Innovate Local: South Yorkshire

Penistone Line

Author Richard Harvey Licence CC BY-SA 2.0 UK Source Wikimedia

 

Jane Lambert

Yesterday I attended Innovate Local - South Yorkshire at Glide House in Attercliffe.  It was the fourth Innovate Local that I have attended.  The others were in Bradford, Halifax and Production Park which is somewhere near South Kirkby.  The Victoria Hotel and Dean Clough Mill were easy enough to find. Production Park was a pain but Glide House took the biscuit.  It does not appear on all maps and the few that show it fail to identify car parks and bus routes in the vicinity.

As there were 110 names on the delegate list, I doubted that I would find parking.  I therefore took the Penistone Line, which somehow survived Dr Beeching.  Between Honley and Dodworth, that line meanders through some of the loveliest landscapes in England.  As the train was not very fast and as my taxi driver had never heard of Glide House and could not find it or Terry Street on his satnav, I arrived after the event had started.  One friendly face I met outside the building belonged to Abdul-Basit Mohammed, whom I had met at several other UKRI events.  Another belonged to Jordan Meadows, who staffed the registration table and graciously accepted my apology for tardiness.

The morning session opened with talks by Kola Ladejobi (Knowledge Transfer Manager ‑ Local Partnerships Innovate UK Business Connect), Lee Viney (Regional Manager – Yorkshire & Humber and the North East Innovate UK), Abbie Miladinovic (Strategic Lead Investment Zone) and Martin Baker (Ideas & Innovation Director, Gripple Ltd). It continued with presentations from Richard Gardiner of Ferret Works, Andy Taylor, Team Leader (Yorkshire & Humber) Innovate UK Business Growth, Lisa Whalley (Client Relationship Manager, Sheffield Hallam University) and Ryan Sylvester(Lead Sector Specialist – Investment Zone Growth and Sector Development).

After a 30-minute coffee break, Paul O'Brien (CEO of Elaros), Zeezy Izenman (Founder and CEO Motion Health Ltd.), Ben White, Co-Founder of Rivelin Rail and Clare Lankester, Commercial Director of Fyous discussed their respective business innovation journeys.   Towards the end of the discussion, the moderator invited the inventors and entrepreneurs to reveal their "eureka moment".  I observed that in my experience of advising and assisting inventors, most technical advances resulted from a long process of experiments, observations and adjustments.  The man in the seat next but one to mine said that innovation was a response to a problem. I subsequently discovered that he had attended one of my initial advice and signposting clinics and that he had put my advice to good use.

The last session of the morning was on future thinking and featured Joseph Quinn of the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority, Claire Louise Green, Business Investment Manager of Rotherham MBC, Ben Hawley, Group Leader of  Enterprising Barnsley at Barnsley MBC and Alex Dochery, Investment Team Manager at Business Doncaster (City of Doncaster MDC).  That session covered the funding and support available from the mayoral combined authority and each of the boroughs.  I learned a lot from that discussion but was disappointed that nobody acknowledged the work of the South Yorkshire Business and IP Centre in Sheffield Central Library and each of the boroughs or the Business Village on Innovation Way in Barnsley. 

Attendees were treated to a buffet lunch of sandwiches, sausage rolls, pizzas and brownies with hot and cold drinks between 12:45 and 14:00.  I explored the stands and met some of the exhibitors. I recognized a few faces from the Inventors Club that I used to chair at Sheffield Central Library and the initial advice and signposting clinics that I ran at the Business Village and other locations.   As I was entering my taxi, one of them - a lady I know only as Olusola - recognized me and asked whether I still ran the clinics.  I was glad to tell her that I did.

After lunch, we had a choice between "Financing your business through Public and Private Funding", "Good Application Guide" and "Unlocking Growth Across Sectors with AI."  I chose the last and listened to an entertaining panel discussion between Emma Louise Staines, Founder of  ComplyAI, Mark Taylor Founder of Automated Analytics, Professor Wei Xing of Sheffield University and Dr Denis Newman-Grifis.  Earlier in the day, the Supreme Court had handed down its judgment in Emotional Perception AI Ltd v Comptroller General of Patents, Designs and Trade Marks [2026] UKSC 3 (11 Feb 2026) on whether it is possible to patent "a particular type of what may loosely be called artificial intelligence, specifically that which consists of, resides in, or is centred around, an artificial neural network".  I had hoped for an industry comment on the case, but the topic did not come up in discussion, and I did not get a chance to raise it.  However, the panel did discuss the menace of human biases in programming AI systems at Mark Taylor's instigation which was also interesting.

The last item on the agenda was another breakout session.  We were offered "Discover the Power of Innovation Through Knowledge Transfer Partnerships", "From Innovation to Impact: Commercialising Health Solutions in South Yorkshire" and "Innovate UK Business Growth and Global". I chose the second option, which was another panel discussion. The panellists were Richard Stubbs, Sarah Daniel, Rashmi Raju, Aaton Oliver Taylor and Professor Paul Dimitri. All had interesting things to say but only Sarah Daniel, who had established several rehabilitation clinics throughout Yorkshire, seemed to focus on commercializing health solutions in the county.

Attendees were invited to stay on until 17:00 for networking, and I noticed that there was a bar in Glide House.  As there is only one train an hour in each direction along the Penistone Line, I called a taxi and left for Meadowhall station. I had a good day and congratulate the organizers and speakers.   My only criticism is that a lot of organizations that help entrepreneurs, such as the Business and IP Centres and the Business Village, were absent.  I was surprised that I was the only intellectual property professional and I am not sure that there were any angel or private equity investors at the event.

Anyone wishing to discuss this article may call me on 020 7404 5252 during office hours or send me a message through my contact page.

AI Innovation in Healthcare

John Smith Stadium

Copyright owner Arne Műseler Licence CC BY-SA 3.0 DE Source Wikimedia Commons

 

Jane Lambert

Earlier today I attended the "AI Innovation in Healthcare" conference on the third floor of the John Smith Stadium in Huddersfield.  It was one of the first events of the Huddersfield Health Innovation Partnership.  It began at 09:30 and ended at 15:30. Pathfinder Healthcare Developments C.I.C which helped to deliver the conference has posted some photos of the venue and a summary of the event on  LinkedIn.  The audience included academics, clinicians, computer scientists, healthcare professionals, investors and software developers   As far as I could see I was the only lawyer and I did not recognize any patent attorneys.

The morning started with breakfast.  After registration, attendees were offered a choice of yoghurt and cereal or fruit salad and hot drinks    The programme began with a keynote speech from Dr. Mina Gupta Chair of the Modality Partnership.  She outlined the services for patient care in the United Kingdom, the gradual automation of those services that had taken place in her lifetime, clinicians' attitudes towards automation and the use of artificial intelligence in primary care practices.  As I was mindful of the privacy, copyright and database rights issues that had arisen over AI training I asked her about the training of those systems.  She replied that they had been developed by third-party suppliers but that there had been no data quality or security issues.  I met her during the first coffee break when she amplified her answer and spoke in more detail about the resourcing of research.

The next programme consisted of debates and discussions.  Two panels of clinicians and computer experts discussed four motions relating to the use of artificial intelligence in healthcare.  After each motion groups of audience members who had been seated around tables were invited to discuss and vote on each of the topics.  I can't remember all of the motions but one was over whether leadership was the primary driver for the use of artificial intelligence.

Lunch consisted of a mixed salad with a choice of chicken or vegetarian accompaniments.  I circulated as much as I could during lunch and met an angel investor, a journalist and a sales representative for one of the AI systems suppliers,   I also visited the stands of Skin Analytics and Blue Prism and learnt about their products.  After lunch the auditorium was partitioned and we were divided into two breakout groups.  I joined the regulatory and ethical issues group which was addressed by two very interesting speakers.  

The first was a member of Google Healthcare's team in the UK.  He explained that Google contributes technical solutions to healthcare devices in developed markets such as the UK but did not create such products by itself.  He discussed some of the projects in which his company had been involved.  As I had recently read Lord Justice Birss's judgment in Comptroller General of Patents, Designs and Trade Marks v Emotional Perception AI Ltd [2024] EWCA Civ 825 (19 July 2024) in which he explained in everyday language how artificial neural networks ("ANNs") work I asked the speaker whether the systems that he had described ran on ANNs or whether digital computers could be programmed to emulate such platforms.  He replied that his systems ran on ANNs.

The last speaker was Michael Watts of Blüm Health and I found him to be the most interesting speaker of the whole day,  He is both an entrepreneur and a doctor which is a rare combination and holds business as well as medical qualifications.   He had co-founded Blüm Health which is described on its website as a one-stop-shop digital health delivery partner.   He discussed some of his company's products and services in his presentation.   Being mindful of the Court of Appeal's decision in Emotional Perception I asked him about the legal protection of his software.  He replied that he was aware of the computer programs' "as such" exclusion from patentability and relied on copyright and first mover advantage;   I was very impressed by his talk and congratulated him on it afterwards.

The day finished with a group photo which was appropriate as it was very much an NHS family event.   I would have appreciated a little more focus on the technology and perhaps more discussion on intellectual property, data protection and other legal issues but then I am a friend and not a member of that family.  From the chatter that I heard on the way out the event had been enjoyed and appreciated.   It was certainly a good use of my time.

Anyone wishing to discuss this article can call me on 020 7404 5252 during UK office hours or send me a message through my contact form.

NorthernMAX Demo Day

Standard YouTube Licence

Jane Lambert

I mentioned the launch of the NorthernMAX health accelerator programme in  Northern Max - a new Healthcare Accelerator in Bradford 12 Jan 2018. That programme ends on 29 March 2018.  I was lucky enough to attend a demo day on Thursday, 22 March 2018 at which several of the participants presented their businesses.

The event took place in the reception area of the Digital Exchange in Little Germany.  Each of the businesses on the programme was allocated space for a stand in the reception area or adjoining side rooms. Doors opened to visitors at 10:00 and the first hour was used for introductions, demonstrations and general discussions over coffee.

At about 11:00 Tom Strodtbeck invited visitors to take a seat and listen to short presentations from the participating companies.  All the ideas were interesting and they were very varied.  Some businesses such as V & V innovations had developed apparatus for diagnosis. Others like John Baruch's Mulberrybush had devised systems for facilitating social care. Most of the products were for healthcare or social care but one of them used data from sensors to gaie early warning of flooding.  I had expected the presenters to be very young men and women straight out of medical or graduate school.  I was pleased to find that they were of all ages and backgrounds.

The presentations ended at 12:30 when a light lunch was served.  I spoke to Tom Strodbeck and Amanda Lennon about the programme and met as many participants as possible. All seemed to be very satisfied with the programme as I had expected  them to be.

At 13:00 we were invited to resume our seats for two short talks from Paul Jones, chief technical officer of BUPA and Taz Aldawould chief executive of DocAbode who had secured funding for his project.

I attended the event to listen and learn rather than to promote my services but I was glad that several of the participants were aware of the need for legal protection for their innovation and creativity. One or two of them requested my business card asked me a lot of general questions on intellectual property.

Should anyone wish to discuss this article he or she should call me on 020 7404 5252 during usual office hours or message me through my contact form.

Northern Max - a new Healthcare Accelerator in Bradford

Bradford Royal Infirmary

Author David Spencer

Licence Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic

Source Wikipedia

Jane Lambert

In Accelerators and Incubators in the Leeds City Region 22 April 2017 IP Yorkshire I wrote:

"Both accelerators and incubators help to launch fledgling businesses. Accelerators offer structured development and training with opportunities to attract funding for the most attractive businesses. Incubators are more like serviced offices with mentoring and other forms of business and technical support thrown in."

When I penned that article there were only four accelerators and all of them were in Leeds. I can now report the launch of a new one in Bradford for the healthcare industry called Northern Max. It came to my attention through a posting on the Yorkshire Business Desk: SMEs and start-ups embark on programme to bring innovative health solutions to market 12 Jan 2018

Northern Max describes itself as "a market-access focused 12-week accelerator programme that has been funded by City of Bradford Metropolitan District Council and AD:Venture."  AD:Venture supports start-ups and young business in their first 3 years of trading,within the Leeds City Region. Such support consists of "a tailored mix of practical advice, coaching, outcome focused events, academic support, incubation work space, finance brokerage, low rate loans and help".

The accelerator programme started on 8 Jan 2018 at the Digital Exchange in Little Germany. Businesses participating in the programme will have an opportunity to:

• validate their technology and business models;
• create and test minimum viable products; and
• be introduced to potential customers, funders and investors.

They should leave with a clear understanding of growth strategy, funding options and market opportunities. At least some should have secured some sort of funding and all will have tested their assumptions in live NHS and care settings, and pitched to potential customers and investors.  The programme will be provided by Innov8tive Minds and the Digital Health Enterprise Zone ("DHEZ").

Neither the The Business Desk article nor the announcements on the AD:Venture or the DHEZ websites state whether participating businesses will be made aware of the dangers of inadvertently infringing other businesses' patents, trade marks or other intellectual property rights or of competitors exploiting their intellectual assets through failing to protect then properly, If they have not been alerted to those dangers, they should be.

Happily, the Intellectual Property Office ("IPO") has recently updated its IP Basics guidance.  The best time to start thinking about these matters is when writing a business plan.  As the IPO notes:

" Your business builds goodwill and recognition through your brand, product or service. This value builds up over time and becomes integral linked to your business’s IP assets. If used well, IP can offer a solid platform for any business to grow. How you plan, manage and protect your ideas should be a crucial feature in your business planning. What seems unimportant today could be worth millions of pounds in the future, if protected."

Businesses on the Northern Max programme can find additional information on how to incorporate IP into their business plans in Jane Lambert Putting IP at the Heart of Your Business Plan 2 Jan 2015 NIPC News and Jane Lambert Why every business plan should take account of intellectual property 3 April 2016 NIPC News,

In Getting Help, the IPO advises that the British Library Business and IP Centre supports entrepreneurs, inventors and small businesses and will also give advice on creating a business plan. The British Library works with a number of public libraries around the country to provide similar advice locally at Business and IP Centres. The nearest Centre to Bradford is at Leeds Central Library.

Sometimes businesses need specialist professional advice and it is there that enormous care should be taken. Businesses requiring patents should consult a patent attorney and those needing trade marks a trade mark attorney. Law firms that are members of the Intellectual Property Lawyers Association can advise on licensing, joint ventures, funding and other business transactions, They can also assist parties to resolve infringement and other disputes.  Barristers who subscribe to the Intellectual Property Bar Association support patent and trade mark attorneys and solicitors by advising on difficult points of law, drafting complex legal instruments and presenting cases before judges and hearing officers much in the way that consultant physicians and surgeons support GPs in medicine (see Jane Lambert IP Services from Barristers 6 April 2013 NIPC News).

I wish Innov8tive Minds, DHEZ, participating businesses and everyone involved in the Northern Max project every success.  Should any of them wish to discuss this article or IP generally they should call me on 020 7404 5252 during office hours or send me a message through my contact page.