A wearable technology cluster has launched in Greater Manchester to speed the development and deployment of community healthcare tools.
The Greater Manchester Wearables and Remote Monitoring Innovation Cluster, known as GM-WIC, will bring together public sector organisations, universities and global commercial partners.
It will use a “triple helix” model linking the public sector, academia and industry to support the research, development and deployment of new technologies.
Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust will lead the initiative in partnership with the University of Manchester, Manchester Metropolitan University and the NIHR Manchester Health Determinants Research Collaboration, which is hosted by Manchester City Council.
The cluster aims to remove barriers facing companies and innovators developing wearable and remote monitoring technologies.
It will bring together expertise from across Greater Manchester and the region’s integrated health and care system to help products move more smoothly from concept to market.
Mark Cubbon, chief executive of Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, said: “Wearable and remote monitoring technologies are pivotal to the future of healthcare, and key to the ambitions in NHS 10 Year Plan.
“It is vital that we collaborate closely with leaders at the cutting-edge of this technology, including academia and the life sciences industry sector.
“This new initiative is designed to remove barriers and encourage investment, bringing the latest innovations and lasting impact.
“Wearable tech can give people greater choice and control over their health and care, and it’s exciting that Greater Manchester is at the centre of this new phase of digital innovation.”
GM-WIC has received £5.5m from the Local Innovation Partnerships Fund, with commercial partners providing a further £5.6m.
The UK government programme is being delivered through UK Research and Innovation and will invest up to £500m in regional innovation economies across the country.
It is intended to decentralise innovation and give regions including Greater Manchester greater scope to drive local growth.
The programme aims to establish lasting innovation clusters, attract sustained private investment and strengthen collaboration between businesses, universities and regional leaders.
Bev Craig, leader of Manchester City Council and Greater Manchester portfolio lead for economy, business and inclusive growth, said: “Through this significant investment in five pioneering projects we will translate world-class research and innovation into new jobs and opportunities that benefit Greater Manchester’s businesses and residents.
“By focusing on advanced materials and manufacturing, health innovation and AI, we are building on the strengths that already set our city region apart and creating the conditions for more businesses to innovate, scale and succeed here.
“This is the kind of investment and collaboration that helps us deliver long-term, inclusive growth, strengthening our economy and ensuring the benefits of innovation are felt right across Greater Manchester.”
Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust already uses wearable devices, remote monitoring and digital health data through its Hospital at Home programme.
The programme allows patients to recover at home while receiving the level of care and monitoring they would expect in hospital.
The global wearable medical device market was valued at US$103bn in 2025 and is projected to reach US$505bn by 2034.
The partners said the cluster would help Greater Manchester maintain a leading role in that growth and bring sustained economic benefits to the region.
Katherine Boylan, deputy managing director for research and innovation and GM-WIC project lead, said: “Wearable and remote monitoring technology has the potential to revolutionise healthcare and I am very excited by this new partnership.
“In Greater Manchester we have a proud tradition of clinical and academic expertise, and one of the largest and thriving research and innovation ecosystems in the country.
“This will allow us to take these new concepts and test them with our patients to see how this technology can make a difference, and how it can be improved.
“By removing barriers and attracting investment, this innovation can be accelerated so that new ideas are robustly evaluated and improved upon, putting Greater Manchester at the forefront of a new age of wearable technology in healthcare.”
