The business of better health

Commercialisation is how breakthroughs become care. Spinouts give research the means to hire, build, trial and meet regulation; the journey from prototype to patient shortens, and value, safety and equity are easier to secure at scale.

• At Heriot-Watt, 60% of our commercial innovation is focused on advancing health and care
  We currently have 16 active spinout projects transforming areas from medical imaging and sensing to photonic-based treatment for chronic disease treatment.

• We're the leading university for Scottish spinouts 
  In 24/25 Heriot-Watt's spinouts moved many ideas from concept to company, with our awards from Scottish Enterprise’s High-Growth Spinout funding totalling over £1.1M, our highest ever positioning us as the leading university in Scotland.

• Scotland’s spinouts scale health innovation
  In 2024, 52 Scottish university spinouts raised £176m; Scotland now hosts 243 active spinouts (11.8% of the UK), creating vehicles that translate proven health technologies into widespread use. Scottish Enterprise, 2025; Royal Academy of Engineering/Beauhurst, 2025. 

Health innovation only happens when research, enterprise, and industry pull together. We’re inviting investors, entrepreneurs, healthcare providers, and policy leaders to join us in turning breakthrough research into real-world patient impact.

• Investors: Back Scotland’s most promising health spinouts and scale innovations with global potential.
  
  

• Entrepreneurs: Co-found ventures with our researchers and accelerate new technologies into market-ready solutions.
  
  

• Healthcare providers: Trial pioneering devices and therapies in clinical settings, shaping care that meets real-world need.
  
  

• Policy leaders and funders: Co-design regulatory and funding frameworks that enable equitable, safe, and scalable adoption.
  
  

• Industry partners: Collaborate on joint ventures, licensing opportunities, and pathways from prototype to production.

 

Every partnership strengthens our ability to translate research into better care. By getting involved, you can help accelerate areas such as:

• Next-generation medical imaging and sensing to detect conditions earlier and improve treatment precision.
  
  

• Photonic-based therapies that offer less invasive, faster, and more effective treatment options for chronic disease.
  
  

• Assistive and digital health technologies that support independent living and personalised care at home.
  
  

• Advanced materials and manufacturing techniques to create safer, more reliable medical devices.
  
  

• Data-driven healthcare solutions that combine AI and engineering with clinical practice to improve outcomes at scale.