Four UK innovators selected to transform patient flow through 5G-enabled healthcare solutions

Funded by the North East Combined Authority (NECA), the programme is part of a wider £2.3m investment in 5G-enabled innovation across the region that complements the additional £5.6m investment received from UK Government’s Department for Science, Innovation and Technology through the 5G Innovation Regions Programme.

CPI’s focus is to accelerate digital technologies and unlock the potential of high-bandwidth connectivity, such as 5G and other advanced wireless infrastructure – such as LoRaWAN – to address critical challenges in health and social care delivery, particularly around managing hospital capacity, reducing delays, and easing pressure on frontline staff. 

The competition attracted a high number of number of applications from across the UK and was significantly oversubscribed, demonstrating strong appetite from industry to bring cutting-edge technology into clinical and care settings. 

After a competitive selection process, nine shortlisted companies with the most promising innovations presented their ideas at a showcase event on 28 April. These businesses demonstrated how their technologies could address priority areas including patient communication, asset tracking, patient flow modelling, remote monitoring, and secure data-sharing. 

From this group, four companies – FloKi, Aire Innovate, Walk With Path, and Dynamic Metrics Limited – have now been selected to receive tailored support from CPI, including access to test-bed facilities at NETPark in Sedgefield, technical and regulatory expertise, and up to £50,000 in business support to help accelerate their route to deployment. 

This initiative marks a key step towards integrating next-generation digital infrastructure into the UK’s healthcare system. By improving the movement of patients through hospital and care settings, these innovations have the potential to reduce waiting times, increase bed capacity, and ease pressure on frontline staff. 

As the programme progresses, two of the four selected innovations will ultimately be trialled in real-world healthcare environments in the North East such as hospitals or care homes, providing a powerful platform to demonstrate impact and scalability to key NHS and social care stakeholders. 

Steven Bagshaw, Strategic Engagement Lead at CPI, said:

“Our ambition with this programme is to demonstrate how high-bandwidth connectivity like 5G can unlock real improvements in patient flow, hospital discharge, and care coordination. By supporting HealthTech innovators to validate their technologies in real-world settings, we’re helping to drive forward a more connected and efficient healthcare system.”

Phil Witcherley, Director of Economic Growth and Regeneration for NECA, said:

“This programme shows how the North East is leading the way in 5G and healthcare technology – supporting regional innovation and economic growth and improving outcomes for patients and care providers alike.”

This 5G innovation programme forms part of CPI’s wider work to support the scale-up and commercialisation of cutting-edge HealthTech. From lab-based development through to pilot manufacturing and real-world trials, CPI helps innovators bring impactful technologies to market faster.