The Labour Party Conference drew to a close this week and Liverpool City Region’s life sciences eco-system can reflect on a hugely successful showcase of the community and its importance to the health and economy of the local area.

Representatives from across our partnership contributed to a series of important discussions over the course of the event in and around the Liverpool Experience Campus, demonstrating how the thriving system can drive growth, while tackling some of the biggest health challenges.

Innovation, research, data and AI were strong themes across the conference fringe programme, with Liverpool’s experts leading many crucial conversations involving politicians, policy makers, local leaders and industry figures. Partners who hosted and contributed to events at the Conference Fringe included Civic Health Innovation Labs (CHIL), the University of Liverpool, Alder Hey Children’s NHS Foundation Trust, Liverpool John Moores University and the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine.

Experts showcased how a connected health and life sciences ecosystem in Liverpool City Region is accelerating research, innovation and implementation to improve health, attract investment to the city region and drive inclusive economic growth.

The University of Liverpool’s Civic Health Innovation Labs brought together senior leaders from health, government, academia, industry and community to explore how data, artificial intelligence and place-based partnerships can improve health, work, and opportunities for those not in education, training or employment. Hosted by University of Liverpool Deputy Vice Chancellor Richard Black and chaired by Professor Iain Buchan, Director of CHIL, and with opening contributions from former Health Secretary Alan Milburn. The event focused on how civic partnerships can use data and AI to tackle the interconnected challenges of poor health, economic inactivity, educational disengagement, particularly in disadvantaged communities.

The event brought together representatives from organisations including Health Data Research UK, The Work Foundation, The Health Foundation, The National Care Forum, Northern Health Science Alliance, Simplyhealth, Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust, Alder Hey Children’s NHS Foundation Trust, Cambridge University Health Partners, Quantexa, Greater Manchester Combined Authority, University of Manchester, Liverpool City Council, Liverpool City Region Combined Authority and the University of Liverpool.

The event also saw the launch of the Keep Britain Working Prospectus, setting out how trusted data, responsible AI and civic partnerships could help people stay healthy, stay connected to work and access support earlier.

Elsewhere, Liverpool Health Partners joined forces with the Northern Health Science Alliance (NHSA) and The Great North to host a round table discussion about how the North’s world-class innovation ecosystem can help drive national growth.

The message was clear, the North is open for business and when the quadruple helix of academia, health, industry and local authorities come together the life sciences sector can make a real difference.

Josh Fenton-Glynn MP brought the Westminster perspective to the discussion. The group also featured Cllr Nick Small, Liverpool City Council Cabinet Member for Growth and Economy and Prof Iain Hennessey, founder/Clinical Director of Alder Hey Innovation.

Professor David Taylor-Robinson, Academic Co-Director of Health Equity North, Consultant in Public Health at Alder Hey Children’s Hospital, and Professor of Public Health and Policy at the University of Liverpool led a panel event which asked: What next for Children’s Mental Health in the North of England?

Brought together by the NHSA, the panel examined the issues surrounding treatment, prevention and the causes of poor mental health in our young population and featured powerful testimony from young people on the stress caused by exams, educational expectation and social media.

Dr Oluwaseun Esan, Lecturer in Public Health at the University of Liverpool was part of a strong female panel for another fringe event convened by the NHSA, Addressing Inequalities in Health: From Minority Ethnic Women’s Perspective.

She was joined by Kim Johnson, MP for Liverpool Riverside, and Felicity Dobrushi, from Toxteth Women’s Centre in Liverpool, who spoke passionately about the experiences of women she works with.

Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine was represented by Dr Rachel Louise Byrne, Sally Theobald, Dr Grant Hughes, Prof Stephen Allen and Prof David Lalloo, who were at the forefront of debate on topics including pandemic preparedness, the day to day impact of research development in the Liverpool area and transforming health innovation for women and girls around the world.

Another fringe panel event, The Healthiest Generation: What Children and Young People Need from Health Reform, brought together experts from Alder Hey Charity, the Children’s Hospital Alliance, and the Children and Young People’s Health Policy Influencing Group.

The North’s potential for growth was another focus during the conference. Professor Tim Jones, Vice-Chancellor, University of Liverpool, joined leaders from government, business and higher education at an event organised by the Oxford-Cambridge Supercluster which focused on the UK’s future industrial strategy, exploring how innovation and collaboration can support growth across the UK. Prof Jones highlighted how the university’s Liverpool-Oxford partnership is helping to connect and activate the Oxfordshire and Liverpool City Region innovation ecosystem, providing a coherent UK pathway from research and company creation through to scale-up, industrialisation and global market growth.

Prof Jones also took part in an event hosted by LabourList and the N8 Research Partnership, exploring how the North can build on its strengths in research, innovation and skills to attract investment and support economic growth.

The role of universities in supporting cities was explored at an event organised in partnership with Centre for Cities and the University’s Heseltine Institute for Public Policy, Practice and Place. Prof Richard Black, joined the panel to discuss how universities can support innovation, develop talent, attract investment and work with local partners to help cities grow.

Liverpool John Moores University was represented at fringe events including Unlocking Youth Employment: Universities, Skills and Opportunity and In Conversation with Mayor Steve Rotheram, held in conjunction with Centre for Cities.

Christine Cornforth, Managing Director at LHP, said: “The Labour Party Conference Fringe provided a powerful platform to demonstrate the global excellence of the health and life sciences ecosystem in Liverpool City Region and the North.

“It was a valuable opportunity to develop relationships and build networks that can only strengthen the regional offering in health innovation, connecting research, NHS delivery, AI, data, industry and communities at population scale.

“There is a real will amongst the system in the whole of the North to seize the moment and be at the forefront of the change needed to attract investment, drive research and innovation and solve the most pressing health issues.

“To be able to have these conversations here in Liverpool was a huge opportunity and one we were proud to be part of with our partners.”