HSC innovations provide an intellectual property and innovation management (also known as technology transfer) service for all Northern Ireland health and social care staff. The service was established to support the identification and development of new ideas arising from Northern Ireland’s Health and Social Care organisations. The service is currently funded by the HSC R&D Division.
HSC Innovations aim to ensure that ideas that have the potential to improve patient care or offer benefits to healthcare providers are developed, with a focus on ideas that can be protected by a patent and are commercially viable.
This service has been set up to provide Health and Social Care employees with support for the identification, assessment and development of new ideas and technologies and to ensure that intellectual property rights are protected and managed so that new products that provide benefits for patients can be developed. They also provide an interface for external organisations who wish to collaborate with health and social care employees/organisations in developing these ideas into products.
HSC Innovations is involved in many activities such as:
- IP and innovation awareness and training events
- Identification and assessment of new ideas and technologies
- Evaluation of the novelty, potential market and clinical benefits of an idea or technology
- Protection and management of IP assets
- Development and progression of strategies for the development of healthcare products and services
- Unmet clinical needs workshops
For more information please visit the HSC Innovations website.
