Harrogate and York’s businesses have driven the sector’s growth in York and North Yorkshire region, which ranks in the top ten in the UK – in company longevity, registered trademarks and SME employee numbers.
The strength of the sector attracted visits this week from the head of technology at the Department for Business and Trade as well as a delegation of health technology companies from India.
On Monday, the Invest in York and North Yorkshire partnership hosted at York St John University five Indian business owners innovating with new technology to develop hearing aids, diagnostics and physiotherapy practices.
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The business owners met with those behind the region’s assets including the Harrogate NHS Innovation team, the Humber and North Yorkshire Integrated Care Board and the York Health Economics Consortium, York St John University and the University of York.
On Thursday, the Invest in York and North Yorkshire team welcomed the officials from the Department for Business and Trade (DBT), including their Head of Technology, Caroline Malone.
This visit showcased assets in York including the Institute for Safe Autonomy and York Minster’s Works and Technology Hub, which is still under development.
Indian health tech officials at York St John (Image: Pic supplied)
The Department for Business and Trade team also met with senior leaders at York-based Adtran, which is a leading provider of broadband equipment, and Harrogate-based Inhealthcare which has developed virtual wards for NHS Trusts, which helps with remote patient monitoring.
David Skaith, the Mayor of York and North Yorkshire, has identified the creative and digital sector, with its existing strengths, high potential for economic growth and investment, as key for the region’s Local Growth Plan, which will be published in Spring 2025.
Mayor Skaith said: “Investment is central to my pledge to create healthy and thriving communities right across York and North Yorkshire.
“There is so much potential for investment here, especially in our key sectors of rail, the creative and digital industries, healthy ageing, industrial biotech, agritech and manufacturing.
“These sectors are either well-established or emerging with plenty of room for growth.
“Our rural, coastal and city communities deserve to be connected to opportunity. That means easy access to skills and high-quality jobs – the jobs of our future.”
“To achieve our goals, we need close public and private partnerships. The relationships we foster will be crucial in helping our region reach its full potential.”