The Innovation Observatory is funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) and hosted by Newcastle University. Established in 2017, we bring together expertise in research, data science and health innovation to identify and assess emerging healthcare innovations, helping health and care organisations prepare for the future.
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Like all successful organisations the Innovation Observatory is built on the collective effort of a multidisciplinary team.
We help the health and care ecosystem anticipate and prepare for the future.
Our governance arrangements ensure that priorities, resources and delivery are aligned to the needs of the health and care system while maintaining appropriate assurance and public accountability.
The NIHR Innovation Observatory identifies emerging innovations across the global healthcare landscape and transforms them into trusted intelligence that helps organisations anticipate change, make informed decisions and prepare for the future.
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Identifying today's emerging innovations to prepare for tomorrow's healthcare challenges
Building a connected, scalable infrastructure for the next generation of healthcare horizon scanning
Our four horizon scanning programmes span from Priority, Reactive, Proactive, and Demand Signalling. Find out more about how they all work together.
We are committed to building capability across the health and care system by developing skills, supporting careers and creating opportunities to learn, collaborate and grow.
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We develop and share cutting edge methods in horizon scanning, building capacity in the system across the public, voluntary and industry sectors.
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.
Connecting the wider community with opportunities to learn, collaborate and develop through fellowships, immersion events, placements and external programmes.
We provide a gateway to collaboration, intelligence, and growth opportunities in healthcare and life sciences.
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Connecting with stakeholders across health and care to share knowledge, build relationships and support the effective use of our work.
Embedding lived experience into our work to ensure our approaches and outputs reflect the needs of patients and the public.
Live Dashboards
April 2024
Live Dashboards
September 2023
Live Dashboards
December 2022
Date
08 Apr 2025
Time
9:00am - 12:00pm
Location
Hybrid at The Catalyst
Join us on Tuesday 8th April 2025, at 09:00 AM at The Catalyst for a morning of insightful discussions and networking opportunities. At this exciting event, we’ll dive into the world of digital health tech and explore new cutting edge digital health technologies that are solving unmet needs in the Health and Life Sciences sector.
Don’t miss out on this fantastic opportunity!
This event is funded by NIHR and free to attend. Attendance is available either online or in -person at The Catalyst in Newcastle. It is open to nationwide small and medium sized businesses operating in the health and life sciences sector.
Register for Event
14 Oct 2026 at 12:30pm - 4:30pm
The Catalyst, Newcastle upon Tyne