Introducing the Innovation Agency
Meet our Chief Executive Dr Liz Mear and some of the teams in the Innovation Agency
We are the Academic Health Science Network (AHSN)
for the North West Coast
About the Innovation Agency
We are the Academic Health Science Network for the North West Coast, one of England’s 15 AHSNs and part of the AHSN Network which collectively acts as the innovation arm of the NHS.
We are unique. We understand the needs of our health systems and are well placed to broker innovative solutions, while collaborating across England to take what works best and quickly spread it nationally.
Our region covers Cheshire, Merseyside, Lancashire and South Cumbria, with around 4.1 million residents. We work with two system partnerships, NHS providers, CCGs, universities and a large number of life science companies and small to medium size businesses, as well as networks of voluntary, community, faith and social enterprise organisations.
We have offices in Daresbury, Liverpool and Preston and our teams collaborate to deliver transformations and improvements in healthcare. We also deliver support to small and medium-sized businesses whose healthcare products have the potential to achieve improvements. This is largely delivered through ERDF and Office for Life Sciences funding.
Our work is overseen by a Board of partners who help to shape our plans, provide insight into the needs of the region and act as our ambassadors for innovation.
Nationally, we are commissioned by NHS England and NHS Improvement and the Office for Life Sciences and we work closely with the AHSN Network.
Our goals
Our business plan focusses on three goals, which are the result of consultation with our partners and key stakeholders about the needs of our region matched with our capabilities and complementing other organisations.
Increase the spread and adoption of innovation through collaboration
Develop cultures that promote equity and allow innovation to thrive
Stimulate economic growth and create jobs in the health and life sciences sector
We connect
We are the only organisations that connect regional networks of partners across all sectors: NHS, academia, local authorities, the third sector, businesses and the public - responding to the diverse needs of our patients and populations through partnership and collaboration
