Why universities are the glue uniting talent, industry and patient need

In this article Professor Gillian Murray discusses how universities connect research, industry and healthcare to drive innovation, but faster pathways are needed, as part of an editorial contribution to the Scotsman, which was originally published online and in print on wed 18 March 2026

Universities have a unique role to play in accelerating health technologies out of the lab and into the hands of the clinicians and patients who really need them. But while Scotland continues to lead the way on innovation, change is urgently needed to accelerate pathways to clinical adoption.

The challenges we are tackling are clear. Globally, thousands of people die each year because a feeding tube gets misplaced during what should be a routine hospital procedure. It is not down to clinical skill. It is a technology gap. Clinicians have simply lacked the tools to see what they are doing in real time.

Our researchers at Heriot-Watt University have developed a solution. OptoLoc, led by Dr Michael Tanner, gives clinicians bedside visual feedback during tube insertion. No radiation, no specialist facilities and crucially no disruption to existing clinical practice. The potential market is worth more than $1.5 billion (£1.1bn), but what really matters is preventing avoidable deaths. That is the impact we are after.

This kind of practical impact is what drives our Health and Care Technologies Global Research Institute. It is not just about generating brilliant research. It is about building partnerships and providing the support needed to turn groundbreaking research into companies that can scale.

We currently support 16 health and care spin-outs. These are not concepts on paper. They are technologies already moving through commercial development and clinical trials. What they all have in common is early collaboration with the people who matter most: patients, clinicians and industry partners. This approach ensures their innovations are designed for real healthcare settings from day one.

Take TissueMetrics, led by Professor Michael Crichton. More than 300 million people worldwide live with inflammatory skin conditions, but diagnosis and treatment monitoring are still largely based on subjective visual assessment. This portable device measures inflammation beneath the skin using vibroacoustic sensing, giving clinicians objective data. This is particularly important for patients with darker skin tones where reliance on visual assessment can contribute to disparities in care.

The response from the NHS and patients has been extraordinary. Following global media coverage, pharmacy leads, clinicians and patients got in touch to explore trials and adoption. The company is targeting spinout in 2026 and aiming to bring specialist dermatology assessment into community pharmacies.

Some of our teams are working on enabling technologies that support multiple sectors. FreeForm Photonics, led by Dr Calum Ross, has developed ultra miniaturised optical probes and laser based manufacturing used across healthcare, telecoms and advanced manufacturing. Partners already include BT and Renishaw, showing how healthtech innovation creates economic value well beyond a single market.

We are also supporting technologies that ease pressure on the NHS. Uroflow is a clinically validated system for measuring urinary flow using smartphones or low cost cameras at home. Remote monitoring means fewer unnecessary clinic visits and a better patient experience. This is exactly the kind of shift towards community based care that health services need.

But all these innovations come with a challenge. In the UK, health technologies take an average of 17 years to move from development to widespread NHS adoption. Fragmented procurement, unclear funding routes and limited incentives for early adoption slow everything down, even where the value is clear.

That is why external recognition matters so much. Less Grey Imaging, a Heriot-Watt University spin-out since 2023, was recently shortlisted for its innovation at Scotland’s Life Sciences Awards. The team has developed a novel ultrasound imaging high-clarity test for prostate cancer that achieved 94 per cent sensitivity in early clinical trials. This kind of validation helps build investor confidence and market credibility, two essentials for scaling successfully.

We are working hard to shorten the journey to market. That means giving researchers commercial expertise, regulatory guidance and industry connections alongside their scientific excellence.

And it is working. Recover PX, which automates detection of waterborne pathogens like Cryptosporidium, has completed successful trials with three of the UK’s top eight water companies and is now moving into field deployment. When innovation solves real operational problems, markets respond.

Each of these spin-outs creates skilled jobs, attracts international investment and builds the capability that supports further innovation across the ecosystem. Universities are not just teaching and researching. We are critical economic infrastructure.

However, Scotland’s healthtech sector is at a real tipping point. The research talent is here, the clinical need is clear and global markets are open. But to make the most of this opportunity, three things need to happen now.

First, we need streamlined NHS procurement pathways that allow proven innovations to reach patients faster. Second, we need investment mechanisms that back early stage healthtech with the same confidence we see in digital start-ups. Finally, we need stronger collaboration between universities, health boards and industry to identify the right problems to solve before research even begins.

Universities can be the glue that brings all this together. At Heriot-Watt, we are focused on exactly that. But we cannot do it alone. The pace of change in healthtech demands alignment. Researchers, clinicians, investors, industry and policymakers must pull in the same direction.

What is needed now is collective action. By aligning partners around delivery, we can build a healthtech sector that leads globally and transforms care at home. This is the moment to step forward and build it together.

Professor Gillian Murray is deputy principal of Business and Enterprise at Heriot-Watt University and oversees the university's commercialisation and knowledge exchange activities.