for new health and care innovations, and support system-level readiness, across three horizons.

Emerging horizon

In this horizon we see an emerging innovation where ideas originate and evolve to become future technologies.

Transitional horizon

The transitional horizon is where we see healthcare technologies move from early clinical trials phases to pre-regulatory stages.

Imminent horizon

When approaching the near horizon we see healthcare technologies that have already been launched or are undergoing regulatory and technology appraisal processes.

Events

Upcoming Events

29 Sep

NIHR Innovation Observatory Showcase | London

29 Sep 2026 at 12:30pm - 4:30pm

30 Euston Square, London

14 Oct

NIHR Innovation Observatory Showcase | Newcastle upon Tyne

14 Oct 2026 at 12:30pm - 4:30pm

The Catalyst, Newcastle Upon Tyne

Engage

Engaging with a wide range of different audiences

We provide a gateway to collaboration, intelligence, and growth opportunities in healthcare and life sciences. By working with industry, public and patient and sharing our expertise and knowledge through capacity building we have developed strong relationships with these different audiences.

Industry

Industry engagement is a key strand of NIHR Innovation Observatory’s work. Our research, publications, data and insights are crucial for both large corporations and small businesses.

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Public Involvement

Public involvement in research is a valuable way of making sure that the views of people from different backgrounds and with varied experiences help shape the work we do, even if you’ve had no interest in science research before.

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Capacity Building

We invest in people and support them in realising their full potential. Through nurturing and encouraging career development, we grow future national and international leaders across quantitative and qualitative methods.

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