Northern Ireland Ecosystem Gathering – Connecting Dots Locally:Connecting Dots Globally

On 3 September, the Global Health Connector will co-host our latest Northern Ireland Ecosystem gathering with Belfast City Council, building on the success of our recent 5 Nations Ecosystem Gathering in May. 

This in-person event will take place at the Banqueting Hall, Belfast City Hall, Belfast, Northern Ireland and registration is free for all attendees.

We will focus on how we can “connect the dots” in healthcare locally within Northern Ireland – where exciting developments are underway in digital health across government, local authorities, research organisations, cluster facilities, and our members. We will take a deep dive into these local initiatives while also exploring international and global opportunities, including funding, trade missions, and research collaborations across the globe.

You will hear from Belfast City Council about their programmes linking health and economic development, as well as their global engagement. The Department of Health will share updates on their initiatives around health data.

We are also delighted to welcome Queen’s University Belfast and Ulster University, who will present updates on a range of programmes, including One Health, Peace Plus, Health and the Economy, Global Cancer Ecosystems, the Future Medicines Centre, AI Centres, place-based initiatives, smart cities, and mental health – along with their global ambitions.

In addition, we will be hearing from some of our members such as HIRANI, Catalyst, Big Motive, and Manetu,  looking at how we can further connect the dots nationally and globally. 

As with all of our Ecosystem Gatherings, there will be opportunities for pitching, networking and one-to-one meetings to break down silos and foster meaningful connections.

We thank Belfast City Council for their kind generosity for the use of City Hall.

Latest Agenda

09.30 – 10.00 – Arrival & Welcome Coffee

10.00 – 10.15 – Welcome by Belfast City Council

• Cllr Tracy Kelly – Lord Mayor, Belfast City Council

10.15 – 10.30 – Global Health Connector: Joining the Dots, Transforming Lives

• Brian O’Connor – Chair, Global Health Connector

10.30 – 10.50 – Belfast City Council and Catalyst: Connecting Locally, Connecting Globally

• Keith Forster – Director of Economic Development, Belfast City Council
• Laura Leonard – International Relationship Manager, Belfast City Council
• Rob Grundy – Director of Innovation Partnerships

10.50 – 11:05 – Now We Have Done That – What Are We Going to Do Next?

• Paul Rice – Chief Digital Information Officer, Department of Health Northern Ireland

11.05 – 11.45 –Queen’s University Belfast: Future Medicine and Momentum Programmes

• Stephen McCabe – Professor of Digital Health
• Stephen Ligett – Director, Future Medicines Institute
• Chris McCabe – Research and Policy Lead, Queen’s University Belfast

11.45 – 12.25 –Ulster University: Using Local Programmes to Connect Global Initiatives

• Professor Jim McLaughlin CBE – Director of NIBEC and Centre for Digital Healthcare Technology (CDHT) Lead
• Paul Beaney – Head of Project Delivery for The Centre for Digital Technology
• Caroline McGoran – Funding Development Manager, Centre for Digital Healthcare Technology
• David Crozier – Director, AI Collaboration Centre
• Ian Cleland – Research Director, School of Computing, Ulster University

12.25 – 12.35 – Big Motive: Using New Tech to Engage Users of Digital Health Platforms

• Rebecca Walsh – Design Partner, Big Motive

12.35 – 12.45 –HIRANI: Developing Talent for a Thriving Life Sciences Ecosystem

• Sean O’Connor  – Cluster Innovation Lead, HIRANI

12.45 – 12.55 – Funding and Shared Island Opportunities from Invest NI

• Mags Murray – Technology Executive, Invest NI

12.55 – 13.00 – Manetu: Making Secure Data Connect

• Conor Allen – President, Manetu

13.00 – 13.15 – Health: An Engine for Economic Growth

• Adrian Johnston – Innovation Commissioner, Innovation City Belfast

13.30 – 15.00 – Lunch & Extended Networking