Warp speed drive to design hospital of the future

The UK and ESA are pushing to design a new ‘space age’ hospital.

Funding is available for ideas to use technologies and techniques pioneered on missions to Mars or the International Space Station to help treat patients and improve hospitals.

Up to £5 million of UK Space Agency funding is available to support a joint initiative with the Hampshire Together: Modernising our Hospitals and Health Services programme. The programme is part of the government’s Health Infrastructure Plan, which includes the provision of 40 new hospitals across England by 2030.

Technologies may include new diagnostic tools, improved logistics, improving hospital parking or better patient reach using tele-rehabilitation or care.

Previous health technologies inspired by space technologies have helped provide real-time diagnosis of bowel cancer, developed more compact 3D X-ray machines and improved healthcare in the community through remote diagnostics.

The Hampshire Together programme is a partnership between a wide range of bodies responsible for the health and wellbeing of the people of north and mid Hampshire, focused on ensuring that any investment is made not just in hospital buildings – but in local people.

The call for space-inspired ideas is supported by the European Space Agency’s Space Solutions, through their Business Applications programme. Follow this link for information on how to apply.