Breaking down barriers: How the South West is building a healthier future through collaboration

20 Mar 2026

What happens when you bring together healthcare leaders, academics, researchers, and industry innovators in one room? You start to see how the South West can truly transform health outcomes for patients and communities. 

That was the thinking behind a special session held on 12 March as part of UCC Innovation Week 2026. Hosted at the Brookfield Health Sciences Complex, the event brought together colleagues from UCC, HSE South West, MTU, Health Innovation Hub Ireland and industry partners to tackle a crucial question: how can we work together more effectively to support health innovation with real-world impact? 

A region rich in expertise, ready to connect

The South West already has all the ingredients for success: a highly skilled clinical workforce, a strong research base across our universities, and a significant industry presence. The challenge, as panelists and speakers explored, is connecting these strengths more deliberately. 

"We need to move beyond informal, one-off connections," said Professor Helen Whelton, Head of the College of Medicine and Health and Chief Academic Officer HSE South/SouthWest Hospital Group, who delivered the closing address following a lively panel discussion.  "What’s required are structured, system-level frameworks that prioritise collaboration and translation so that research can be mobilised more effectively, and implemented more rapidly to deliver sustained benefit for patients, health systems and society at large", Professor Whelton added.  

The session showcased the breadth of innovation support already available across the region. Attendees heard from the College of Medicine and Health’s Dr Ken O’Riordan (UCC) and Dr Claire Brady (CUH) on research supports in clinical and academic settings; from Laura Dillon and Louise Costello on frontline initiatives like the HSE Spark programme; and from Dr Noel Murphy on the evolving HSE South West Change and Innovation function, which is equipping frontline teams with practical tools to improve care pathways. 

David Corkery from UCC Innovation outlined supports for commercialisation and enterprise, while Dr Tanya Mulcahy highlighted how Health Innovation Hub Ireland connects healthcare providers with companies to test new solutions within the health system itself. 

The power of partnership

A key theme running through the afternoon was the importance of the so-called ‘Triple Helix' – collaboration between universities, healthcare systems and industry. Not as an additional layer of complexity, but as a way of making it easier to innovate within an already complex system. 

This is precisely the role of the Academic Health Sciences System in our region: to create the conditions where ideas can be developed, tested and implemented, grounded in real-world clinical need. 

What’s next?

For those interested in learning more about health innovation in the South West, or in exploring potential collaborations, the Academic Health Sciences team is here to help. 

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For further information, please contact UCC Academic Health Sciences Manager, Anna Toner, at anna.toner@ucc.ie. 

Read a full outline of the session, including speakers and panellists.