A co-working and digital innovation space designed to help transform the delivery of health services is set to launch at Platform in Leeds.
Co>Space North will facilitate collaboration between innovators, entrepreneurs, health and care practitioners, policy makers, academics and Leeds residents, along with local, regional and national NHS bodies. The unique virtual community will focus on developing new digital tools and services, to enable innovation in health and care for the benefit of patients and citizens.
A dedicated virtual and physical space comprising 4,995 sq ft, Co>Space North will be based within the tech incubator at Platform, enabling connections between the digital health community and other sectors such as digital marketing, gaming and fintech.
The not-for-profit initiative is being launched by mHabitat in conjunction with Leeds City Council and the NHS in Leeds. Already based at Platform, mHabitat is a Leeds and York Partnership NHS Foundation Trust hosted team, specialising in co-design, digital skills and inclusion, policy, strategy and evaluation.
Andy Mobbs, Co>Space North Development Manager, said: “Bruntwood SciTech has been very supportive in meeting our needs and Platform will provide us with the perfect environment to nurture a community of makers and doers who are passionate about digitally enabled health and care. Being based right at the heart of the tech incubator, which is home to some of the most exciting and innovative start-ups in Leeds and the North will be hugely advantageous to us, as will the collaborative culture that permeates throughout Platform.
“We’re confident that by being based in the building we will help to establish Leeds as a world-class player in digital health solutions. We are also pleased to announce that the Health and Social Care Leeds Digital Festival 2019 events will be hosted in the space throughout April and May.”
Dawn Hanwell, Chief Financial Officer at Leeds and York Partnership NHS Foundation Trust said: “This is a fantastic asset for the city of Leeds, and in particular the health and care organisations looking to harness the power of digital innovation to improve services.
“We’re proud to have our digital innovation team mHabitat located here. They’ve already got a great track record working across health, care and the third sector locally.
“Technology will play a central role in realising the NHS’s long term plan, helping clinicians use the full range of their skills, reducing bureaucracy, stimulating research and enabling service transformation.“
Co>Space North joins the 64 other companies that have moved into Platform in its first year of operations.
Amy De-Balsi, Head of Innovation and Partnerships for Bruntwood SciTech in Leeds said “We are very pleased to welcome Co>Space North to the Platform community. They encapsulate the innovative and collaborative culture of our tech incubator and being at the nucleus of the city’s digital and tech scene, will allow them to help drive our knowledge economy forward. We look forward to helping their team forge new connections within Platform which will support their growth and ensure the brightest minds are engaged in their shared endeavour to transform health services in Leeds and beyond.”
Co>Space North will launch at Platform in April 2019 and is currently seeking members and corporate sponsors. Anyone wanting to register interest should contact Andy Mobbs via: cospacenorth@wearemhabitat.com
