NIHR Innovation Observatory: Hacking Child Tech Event

What is the Hacking Child Tech event?

Hacking Child Tech seeks to stimulate horizon scanning and advance innovation related to devices, diagnostics, and digital technologies for children. Children represent an underserved population for innovation, and our pre-event seeks to stimulate ideas, creativity and collaboration in this space.

Early-life curative and preventative interventions represent an unrivalled opportunity to maximise life-course health and wellbeing, both for the individuals and the society. Yet, innovation and research for children’s health and wellbeing is substantially behind that for adults and ageing.

Event Speakers:

Professor Mike Lewis - Director of the Invention for Innovation (i4i) Programme and Small Business Research Initiative SBRI

Dr Mike McKean - Vice President for Policy, Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health

Professor Helen Minnis - Professor of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, University of Glasgow, and Fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences

Professor Paul Dimitri - Vice President for Science and Research, RCPCH & NIHR CYP MedTech Co-operative

Professor Kia Nazarpour - Professor and Chair of Digital Health, University of Edinburgh

Ms Emily Wheeler - Director of Research Partnerships, MQ Mental Health Research

Dr Alastair van Heerden - Director of the Community Based Centre for Research at Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC), South Africa

Who is the event for?

Those interested in the future of children's health, and innovation. This includes (but not limited to) innovation funders and entrepreneurs, developers and designers of health technology across academia, industry and business, as well as health and care professionals, researchers, decision-makers, and families.

Where is the event?

The event will take place in The Catalyst and Frederick Douglass buildings in the city centre of Newcastle upon Tyne (Newcastle Helix, Newcastle upon Tyne, England, NE4 5TG). Both buildings are located next to one another and are around a 10 minute walk from Newcastle Central train station, and a short walk from local metro and bus stations.

What will Hacking Child Tech cover?

Hacking Child Tech will focus on three different areas across two days: paediatric neurological trauma; child mental health; and everyday health behaviours for children.

DAY 1, The Catalyst: We will showcase latest innovations across the three event themes, focusing on sharing intelligence about the innovation landscape alongside interactive elements to generate discussion. Day 1 will be open to everyone. There will be networking, including stalls and posters.

DAY 2, Frederick Douglass Building: We will host (optional) three parallel, highly interactive workshops surrounding the themes of the Hacking Child Health Event. If you would like to join either the paediatric neurological trauma or mental health workshops, please let us know when registering for the event – places will be limited so we cannot guarantee spaces.