Leeds Beckett University (LBU) is set to open a Sport Health Tech Incubator, using cutting-edge research to help tackle health inequalities, spark innovation, and drive business growth in the region’s health tech sector.
Backed by a £1.1m investment from the West Yorkshire Combined Authority (WYCA) through the West Yorkshire Investment Zone, the new Incubator will be based within the Carnegie School of Sport at the university’s Headingley Campus. It will see the transformation of the ground floor of the historic Fairfax Hall into a research-informed hub for entrepreneurs, start-ups and growing businesses.
The Incubator will provide access to world-leading academic expertise, collaborative innovation programmes, and state-of-the-art sport science and health technology facilities. It will focus on developing technologies that promote physical activity, improve health and fitness, and help prevent complex conditions such as obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease.
Professor Peter Slee, vice chancellor of Leeds Beckett University, said: “Our new Sport Health Tech Incubator aims to address health inequalities and improve quality of life. Our research strengths at LBU align deeply with these priorities and are rooted in community collaboration.
“As an anchor institution, we are proud to apply our world-leading research to contribute to sustainable growth in our region, and the new Incubator will provide a unique platform to attract regional, national and international investment into West Yorkshire.”
Pete Mackreth, dean of the Carnegie School of Sport at LBU, said: “The creation of a physical Sport Health Tech Incubator will stimulate further collaborations between industry, academia and healthcare providers to drive innovation and change.
“The Incubator aims to enhance the existing health innovation ecosystem in Leeds and support the city’s position as a leader in health and life sciences. Technologies developed in the Incubator will focus on areas including the improvement of sport performance and athlete wellbeing, the promotion of physical activity, and the prevention of complex diseases, such as obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease.”
Tracy Brabin, mayor of West Yorkshire, said: “The first priority of our Local Growth Plan is to boost our region’s fastest growing business sectors, because we know that’s how we’re going to drive investment, boost jobs and put more money in people’s pockets.
“By bringing together cutting-edge research with fast-growing businesses, our £160 million investment zone is driving the development of lifechanging technologies while creating good jobs and growing the economy.
“This pioneering initiative from Leeds Beckett University will help more people to live happier, healthier lives, contributing to our mission to build a brighter West Yorkshire that works for all.”
