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EMERGE RehabTech will convene a community of researchers, innovators, clinicians, and other stakeholders to drive forward innovation that improves rehabilitation outcomes. We will capitalise on regional strengths to develop technologies and bring innovations from bench to bedside and commercial markets.

Our Values will guide how the programme is managed and foster inclusive ways of working, and will encourage open-minded, responsible approaches to innovation.

1. Work in partnership to maximise return on investment

EMERGE RehabTech is only one of several investments in the East Midlands (EM) focussed on rehabilitation; we will work openly, transparently, and collaboratively with key strategic partners to ensure our activities and projects complement and augment existing and upcoming initiatives.
Collaborative working will be critical to realise the shared vision of an EM ‘RehabTech Valley’.
Rehabilitation is complex, and effective solutions require diverse expertise and perspectives. We want to use EMERGE RehabTech as a platform to encourage the formation of diverse, multidisciplinary teams taking an interdisciplinary approach.

2. Deliver outcomes that benefit people, society and the economy

EMERGE is a UKRI-funded Place-Based Impact Accelerator (PBIAA). This means we must focus on delivering impact through advances in rehabilitation technologies – improving health outcomes, promoting wellbeing, and enhancing quality of life for individuals and communities.
We want to fund ambitious projects that accelerate translation of excellent research into impact with clearly articulated benefits tailored to meet the needs of communities and address health inequalities. We want to support projects that develop viable products and services, and progress RehabTech solutions toward commercialisation to benefit the UK RehabTech/ MedTech economy.

3. Operate fairly and transparently

We will establish a robust governance structure to quickly capitalise on emerging opportunities and ensure PBIAA funding is distributed fairly and aligned with the programme’s broader objectives.
We will regularly reflect on and critically evaluate the effectiveness of our approach, seeking community input, and responsively adapting delivery mechanisms.
We will also be open and transparent about the processes we follow to assess proposals and award funding for projects.

4. Prioritise person-centred design and responsible innovation in our project portfolio

Applicants for EMERGE RehabTech funding will need to convince reviewers and our funding panel that they are committed to applying responsible innovation principles and have robust plans for Patient and Public Involvement and Engagement (PPIE) in their projects.
PPIE enables teams to better consider and prioritise technology requirements and lived experiences, alongside clinical relevance and commercial opportunity. Embedding effective PPIE and responsible innovation principles ensures technologies are designed to accommodate disparities caused by age, ability, socio-economic status, or geography, and – crucially – do not further reinforce barriers to access care. PPIE is vital to address health inequalities in the EM, and therefore central to our vision for EMERGE RehabTech.

5. Establish a culture that champions a “fail fast” philosophy

We want to cultivate an environment where it is understood failure can be part of succeeding and that recognises the benefits of failing quickly and early as an opportunity for learning and improvement.
We will encourage projects to take calculated risks and test their ideas, products, and strategies in a way that allows for the early identification of problems, minimising wasted resource and maximising return on investment for the EMERGE RehabTech programme. For our project teams, identifying failures at an early stage accelerates the learning process to quickly adapt and improve future iterations.