Innovation Forum: Sustainability at Net Zero Industry Innovation Centre, Teesside University
22nd February 2024
Hannah Gibson, Sustainability Project Manager at HI NENC, chaired January’s Innovation Forum and gave us her thoughts on a successful day bringing NHS Innovation and Sustainability departments together
Following the festive period, we were welcomed by North Tees NHS Foundation Trust at the Teesside University Net Zero Industry Innovation Centre (NZIIC) for our first crossover forum which brought together Innovation and Sustainability Managers across the North East and North Cumbria Region.
With net zero being a hot topic and high up on everyone’s agenda, including the NHS, incorporating sustainability as a key theme to one of the Innovation Forum meetings only adds to the growth and reach the forum can have.
The day started with a vegan chilli lunch provided by local caterer Shanti Café who are based in Saltburn. This was followed by roundtable activities in the form of the Innovation Design Service which encouraged both Innovation and Sustainability Managers to look at barriers and enablers to working collaboratively. We then had a presentation from Team Jump, who work closely with the NHS to develop Sustainability Reward apps that inspire the workforce to engage in carbon-reducing actions in exchange for rewards. Ellis Marshall, Business Partnerships Manager for Net Zero, and Helen Gamesby, Business Partnership Manager for Health who are both Teesside University employees gave attendees a presentation on how the NHS can interact with Teesside University and the NZIIC. To round off the day we were treated to a tour of the new NZIIC Facilities including the Hydrogen & Circular Economy Labs and Immersive Mapping Technology.
Attending the day as exhibitors were Joe Dunne and Alex Young from Middlesbrough Environment City. Joe and Alex were here to promote the work they do on the Middlesbrough Food Partnership which focuses on Food Poverty and Eco Food and are also working with South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust to tackle this issue.
The Innovation Forum aims to break down barriers to engagement, and we’ve already seen new connections made since this meeting. We aspire to be a region renowned for its interdisciplinary collaborations, particularly those spanning NHS, industry, and academia. With that in mind, please do get in touch if anything you’ve read sparks your interest.
The next forum will be in March hosted by Tees Esk and Wear Valley NHS Trust.
Follow the links below to find out more about HI NENC supports NHS Innovation and helps to shape a greener NHS in our region.