Huw Edwards

Huw Edwards is based in Oxford and has been involved with Synsana since its foundation.  Huw is a highly trained and experienced project manager with wide experience in the UK National Health Service, the European Commission and internationally, e.g. the Saudi National Bio-Incubator.  For 27 years Huw has supported Health Care innovation, technology commercialisation and government schemes for Health Care improvement with independent technical analysis, market research and increasingly access to finance support.  Huw’s focus is information systems, evidence based medicine and active and assisted living in the community.  Huw is an accredited EC Business Coach, was the founding Chief Executive of the British in-vitro Diagnostics Association and the first Director of Diagnox.  Huw was a research physiologist at Cambridge and Oxford before taking a management training post with Elsevier in Amsterdam.

Key Areas of Experience

Consultancy • Process & Systems management • Healthcare service management • Market research • Growth Strategies • Innovation in product, process & management • Project Management • Mentoring • Funding strategy • Business Coaching

Projects

Badir for Biotechnology

The Badir programme aimed to develop the post-oil Saudi economy.  Badir for Biotechnology sought to build on the large investment in medical facilities and staff in the Kingdom. With a small team of colleagues this contract was secured in 2009. 

The initial work delivered included the refurbishment of a floor of a Medical School in Riyadh, the fitting out of laboratories, the recruitment of staff and the engagement of entrepreneurs with ideas for commercialisation.

In subsequent phases, over a five-year period, entrepreneur support training programmes were developed and delivered, technician training programmes were instituted, strategy papers produced for Saudi research and healthcare bodies, facilities management formalised and routes to finance developed in the context of local culture.

Introducing novel technologies in miniaturised and remote diagnosis and monitoring

A series of reports for the EU on micro & nano bio-systems (MNBS) based on stake holder consultation and a programme of annual conferences over a ten-year period, under contract from the European Commission. The MNBS activity set out to engage the nascent remote healthcare monitoring community and develop the European industry in this sector.

The sector was entirely medical and close to the patient at the outset.  The 2016 report noted the extension of the technology to true remote monitoring, the inclusion of “wellness” as opposed to sickness and the use of the technology in allied sectors such as agriculture, food processing, veterinary applications and environmental health.

Improving NHS management processes

Managing Patient Administration System (PAS) introduction in the Oxford Radcliffe Hospitals

Led a consultant and hospital team to establish the key features of an effective PAS and the principal issues associated with system introduction.

Engaged in consultation with representatives of the entire NHS staff of the hospitals to create an inclusive process reflecting all aspects of system needs.  Established the pilot areas for system introduction to include the widest possible demands on the system to ensure that features were robust and that staff were confident that their needs would be met during roll out.

Market Entry

Support for early stage healthcare companies an, focusing on information systems technology.  Using UK Government programmes such as the regional Innovation Advisory Services, Growth Accelerator, Innovate UK, SBRI; European schemes such as Horizon 2020 and Eureka and charitable schemes such as the Wellcome Trust.  I have supported the launch, growth and new product development in over 50 SMEs addressing the health and wellbeing sectors in UK and globally.

I am familiar with the market places and business models found in the following areas:

Assistive Technology, Medical devices, Diagnostics, Medical databases, Evidence based Medicine, Internet of Things / wearables, Wireless technologies, Healthcare Administration systems, Business Intelligence, Systems Implementation, Clinical pathways.

Provide advice to the NHS SBRI programme funding awards to SMEs in digital healthcare, diagnostics & medical devices.

Registered as an EU Business Coach.

Publications

BBSRC Invertebrate Neuroscience Newsletter

Minimalimet, master list of medical terms, the Elsevier equivalent to the US MESH

(UK National) Centre of Excellence in Neuroscience – report for DTI

Workplace 2000 (Swedish presidency of the EU), chapter contributor

Transpharma, the international journal of bioscience technology transfer.  Editor, 12 issues including an editorial and 2-3 articles per issue

Framework 7 reports on Micro and Nano technology for Health

Framework 7 reports on Pre-Commercial Procurement of R&D

Horizon 2020 Reports on the status of Micro & Nano Bio-Systems