Indi Singh, Commercial Programme Manager at Health Innovation North West Coast
Health Innovation North West Coast is helping the Biologics Regional Innovation and Technology Ecosystem (BRITE) programme deliver on its ambition - to create a world-leading biologics ecosystem that supports research excellence, economic growth and improved outcomes for patients.
Launched to strengthen collaboration between industry, academia and the NHS, the BRITE programme aims to accelerate the development, adoption and commercialisation of biologics while supporting economic growth and improving patient outcomes across the Liverpool City Region. It is a part of a £5 million UKRI-funded initiative announced in Spring 2025 to position the Liverpool City Region as a global leader in biologics innovation and commercialisation.
As part of the programme, Health Innovation North West Coast was commissioned by the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine (LSTM), which is leading BRITE, to deliver a major assessment of biologics adoption readiness in the NHS.
Health Innovation North West Coast provided strategic NHS insight, innovation expertise and a practical framework for adoption. The work has helped establish an evidence base to guide future BRITE activity, investment and innovation support.
The report examined how biologics are currently commissioned, delivered and adopted across the NHS in the North West, mapping biologics capability across Greater Manchester, Cheshire and Merseyside, and Lancashire and South Cumbria, and creating a detailed picture of existing strengths, barriers and opportunities for future growth.
It identified that while the NHS has robust national processes for evaluating and approving innovative therapies, adoption is frequently constrained by operational challenges, including workforce capacity, pharmacy infrastructure, homecare provision and service redesign.
The findings highlighted that one of the greatest challenges facing biologics innovation is not scientific discovery, but ensuring healthcare systems are prepared to deliver new therapies safely, efficiently and at scale.
Indi Singh, Commercial Programme Manager at Health Innovation North West Coast, said: "The BRITE programme represents a significant opportunity to strengthen the biologics ecosystem across Liverpool City Region and beyond.
“Our role has been to bring an NHS perspective to the programme, helping partners understand not only where innovation opportunities exist, but also what is needed to enable successful adoption in real-world healthcare settings.
“By identifying barriers, opportunities and system readiness requirements, we are helping to create a stronger foundation for future biologics innovation."
Health Innovation North West Coast then also developed a bespoke readiness framework that enables NHS organisations to assess their capability to adopt and deliver biologics. The framework provides a practical tool for identifying gaps, prioritising investment and supporting service transformation across health systems. It also establishes a baseline where future progress can be measured.
Becky Jones-Phillips, Lead Investigator for the BRITE programme and Director of Enterprise and Innovation at LSTM, said: "Health Innovation North West Coast has made a valuable contribution to the programme by combining innovation expertise with deep understanding of NHS systems and adoption pathways.
“Their work has helped us better understand the realities of biologics implementation and has provided an important evidence base that will inform future programme activity. As BRITE moves into its next phase, this insight will help us support researchers and innovators to translate promising discoveries into solutions that can benefit patients and health systems."
Health Innovation North West Coast will continue to support BRITE as it enters its next phase, helping partners consider how academic discoveries can move more effectively from research and development through commercialisation and ultimately into NHS adoption.
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