Chaired by Dr Ewa Truchanowicz, the board represents a cross-sector group of experts spanning medical technologies, clinical research, digital health, advanced manufacturing and commercialisation.
The appointments mark a significant step in the next phase of the Cluster’s development, as it strengthens its role in supporting innovation, investment and growth across the West Midlands.
The formation of the Board comes at a pivotal moment for the region.
While the West Midlands has a strong and increasingly investable health and life sciences base, spanning over 1,000 companies and contributing £3.66bn in GVA, innovators and businesses continue to face challenges navigating a complex and fragmented ecosystem.
This can limit the region’s ability to translate innovation into real-world adoption, scale and economic impact.
To address this, WMHTC has been working with partners across the ecosystem through a series of “North Star” workshops, bringing together voices from industry, academia and government to define a clear and shared direction for the Cluster.
This work has established a long-term ambition for the West Midlands to become a globally recognised leader in health and medtech, where clear and connected pathways enable innovators and businesses to start, scale and stay in the region.
At the heart of this is a renewed mission for WMHTC: to convene, coordinate and advocate across the ecosystem - connecting businesses with the partners, expertise and infrastructure they need to successfully develop, validate and scale health technologies.
The Advisory Board will play a critical role in shaping and guiding this vision, ensuring the Cluster remains industry-led, focused and aligned with real-world needs.
Four priority areas have been identified through the North Star process:
Together, these priorities aim to create a more connected, visible and effective ecosystem, one that not only supports innovation, but accelerates its path to adoption and impact.
Chair of the WMHTC advisory board, Dr Ewa Truchanowicz, (pictured) said: “The West Midlands has all the foundations of a strong health technology ecosystem, from world-class research and clinical expertise to a growing base of innovative businesses.
“The opportunity now is to better connect these strengths, creating clearer, more accessible pathways for innovators and enabling stronger collaboration across the system.
“Through WMHTC, we can help strengthen the region’s position as a leading UK cluster with growing international relevance, ensuring that innovation is not only developed here, but successfully translated into real-world impact.”
