The Centre for Digital Healthcare Technology (CDHT) is a major innovation and research entity located in Belfast, Northern Ireland. It is not a traditional company but rather a large-scale innovation ecosystem and collaborative hub. Led by Ulster University, the CDHT is a cornerstone project of the Belfast Region City Deal, a significant government-backed investment initiative to drive economic growth and innovation.
The CDHT's core mission is to act as a central facilitator bringing together three critical groups: academia (Ulster University's world-class researchers), industry (from MedTech startups to global corporations), and clinicians (primarily from the Belfast Health and Social Care Trust).
The primary function of the CDHT is to dramatically accelerate the design, development, and commercialization of next-generation medical devices, diagnostics, and digital healthcare solutions. It aims to transform how healthcare innovations are created and deployed by moving them from concept to clinic faster, safer, and more efficiently.
Core Activities and Operating Model
The CDHT's business is not to sell its own branded medical products. Instead, it provides the infrastructure, expertise, and collaborative environment that enables other organizations to develop their own. Its operations are built on three core pillars:
Research and Innovation: Driving interdisciplinary research by combining Ulster University's strengths in computing (AI, IoT), engineering (health tech, connected health), and biotechnology (molecular diagnostics).
Collaboration and Partnerships: Acting as an "innovation and knowledge broker" that builds strong alliances between the university, industry, and the health service.
Education and Training: Equipping the next generation of healthcare professionals and innovators with the skills required for a digital-first healthcare future.
To achieve this, the CDHT is developing a purpose-built, ?42 million, six-storey facility adjacent to Ulster University's Belfast campus. This central hub will provide state-of-the-art labs and co-location spaces for researchers, clinicians, and industry partners to work "cheek by jowl."
Services and Offerings
The "products" offered by the CDHT are its facilities, access to experts, and structured innovation programs. These are designed for industry partners, startups, academic researchers, and healthcare professionals.
1. The Living Labs
This is the CDHT's most distinct service, providing real-world environments for co-design, testing, and validation of new technologies.
Clinical Innovation Living Lab: Located within the Belfast Health and Social Care Trust (specifically at the Royal Victoria Hospital), this lab embeds innovators directly into a live clinical setting.
Services: Provides direct access to clinicians for co-design and validation, access to diverse patient cohorts for small-scale trials, and use of advanced clinical equipment (e.g., in imaging, robotic surgery) dedicated to R&D.
Focus: Testing and refining products, processes, and services in real hospital workflows. Initial focus areas include cardiology, respiratory, diabetes, and stroke.
Community Innovation Living Lab: A large (c. 300m?) dedicated space within the new CDHT hub, this lab focuses on healthcare outside the hospital.
Services: Utilizes a "quadruple helix" co-design methodology (involving researchers, industry, public sector, and citizens) to develop human-centric products.
Focus: Innovations for primary care, community care, and home-based healthcare settings (e.g., wearables, remote monitoring, e-health applications).
2. Collaborative R&D and Innovation Hub
The new CDHT building itself is a core service, designed to foster "serendipitous innovation" by physically locating different partners together.
Co-Location Space: Offers flexible desk and lab space for a mix of users, from startups and spin-outs to large corporate R&D teams and Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) companies.
State-of-the-Art Facilities: Provides access to specialist research equipment and labs that a single company might not be able to afford.
Facilitated Collaboration: The CDHT team actively brokers partnerships and helps stand up multidisciplinary R&D projects to address specific clinical challenges.
3. Innovation Support and Commercialization Services
The CDHT provides a comprehensive support system to help innovators navigate the complex path from idea to market.
Funding and Commercialization Support: Assisting partners in sourcing project funding and developing viable business models.
Clinical Trial and Ethics Support: Providing guidance and assistance with trial design, ethical approvals, and navigating the regulatory landscape.
"Soft Landing" for FDI: Acting as a key entry point for international MedTech companies looking to establish a presence in Northern Ireland, offering access to the local ecosystem, talent, and infrastructure.
Networking and Ecosystem Access: Connecting members to a curated network of clinicians, researchers, patient groups, and government agencies.
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