Inovus Medical unveils a fresh Education, Research, and Innovation Center following the completion of a £1 million educational initiative
Inovus Medical, a leading medical technology company based in St Helens, has recently launched its Education, Research, and Innovation Centre (ERIC) as part of its commitment to solving the global surgeon shortage and improving healthcare outcomes. The centre serves as a critical innovation nexus in the Liverpool City Region, blending education, research, and industry collaboration to strengthen healthcare delivery, fuel life sciences advancements, and enhance advanced manufacturing capabilities.
The four-month work experience programme for 24 students from Carmel College in St Helens is a testament to ERIC's impact. The programme, part of the LCR Ignite programme supported by the Combined Authority, provided students with an opportunity to gain work experience using state-of-the-art technology at a city region company with global reach. The event that celebrated the students' hard work and commitment took place at Inovus Medical's St Helens headquarters, attended by 60 people, including industry mentors, partners, and educators who supported the programme.
ERIC acts as a centre for advanced education and professional training, focusing on upskilling the workforce in cutting-edge healthcare technologies, medical device innovation, and life sciences. It collaborates with academic institutions and industry partners to provide tailored programmes that address skills gaps in the region. The students were divided into four specialisms: Medical Technology Operations, Brand & Business, Software Engineering & Development, and Medical Technology Innovations.
Inovus Medical's ERIC also serves as a collaborative R&D facility where researchers, clinicians, and industry experts work on developing innovative medical technologies and solutions. By fostering partnerships between local universities, NHS trusts, and private companies, ERIC accelerates translational research—turning scientific discoveries into practical healthcare applications.
As an innovation ecosystem catalyst, ERIC provides incubation, prototyping, and testing resources especially for startups and SMEs within the medical technology and advanced manufacturing sectors. This supports the development of new products and processes, encouraging entrepreneurship and commercialization in the Liverpool City Region.
The centre's work extends to enhancing the regional life sciences cluster by attracting investment and talent through cutting-edge research initiatives. It facilitates translational research that bridges laboratory discoveries and market-ready products, boosting the local biotech ecosystem. ERIC also strengthens the healthcare sector by improving clinical capabilities with new medical technologies, improving patient outcomes via innovative diagnostics, treatments, and devices co-created with NHS partners, and enabling continuous professional development for healthcare workers.
In the advanced manufacturing sector, ERIC promotes the adoption of advanced manufacturing techniques (e.g., precision engineering, additive manufacturing) in medical device production. It provides SMEs with access to state-of-the-art prototyping and testing facilities, improving product quality and reducing time-to-market. This helps sustain and grow advanced manufacturing employment by fostering innovation-driven growth.
Dr Elliot Street, CEO of Inovus Medical, stated that the driving force behind Inovus and ERIC is to solve the global surgeon shortage and ultimately save lives. ERIC aims to help trainee surgeons from around the world, offering affordable, accessible intensive courses that combine surgical simulation with expert-led education. These simulators provide a safe learning environment that rewards repetition, using Inovus Medical's hybrid augmented reality simulators which are compatible with real instruments and offer natural haptics for a realistic surgical experience.
In conclusion, Inovus Medical’s ERIC acts as a critical innovation nexus in Liverpool City Region, blending education, research, and industry collaboration to strengthen healthcare delivery, fuel life sciences advancements, and enhance advanced manufacturing capabilities. This synergy supports economic growth, improves health outcomes, and positions the region as a leader in medical technology innovation.
- Inovus Medical's Education, Research, and Innovation Centre (ERIC) focuses on upskilling the workforce in areas such as healthcare technologies, medical device innovation, and life sciences through advanced education and professional training.
- ERIC collaborates with academic institutions and industry partners to provide tailored programmes that address skills gaps in the region, with a recent example being the four-month work experience programme for students from Carmel College.
- By fostering partnerships between local universities, NHS trusts, and private companies, ERIC is the catalyst for translational research, turning scientific discoveries into practical healthcare applications and thus contributing significantly to the medical-conditions field.
- In the industry and business landscape, ERIC serves as an incubator and prototyping facility for startups and SMEs within the medical technology and advanced manufacturing sectors, thereby encouraging entrepreneurship and commercialization.
- The centre also strengthens the healthcare sector by promoting the adoption of advanced medical technologies, improving clinical capabilities, and improving patient outcomes via innovative diagnostics, treatments, and devices.
- In the field of data-and-cloud-computing and technology, ERIC offers learning opportunities in skill-training, particularly in areas like software engineering and development, to prepare the younger generation for career-development in the digital health sector.
- ERIC's education and self-development initiatives extend beyond just technical skills, as demonstrated by the affordable, accessible intensive courses offered for trainee surgeons worldwide, aimed at enhancing personal-growth in the medical field through expert-led education and surgical simulation.
