TechTalk Autumn 2026 is also available as a text-only version below.

TechTalk Autumn 2026 (text only)

Message from Tom

The nights are drawing in and we remain as busy as ever. Our second open call ran very smoothly and there is no shortage of industry partners and groups developing new innovations.

Amy and Jonathan have put together an excellent two-day digital health conference in November, building on the success of last year’s event. Although grant funding remains a huge challenge for us all, we have another batch of NIHR i4i PDA applications nearing completion and the expression of interest application for the new Strategic Infrastructure Partnership call.

We are supporting two new applications to the HRA, REC and MHRA for first-in-human clinical investigations. The scale and complexity of the detailed work involved in preparing these applications should not be underestimated.

I have managed to escape pumpkin carving and trick-or-treating for many years, but my granddaughter now wants a pumpkin carved in the shape of a Disney princess and a witch’s hat complete with red LEDs! I suspect my years of avoiding Halloween duties are over for the foreseeable future…

Prof Tom Clutton-Brock

News and activities

Could the ear replace the fingertip for oxygen monitoring?

We are collaborating with EarSwitch Ltd to explore whether innovative ear-based technology could help improve the accuracy of blood oxygen measurements across different skin tones.

The study was recently featured on the BBC: read more about the impact of this work on the BBC website.

Find out more about this work on the UHB website as part of the research stories collection.

Supporting safer surgery with real-time blood pressure decision support

Our long-standing collaboration with Directed Systems Ltd was recently showcased by the HRC Network in recognition of World Anaesthesia Day. Discover how the technology aims to support anaesthetists during surgery to improve patient outcomes.

Read the case study on LinkedIn.

Welcome to the team Carlos and Marie!

We are pleased to welcome the newest members of our team, Carlos and Marie. Carlos is our new Project Research Co-ordinator and Marie is our new Public Involvement Officer, and they are looking forward to supporting our research and activities.

Find out more about their roles and expertise.

New HealthTech Public Advisers

The HealthTech Public Advisory Group (HT PAG) has welcomed two new advisers, Farheen Yameen and Shaun Bowden. The PAG draw on their lived experiences of health and care to provide valuable feedback and insights on new health technologies.

Meet our HealthTech Public Advisers.

Building expertise in diagnostic evidence generation

Carlos attended Diagnostic Evidence Workshops in Oxford from 5-7 October, exploring how diagnostic technologies are evaluated, evidenced and adopted in healthcare. Topics included study design, diagnostic accuracy, health economics and cost-effectiveness, providing valuable insights to support evidence generation across our research projects.

Read more about Carlos’s experience and key takeaways.

Coming soon: Call for collaborative project proposals

Our next call for collaborative project proposals will be announced next month on our website and LinkedIn. Innovators who are interested in working with us to submit a collaborative project proposal to the next open call.

Follow our LinkedIn page for the latest updates.

Supporting skills and talent in health innovation

Conor shared his career journey and advice for anyone considering a career in MedTech as part of the West Midlands Health Tech Cluster Skills Hub.

Watch the interview with the WMHTC on YouTube.

Get involved

Last chance: Participate in a clinical study

We are looking for our final cohort of healthy adult volunteers to participate in a clinical study involving a new blood oxygen measuring device that is placed inside the ear.

If you are interested in the study, more information about who is eligible and what is involved in taking part is available on our website using the link below.

Find out more about participating in the study

Upcoming events

Understanding Innovation in NHS Supply Chain

The Health Innovation Team are hosting monthly webinars for first time innovators (1-25 employees) to provide guidance on the NHS Supply Chain.

Last Thursday of every month

Find out more and register for the webinars

From Concept to Care: Expert Navigation through Digital Health Innovation Conference

We are hosting a deep dive into digital health technologies in Birmingham. The event is currently at capacity but if you are interested in attending, please join the waitlist and we will contact you if a space becomes available.

5 November 2026

Join the waitlist

Robotics adoption programme: Meet the hubs and skills projects

Join Innovate UK for the launch of the new Robotics Adoption Programme, part of the UKRI IS8 Advanced Manufacturing programme, bringing together the Hub teams, skills development projects and organisations from across the UK robotics ecosystem.

19 November 2026

Express your interest

Funding opportunities

• NIHR i4i Product Development Awards
  • 2 December 2026 at 1:00 pm
  • More information on the NIHR website
• UKRI Translation: MRC Impact Acceleration Awards
  • 11 November 2026 4:00pm
  • More information on the UKRI Funding Finder
• Innovate UK – Frontier AI: SME Champions, Phase 1
  • 11 November 2026 11:00am
  • More information on the Innovation Funding Service
• UKRI Translation: MRC Proof of Concept: stage one
  • 18 November 2026 4:00pm
  • More information on the UKRI Funding Finder
• NIHR Better Methods Better Research: The use of synthetic data in health and social care research
  • 1 December 2026 at 1:00 pm
  • More information on the NIHR website
• NIHR Public Health Research: Using ‘big data’ to impact health and health inequalities
  • 8 December 2026 at 1:00 pm
  • More information on the NIHR website

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