TrusTECH has signed a collaboration agreement with the Basque Country Technology Park Network, opening up opportunities for knowledge exchange and collaboration between the two science and innovation hubs.
The agreement was signed yesterday (February 19th) at TrusTECH’s base in Manchester Royal Infirmary during a visit by delegates from the Technology Park Network, a grouping of three technology parks from the Basque Country.
Welcoming the signing of the collaboration agreement, Keith Chantler, Executive Director at TrusTECH, said it was an indication of TrusTECH’s determination to ensure Manchester remained at the cutting edge in health innovation, driving improvements in patient care and supporting the region’s bio/health businesses.
“The NHS is looking at the Spanish healthcare system as a benchmark partner, examining elements of how their system works and if it would be beneficial to learn from some of their systems and processes,” he explained.
“TrusTECH working with the Basque Country Technology Park Network is a further extension of what the NHS is doing, opening up a pathway for both organisations to share best practice, exchange ideas and knowledge as well as work together on appropriate projects.
Established in 2002, TrusTECH works with NHS Trusts in Cheshire, Cumbria, Greater Manchester, Lancashire and Merseyside to help the NHS capture and communicate innovative ideas as well as acting as a point of contact between the NHS and industry, successfully building commercial relationships between both sectors.
Mr Chantler explained that the Basque Technology Park Network are currently developing stronger relationships in the Bilbao healthcare field and are interested in how TrusTECH acts as an interface between clinicians and business, supporting innovation in the hospital system.
"Manchester is of interest to international groupings such as the Basque Network because we are already leading the way in healthcare innovation,” he said.
“From TrusTECH’S point of view, the development of new international links and pathways for knowledge exchange help to ensure we remain at the forefront of innovative thinking in the healthcare system.”
Manchester and the Basque Country Technology Park Network struck up a friendship around seven years ago when business leaders from the Basque Country, beginning to develop ideas for a new strategic plan of the Network and candidature for the European division of IASP (International Association of Science Parks), began co-operation with Manchester Science Parks (msp).
It was through this continuing link with msp that TrusTECH came into contact with the Basque Country Technology Park Network and began to look at ways both organisations could work together for mutual benefit.
During their trip, the Technology Park Network took the opportunity to renew its friendship with msp, visiting the Science Park to see how it has developed in recent years and learn about msp’s role in the economy of the city region.
The Basque delegation also had a tour of the UMIC (University of Manchester Incubator Company) facilities on Grafton Street to learn about the successful operation of an incubator company.
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