Beyond the breakthrough: what helps innovators succeed

By Martin Thomas, Head of Strategy at Orthopaedic Research UK and co-founder of the Joint Venture MSK Innovation Network

The need for new approaches to musculoskeletal health is hard to ignore. More than 20 million people in the UK live with an MSK condition and it is one of the major causes of workplace illness and enforced retirement, hence the decision by the Government to expand an NHS programme designed to get people seen faster and help them remain in or return to work.

There is no shortage of people trying to solve these problems. The UK has world-leading universities, talented clinicians and engineers, and a strong research base. The harder question is how we give the best ideas a realistic chance of becoming products and services that benefit patients and clinicians.

Backing the people behind the technology

Funding is an important part of that journey, particularly in MedTech where development and testing can take years. But it is easy to overestimate what funding can solve on its own.

A researcher can know everything there is to know about their technology and still have little experience of building a company. Regulation, commercial strategy, hiring, marketing, investor conversations and understanding who will buy a product all require a different set of skills.

For health tech founders, there is also the practical challenge of getting into the NHS. The Life Sciences Sector Plan has made welcome commitments to make the system easier for innovators to navigate, but early-stage businesses still need to understand how procurement, adoption and evidence requirements work in practice. If that route feels too slow or uncertain, it is understandable that some UK companies look to other markets for early revenue.

This is why founders need more than capital. They need people who can challenge their assumptions, help them stress test a commercial model and make useful introductions. Through the MSK Innovation Accelerator, for example, participants build skills across finance, regulation, testing, marketing and people management, while learning from business and clinical experts and other founders. The real value comes from helping the person behind the idea become better equipped to take it forward.

Looking for innovation in less obvious places

We also need to think more broadly about who an MSK innovator might be. The sector is often associated with surgery and orthopaedic devices, yet some of the most useful ideas could come from people working in sports science, engineering, workplace health or digital technology.

A wearable designed for elite athletes may have applications in rehabilitation. Technology developed for a physically demanding workplace could help prevent injury. A digital tool might help somebody manage back pain and stay in work. The person developing it may not initially think of what they are doing as MSK innovation at all, which is why building a stronger innovation pipeline is helping more researchers ask whether the technology they are already developing could solve a healthcare problem.

The founders who stand out are usually driven by the problem itself. They believe their idea can improve somebody's life or make things better for clinicians. What they often need is the commercial knowledge, network and confidence to turn that conviction into a viable business.

If we want more UK health technology to make it from research into real-world use, we need to invest in the people developing it as well as the ideas themselves.

Health and Social Care Programme activities

techUK is helping its members navigate the complex space of digital health in the UK to ensure our NHS and social care sector is prepared for the challenges of the future. We help validate new ideas and build impactful strategies, ultimately ensuring that members are market-ready. Visit the programme page here.