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.
Like all successful organisations the Innovation Observatory is built on the collective effort of a multidisciplinary team. Each member of our internal team plays an important and necessary role in supporting the delivery of our shared vision.
We aim to transform health systems and improve population health by providing advanced data-driven insights that foster innovation and equitable access to high-quality care.
Our core values are the foundation of the work we do, guiding our research and how we work with our collaborators and stakeholders.
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.
When approaching the near horizon we see healthcare technologies that have already been launched or are undergoing regulatory and technology appraisal processes.
Engaging with a wide range of different audiences
We provide a gateway to collaboration, intelligence, and growth opportunities in healthcare and life sciences.
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.
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.
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.
Nurturing relationships within the Health & Life Sciences arena
We have a vast network across the sector both nationally and internationally and like to collaborate wherever possible, whether this is with new stakeholders, partner organisations or sharing our knowledge and expertise.
Ensuring that health care innovation of value can realise its full potential is not a task that we undertake alone. We work closely with a range of national stakeholders from the government, regulators, industry, patients, citizens, and the NHS.
The Innovation Observatory is the gateway to the NICE Technology Assessment (TA) Programme for industry, preventing delays in bringing new and repurposed medicines to the UK market through the early identification and tracking of new and repurposed medicines and health technologies.
We build national and international relationships with partners across the Health & Life Sciences Sector. We engage through speaking and attending high profile events and making valuable connections and introductions.
MedTech for All: Breaking Barriers to Equity in Healthcare Innovation
As MedTech continues to transform healthcare, there is an increasing need to explore how it can benefit everyone equitably, and who has a role to play at each stage of innovation.
NIHR Innovation Observatory brought together leading voices and experts from across the health and life sciences sector at the BMA House in London to discuss designing, developing, regulating, and deploying MedTech with inclusivity, ensuring innovations serve diverse populations rather than reinforcing existing disparities.
Ground Covered: Messages to Digest
Over the dynamic discussion and parallel group assignments, substantial ground was covered during the three-hour meeting. The summary notes may be distilled under five broad take-homes.
(In)equity in MedTech must be considered in the wider context of (in)equalities and system biases – from funding for innovation to policies about its adoption. A question was posed about who and at what points, holds power over equity and MedTech – who is around the table when key decisions about MedTech funding, design, testing, and deployment are made?
Advancing equity in MedTech requires greater diversity in the people and systems that are the foundation for innovation. A question was posed about what is being done to build more diverse participation in STEM across communities – to train the diversity of people needed to lead equitable innovation?
Friction is particularly noticeable at the interfaces. For example, when trying to match the existing NHS infrastructure with innovative technology, or when considering reimbursement and commissioning models in the context of the way the markers operate. A question was posed about how we can reduce the disparity between patient and population needs and the market offer?
Consider the economics, and how these may create challenges or opportunities for equity. A question was posed about how to make the economics of equity to work?
Looking at the wider universal view that places importance on embedding equity considerations in the product lifecycle and across research studies. Several questions were posed around implementing this, covering topics such as data, good quality patient involvement, funding, and ways to make more of new contexts and changing models of care to inform innovation.
Key Takeaways: Moving Forward
The discussions made it clear that achieving equity in MedTech requires sustained commitment and concrete action. There was consensus on the need for continuous dialogue, with concrete ideas for progress already under discussions.
The event reinforced a shared vision: MedTech has the potential to be a force for good for all, but only if it is designed, regulated, and deployed with equity at its core. The path forward demands collaboration, accountability, and a willingness to challenge existing norms to build a healthcare future that truly serves everyone.
Dr Andrew Mkwashi, MedTech Lead at the NIHR Innovation Observatory said:
“This event highlighted the urgent need to prioritise equity in MedTech. We must move beyond conversation to meaningful action, ensuring innovation reaches all communities fairly. The road ahead requires stronger collaboration, policy shifts, and a commitment to designing technologies that truly address diverse healthcare needs.”
Patience Kunonga, Equity Lead at the NIHR Innovation Observatory added:
“Equitable MedTech requires rethinking whose needs drive innovation. Too often, technologies are designed for the ‘average’ patient, overlooking the diverse realities of those most in need. True equity means shifting the focus, engaging underserved communities early, prioritising real-world usability, and ensuring solutions are adaptable to different social and healthcare contexts.”
Michael Crichton, Associate Professor in Biomedical Engineering at Heriot-Watt University concluded:
“Friday was a brilliant day of enthusiasm and collaboration to tackle systemic challenges in MedTech. Inclusivity is critical for fair and healthy societies, and this workshop shaped ideas on how to embed it across sectors. Being in a room with people committed to making medical technologies work for everyone was an immense privilege, leaving me optimistic about the future and how we turn these discussions into action.”
An AI-generated Podcast, using Google’s Notebook LM (Notebooklm.google)was shared as pre-event material. The Podcast used voice notes from five health and life-science leaders about their views on equity in MedTech, setting the scene ahead of the event. Our thanks to the contributors: Dr Andrew Mkwashi, Ms Patience Kunonga, Dr Michael Crichton, Prof Jane McDermott, and Prof Niina Kolehmainen together with Miss Noora Ryan (7yo). To listen to the podcast, please view below:
