Launch of Anglia Ruskin MedTech Campus

Press release issued: 22 May 2012



Earl Howe delivering his launch speech

Earl Howe delivering his launch speech

New partnership is predicted to create 12,500 jobs and boost sector by £1.2bn

A groundbreaking partnership to drive growth and innovation in the UK medical technology sector was officially launched at the House of Commons on Tuesday, 22 May.

The Anglia Ruskin MedTech Campus will provide one of the world's largest health innovation spaces for companies of all sizes - from start-ups and micro SMEs to large corporates - with the aim of establishing the UK as a global force in a sector worth £170 billion per year.

Specialising in near-market solutions for products and services, this cluster of expertise will be of enormous benefit to healthcare providers and commissioners, and the Anglia Ruskin MedTech Campus has already secured support from a number of key stakeholders in industry, local and central government and the NHS.

Parliamentary Under Secretary of State in the Department of Health Earl Howe, who formally launched the partnership at the House of Commons, said:

"We are committed to supporting a number of initiatives to drive forward medical innovation and the Anglia Ruskin MedTech Campus is one of these".

"Such developments will allow us to be world leaders in medical innovation and will provide a springboard for economic growth and development in the UK."

The project, which is a partnership between Chelmsford City Council, Harlow District Council, Southend-on-Sea Borough Council and Anglia Ruskin University, is predicted to grow the UK medical technology sector by £1.2bn and generate approximately 12,500 jobs.

Anglia Ruskin is the lead academic partner and key provider of business and innovation services. It will facilitate access to a range of relevant expertise, sector-dedicated research, specialist consultancy staff, and testing and clinical trials capabilities. The local authorities will use their land use, economic development and community well-being powers to engage the development industry and attract inward investment.

Three sites will be developed across Essex - in Chelmsford, Harlow and Southend-on-Sea - and 120 acres of land has already been identified to accommodate the 1.7 million square feet of floor space. A business network will act as a catalyst for innovation, supporting the commercial exploitation of ideas through a portfolio of services offered domestically and internationally.


(back row, left to right): Rob Tinlin (Southend-on-Sea Borough Council Chief Executive), Daniel Coole (Managing Director of Surgical Holdings), Lord Tomlinson (Chair of the Board of Governors at Anglia Ruskin University) and Tony Young (Consultant Urological Surgeon at Southend University Hospital and Director of Medical Innovation at Anglia Ruskin University) <br />(Front row, left to right): Steve Packham (Chelmsford City Council Chief Executive), Professor Michael Thorne (Anglia Ruskin University's Vice Chancellor), Earl Howe (Parliamentary Under Secretary of State in the Department of Health), Sir Duncan Nichol (Non-Executive Director of Synergy Health plc) and Malcolm Morley (Harlow District Council Chief Executive)

At the launch of the MedTech Campus at the House of Commons

Harlow Council Chief Executive, Malcolm Morley, said:

"Harlow is a centre of innovation and has recently gained Enterprise Zone status focusing on medical technology, advanced manufacturing and ICT. The Anglia Ruskin MedTech Campus is a great fit with the Enterprise Zone and the aspirations of the town, and it will leverage the town's comparative advantages."

Steve Packham, Chelmsford City Council's Chief Executive, said:

"Chelmsford has long been a centre for economic growth, further enhanced this year by the granting of city status. Our long-standing partnership arrangements with organisations throughout the area have led to our engagement and support of the Anglia Ruskin MedTech Campus; a project that presents an exciting and outstanding opportunity on a global scale."

Southend-on-Sea Borough Council Chief Executive, Rob Tinlin, said:

"We already enjoy an important medical technology cluster in the borough with global names such as Olympus Keymed located here, and the Anglia Ruskin MedTech Campus will create opportunities for innovators to exploit their potential, businesses to work together in a way they haven't before and for new health solutions to be developed improving quality of life for residents. Together this will create jobs and increase learning opportunities."

As well as delivering a major economic boost for the UK, and Essex in particular, the Anglia Ruskin MedTech Campus will lead to community and patient benefits through the adoption of improved health products and services.

Anglia Ruskin University is home to the Postgraduate Medical Institute - a research centre actively supported by 22 regional health and social care partners - and over 30,000 students, 8,000 of whom are studying subjects relevant to the medical technology sector.

Professor Michael Thorne, Anglia Ruskin's Vice Chancellor, said:

"Our vision for the Anglia Ruskin MedTech Campus is as a globally leading centre for medical innovation, building on our world-leading research in subjects allied to medicine and the solid partnerships we have built up over the years with the healthcare sector and with industry."

MedTech Campus Logo
Earl Howe added:

"The UK has a proud history of invention and innovation. The NHS is the largest and longest established national healthcare system in the world. In partnership with the UK's university base, it has been at the forefront of many advances in medical science in its 63 year history. However, translating these discoveries and innovations into globally successful products and services has too often been achieved abroad."

"With demands on healthcare systems increasing, now more than ever, adoption and widespread uptake of medical innovations across our healthcare system is critical to realising the benefits from the latest advances in medical technology and clinical practice. Innovation is the only way to delivering a sustainable healthcare system for future generations."

For more information on the MedTech campus, please view the MedTech brochure.
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