King’s new Institute aims to revolutionise healthcare
This new institute will bring together three key pillars, King’s healthcare engineering researchers, clinical excellence across King’s Health Partners’ and the medical technology (MedTech) industry at a single location, with the aim of ensuring that the latest technology and discoveries are translated swiftly and effectively in patient care.
Students will also have a unique opportunity to be able to develop innovative products under the tutelage of King’s healthcare engineering researchers. This enhances King’s joint research programmes for developing innovative healthcare technologies, accelerating translational research to improve patient care and drive economic growth.
This new space is important for our students and staff, enabling an ecosystem for working closely with industry and helping to foster entrepreneurship. As well as being of benefit to King’s students and staff, this will also ensure that research is translated rapidly into new novel medical technologies that will benefit patients.
– Professor Shitij Kapur, President & Principal of King’s
In 2019, King’s College London was awarded £16m from Research England to help enable the development of the institute.
This initiative will also support many of King’s educational programmes including a recently launched Masters programme in MedTech Innovation & Entrepreneurship jointly organised by the King’s Business School and BMEIS. All students will have a unique opportunity to be taught by healthcare engineering specialists in classroom spaces within the building and be equipped with the knowledge to create their own companies.
SK and Seb
A feature of the Institute will be a new LIHE Accelerator which will have capacity to host over 50 new companies (including start-ups and spin-outs). In partnership with the King’s Entrepreneurship Institute, companies across the UK working in the MedTech industry will be able to rent space in the building and utilise the local ecosystem fostering an environment that enables close partnership and connection across King’s.
Professor Sebastien Ourselin, Head of School of Biomedical Engineering & Imaging Sciences (BMEIS) said: “This project is the first of its kind in the UK, aiming to create a seamless pipeline of medical technologies from bench to bedside to boardroom, accelerating the impact of our UK MedTech start-ups. This initiative will further strengthen our partnership with Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Trust and other KHP Trusts, as well as our close relationship with leading medtech companies to drive future research & development programmes.”
Professor Richard Trembath, Senior Vice President (Health & Life Sciences) and Executive Director of King’s Health Partners, said: “This is a fabulous and impactful opportunity for King’s College London and King’s Health Partners; by bringing world-class researchers and clinicians together with industry partners, we can accelerate development of innovative and life-changing technology for patients and transform patient care.”