Enabling Innovation: Supporting SMEs through our Immersive Suite

Woman wearing scrubs, scrub cap, mask and VR headset

For small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) developing Med-Tech innovation is often constrained not by ideas, but by access, to appropriate testing environments, clinical simulation facilities, and affordable validation pathways. The Immersive Suite at Heriot-Watt University addresses these challenges by providing external organisations with a flexible, realistic and cost-effective environment to develop and showcase their technologies.

Lowering the barriers to early-stage innovation

Pre-clinical testing is a critical stage in medical device development. However, gaining access to clinical environments such as NHS facilities typically requires technologies to be at an advanced stage of development, with significant validation already in place. For many SMEs, reaching that point can be both financially and operationally challenging.

The Immersive Suite offers an alternative pathway. Open to companies beyond the University, it provides a tailored simulation environment where medical devices can be tested, refined and evaluated at any stage of innovation. This flexibility allows organisations to identify technical, usability and integration issues early, reducing risk, avoiding costly redesign later in development, and accelerating progress towards regulatory and clinical milestones.

By enabling pre-clinical testing in a controlled yet realistic setting, the Immersive Suite helps SMEs build evidence, strengthen prototypes and enhance their readiness for real-world deployment at a fraction of the cost of traditional clinical environments.

A flexible environment for product development

Designed to replicate a range of real-world settings including hospital rooms, care environments, custodial settings and domestic spaces the Immersive Suite can be configured to meet the specific needs of each organisation. This adaptability allows companies to test how their technology performs in context, rather than in isolation.

For device developers, understanding how a product integrates into existing workflows, interacts with users, and fits within practical constraints is just as important as technical performance. The Immersive Suite supports this contextual testing, enabling organisations to gather valuable insights before entering formal clinical trials or procurement processes.

This approach not only strengthens product design but also supports more informed decision-making around regulatory pathways, commercial strategy and partnership development.

Supporting investment and market readiness

Beyond technical validation, the Immersive Suite provides a professional environment for demonstration and engagement. Companies can use the space to present their products to investors, partners and stakeholders within realistic simulated settings, helping audiences visualise real-world application and impact.

The ability to stage high-quality demonstrations and capture professional marketing assets within a single adaptable environment offers significant advantages, without the logistical complexity and cost of travelling to multiple physical locations.

This not only saves time and resources but also enhances credibility. Demonstrating a device in a realistic, clinically representative setting strengthens confidence among investors and collaborators, supporting funding applications and commercial negotiations.

Accelerating innovation through partnership

By opening the Immersive Suite to external SMEs, Heriot-Watt University is extending its innovation ecosystem beyond campus boundaries. The facility provides a bridge between early-stage concept development and formal clinical engagement, enabling companies to innovate more confidently, efficiently and affordably.

In doing so, the Immersive Suite plays a vital role in strengthening the health and care innovation pipeline, supporting organisations as they translate promising ideas into impactful technologies that improve patient outcomes and advance standards of care.

For small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) developing medical technologies, innovation is often constrained not by ideas, but by access to appropriate testing environments, clinical simulation facilities and affordable validation pathways.

The Immersive Suite at Heriot-Watt University addresses this challenge by providing an immersive testing area specifically designed for medical devices and health technologies. Open to external organisations, it offers a flexible, realistic and cost-effective environment in which companies can develop, validate and showcase their innovations with confidence.

Lowering the barriers to early-stage innovation

Pre-clinical testing is a critical stage in medical device development. However, gaining access to live healthcare environments such as NHS facilities typically requires technologies to be at an advanced stage of development, supported by significant prior validation. For many SMEs, reaching that point can be financially and operationally challenging.

The Immersive Suite offers an alternative pathway. Companies can test and refine devices at any stage of innovation, without the logistical and ethical hurdles associated with live healthcare settings. This allows organisations to identify technical, usability and integration issues early, reducing risk, avoiding costly redesign later in development, and accelerating progress towards regulatory and clinical milestones.

By enabling controlled pre-clinical testing in a clinically representative environment, the Immersive Suite helps SMEs build robust evidence, strengthen prototypes and enhance readiness for real-world deployment at a fraction of the cost of traditional routes.

A fully customisable, real-world environment

The Immersive Suite is designed to replicate a wide range of real-world contexts. Environments can be configured to simulate hospital rooms, care homes, prisons, GP surgeries, pharmacies or domestic settings, depending on the needs of each organisation.

This adaptability allows companies to test how their technology performs in context, rather than in isolation. For device developers, understanding how a product integrates into existing workflows, interacts with users and functions within practical spatial constraints is just as important as technical performance.

Organisations can also use the ALEX manikin to validate devices through structured observation and interaction, enabling safe and realistic assessment of usability, ergonomics and clinical integration before progressing to formal trials.

Together, these capabilities support more informed decision-making around product design, regulatory pathways, commercial strategy and partnership development.

Integrated collaboration and insight

Innovation does not stop at testing. Adjacent to the Immersive Suite is a dedicated meeting and collaboration space, enabling companies to move seamlessly from simulation to structured discussion.

Teams can use this space for presentations, in-depth review of data and analytical insights generated during testing, and strategic conversations with academic partners or stakeholders. This integrated environment supports a more reflective and evidence-driven development process, strengthening both technical outcomes and commercial positioning.

Supporting investment and market readiness

Beyond technical validation, the Immersive Suite also provides a professional environment for product demonstration and engagement. Companies can present their technologies to investors, partners and stakeholders within realistic simulated settings, helping audiences visualise real-world application and impact.

The ability to stage high-quality demonstrations and capture professional marketing assets within a single adaptable environment offers significant advantages without the expense and logistical complexity of travelling to multiple physical sites.

This not only saves time and resources but enhances credibility. Demonstrating a device in a clinically representative setting strengthens confidence among investors and collaborators, supporting funding applications and commercial negotiations.

Accelerating innovation through partnership

By opening the Immersive Suite to external SMEs, Heriot-Watt University extends its innovation ecosystem beyond campus boundaries. The facility provides a bridge between early-stage concept development and formal clinical engagement, enabling companies to innovate more confidently, efficiently and affordably.

Anyone interested in collaborating with the Global Research Institute in Health and Care Technologies can contact business.partnership@hw.ac.uk