HiVE Places, the recently launched independently operated platform focused on developing and operating next-generation innovation environments and accelerating the growth of high value-add economies across the UK, has signed three landmark Memoranda of Understanding with Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust (LTHT), Nexus at the University of Leeds and Leeds Beckett University, marking one of the most significant collaborations for health innovation ever established in Yorkshire.
The agreements formalise a shared commitment to transform the Grade II* listed Old Medical School at Leeds General Infirmary into a world-class healthtech innovation hub. The partnership brings together the core of the internationally recognised Triple Helix approach to innovation, uniting academia, the public sector, and industry to accelerate research, investment, and real-world impact across healthcare.
The Old Medical School is one of HiVE Places’ founding projects and will serve as a flagship example of how the platform brings together places, partnerships and innovation ecosystems to accelerate healthtech innovation and economic growth.
The purpose of the Old Medical School will be to turn that collaboration into an active, open community, bringing entrepreneurs and innovators into the mix from the outset, so clinicians, researchers and businesses can work side-by-side to develop and scale new health technologies.
Each organisation will play a key role in turning that vision into reality. LTHT will anchor the project from the clinical side, embedding its Innovation Pop Up and giving companies direct access to NHS expertise, patient insight, and live testing environments. Nexus, part of the University of Leeds, will link occupiers with the University’s research base, specialist facilities, and entrepreneurial programmes, helping innovators to accelerate from early-stage idea to market-ready solution.
Leeds Beckett University will bring its applied research and enterprise strengths, particularly in health, wellbeing, and digital innovation, creating a strong pipeline of talent and collaboration for growing businesses. HiVE Places will lead the redevelopment and long-term stewardship of the building, curating a high-functioning ecosystem that connects occupiers with the networks, mentorship and investment required to scale.
The result will be a single, connected environment where clinicians, researchers, entrepreneurs, and investors can develop, test and commercialise new health technologies that improve patient care and drive economic growth. This is where the recently launched Health Innovation Leeds Incubator will provide access to an integrated business support system, research expertise, clinical validation, and real-world testing, all within one of the UK’s most dynamic health innovation communities.
With a uniquely connected infrastructure, in Leeds city centre world-class universities, one of the UK’s largest teaching hospitals and cutting-edge research facilities sit side by side – helping innovation get from A to B, seamlessly. The new healthtech innovation hub will form the centrepiece of the Leeds Innovation Village, one of four neighbourhoods within the £2 billion Leeds Innovation Arc. Backed by the £160 million West Yorkshire Investment Zone, the Arc is the city’s most ambitious regeneration and innovation programme in a generation, linking its universities, hospitals and business base through new infrastructure and shared purpose. The Old Medical School is the first major project within the Village to move forward, marking a tangible step from vision to delivery and setting the pace for the wider Arc.
Deb Hetherington, COO at HiVE Places, said: “Our vision for the Old Medical School has always been about more than restoring a historic building, it’s about creating a genuine engine for innovation. These partnerships turn that ambition into something tangible, connecting academia, the NHS and industry in a way that gives real structure and momentum to the region’s health innovation ecosystem.
“I’m incredibly grateful to our partners at Leeds Teaching Hospitals, Nexus at the University of Leeds and Leeds Beckett University for their openness, energy and shared belief in what we’re building together. Following completion of the acquisition of the Old Medical School, we’re now focused on working closely with our partners and stakeholders to keep things moving at pace as we progress through the next stages of planning, funding and delivery.”
The redevelopment of the Old Medical School will not only safeguard an important heritage building but also create the physical and cultural heart of a fast-growing regional ecosystem. West Yorkshire’s healthtech sector already contributes more than £3 billion a year to the regional economy and supports over 16,000 jobs. With the healthtech innovation hub as its focal point, Leeds is set to strengthen its position as the UK’s most connected health innovation ecosystem, drawing national and international investment and building on its reputation as a location where start-ups, scale-ups and global firms thrive side by side.
The signing of the MoUs marks a decisive step towards delivery. With these partnerships now formalised, HiVE Places and its partners are focused on maintaining momentum and progressing the project through planning and funding milestones later this year, ensuring progress continues at pace as Leeds’ Innovation Village takes shape.
Dr Chris Herbert, Director of Operations – Research and Innovation, Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, commented: “This is an exciting step forwards and further demonstrates the powerful partnerships we have here in Leeds. This MOU builds on the recently launched Health Innovation Leeds Incubator which is aimed at accelerating growth of businesses across West Yorkshire so that our patients and population can benefit from world-class health innovations developed in the region. It also builds upon HiVE Places’ acquisition of the Old Medical School as the Trust’s Innovation Pop Up will become the first anchor tenant. This will enable the Trust to extend the Innovation Pop Up and create additional capacity at its space at Leeds General Infirmary.”
Professor Silke Machold, Pro-Vice Chancellor Research and Innovation at Leeds Beckett University said: “We pride ourselves on being a trusted partner within our city and region. As an Anchor institution, our research and innovation are delivered through co-creation driving impact for the people, communities, and organisations we serve. This collaboration highlights this in action. We look forward to working together to drive innovation, grow our regional economy, develop our workforce of today and tomorrow and importantly try to make a positive difference to people’s lives.”
Gareth Scargill, Director of Nexus at the University of Leeds added: “We’re incredibly excited to be partnering on this landmark project. By bringing our communities together under one shared vision, even more businesses will be able to access the world-class health innovation expertise at Nexus and across the University of Leeds. This collaboration strengthens the support available to innovators at every stage of their journey, helping them scale faster, make real-world impact, and contribute to a thriving healthtech ecosystem for the region.”
Councillor James Lewis, leader of Leeds City Council said: “Leeds is one of the top three global locations for healthtech companies, so bringing together these core Leeds anchor institutions with HiVE Places is a fantastic step forward. This partnership further reinforces our leading role in national and global health innovation. We’re proud to be setting the pace and shaping the future as a city where breakthroughs are born, ideas are tested at speed, and where bold partnerships turn research into reality.”
Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire said: “West Yorkshire is a global leader in health technology, and this partnership is a shining example of how we’re driving innovation through collaboration. By uniting world-leading clinicians with our outstanding universities and pioneering businesses, we’re creating a powerhouse of new ideas that will transform patient care. This collaboration will be a catalyst in our mission to combat health inequalities and improve lives, as we work to create a brighter, healthier future for everyone across our region.”
