A new centre has already brought 160 researchers together, won £50 million in new research income, and pushed nine products to market in its first year. This Innovation and Knowledge Centre for Regenerative Therapies and Devices (IKC RTD) tackles a specific bottleneck: promising lab discoveries in tissue regeneration often stall before reaching patients because there is no reliable pathway to turn them into affordable, manufacturable products. The centre builds a structured innovation pipeline—with stage gates, clear criteria, and industry partnerships—to accelerate that journey. If the model succeeds, it could create a new business sector within healthcare technology. Regenerative therapies that repair damaged tissues—rather than just managing symptoms—would transform treatment for conditions such as arthritis, burns, and organ failure. The centre also addresses the quiet infrastructure that makes this possible: supply chains, regulatory pathways, and intellectual property strategies that keep the sector running. The centre has already engaged 26 companies in collaborative projects and built a network of over 80 firms. Its sustainability model aims to keep this platform running long after initial funding ends, turning a one-off research push into a permanent engine for innovation.
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The Innovation and Knowledge Centre in Regenerative Therapies and Devices will provide a sustainable platform to address the creation of new technologies in Regenerative Therapies and Devices. It will promote their accelerated adoption, with increased reliability, within a complex global marketplace with increasing cost constraints. Therapies and devices which facilitate the regeneration of body tissues offer the potential to revolutionise healthcare and be a catalyst for economic growth, creating a new business sector within healthcare technology. The IKC RTD will build upon the culture and research landscape of the University and its partners (industry, NHS and intermediaries/users) through the development of new innovation infrastructure and practices which deliver major clinical, health and industry outcomes.In the first year of operation the IKC has:1. Recruited and established a core innovation team to manage and grow the activities of the IKC.2. Established academic supply chain, new centre with 160 researchers.3. Won 50m new research income, funding over 120 research projects.4. Defined a new strategic framework for innovation.5. Established an innovation pipeline with stage gates and criteria for progression.6. Defined and developed the IP portfolio through definition of the unique capabilities.7. Established a pipeline of 63 collaborative innovation projects.8. Engaged with 26 different companies in collaborative innovation projects.9. Established a wider network of 80 plus companies.10. Contributed to nine new products that have reached the market.11. Defined a model for sustainability of IKC RTD.12. Received significant national and global recognition through political visits and extensive media coverage for research and innovation.
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