Heriot-Watt is shaping the future of public services

Heriot-Watt University is redefining how universities support public services by bringing together engineers, researchers, clinicians, and communities to co-design health and care technologies that work in the real world.

Heriot-Watt’s innovation landscape spans the Global Research Institute in Health and Care Technologies, the National Robotarium, the Medical Device Manufacturing Centre (MDMC), and a growing network of partnerships with the NHS, social care providers, third-sector organisations, local authorities, and other universities. Operating across their campuses in Scotland, Dubai, and Malaysia, our global ecosystem is focused on creating people-centred innovations with clear public value.

The University is working with future frontline nurses at Edinburgh Napier University to help shape the clinical technologies they’ll use in practice, ensuring they have a voice in their development. The collaboration with Blackwood Homes and Care saw the University trial socially assistive robotics to support independent living in social care settings. Through Tay Health Tech, Heriot-Watt is partnering with NHS Tayside and Scottish Enterprise to fast-track MedTech innovation that responds directly to local population needs. Home to the MDMC, they also worked with 63% of Scotland’s domestic MedTech sector and worked with SME’s to help bring 17 new products to market that will improve the lives of people using public healthcare.

This diverse yet joined-up approach is about more than invention, it’s about embedding innovation into the fabric of public service delivery. By working side by side with practitioners and patients, Heriot-Watt is helping to build more responsive, inclusive, and future-ready public services.