What we do

Preparing Health and Care for What's Next

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.

Turning Emerging Innovations into Actionable Insight

At the Innovation Observatory, we identify, monitor and assess emerging healthcare innovations with the potential to transform health and care.

Using horizon scanning, we provide early, evidence-informed insight that helps policymakers, healthcare organisations, researchers and industry anticipate change, plan for the future and make informed decisions.

Our Approach

  • Identify: We monitor global innovation pipelines to detect emerging medicines, medical devices, diagnostics, digital health technologies and other developments before they become widely adopted.
  • Assess: We analyse evidence, evaluate potential impact and identify the innovations most likely to shape the future of health and care.
  • Inform: We translate complex evidence into trusted insights that support strategic planning, policy development and future decision-making.

Explore how we Work

What is Horizon Scanning?

Identifying today's emerging innovations to prepare for tomorrow's healthcare challenges

Our Technical Infrastructure

Building a connected, scalable infrastructure for the next generation of healthcare horizon scanning

Our Programmes

Our four horizon scanning programmes span from Priority, Reactive, Proactive, and Demand Signalling. Find out more about how they all work together.

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