iCARE Director calls for data-driven partnerships at Imperial Collider 2025

Erik Mayer attended the event which showcases collaboration across academia, industry and healthcare to drive innovation

Imperial Collider 2025 brought together academics, entrepreneurs, funders and industry leaders to explore how partnerships can accelerate innovation in health, MedTech, life sciences and digital health. 

Held on 9 July at Imperial’s South Kensington campus, the event featured panel discussions, flash talks and translational case studies, alongside over 100 academic–industry matchmaking meetings designed to spark new collaborations. 

Speaking in the session “From Sample to Solution: Partnering with Imperial’s Research Infrastructure”, Dr Erik Mayer, Director of iCARE, highlighted the importance of secure data environments in driving patient-centred innovation. 

“At iCARE, we integrate longitudinal health data for 2.8 million people across North West London, covering primary, secondary, community and social care,” Mayer said. “This allows us to identify at-risk populations, evaluate interventions and tackle inequalities at scale.” 

iCARE plays a key role within Paddington Life Sciences, a growing innovation cluster that supports collaboration between the NHS, academia and industry. It also leads the NIHR Imperial Biomedical Research Centre’s Digital Health theme. 

Dr Mayer emphasised that partnerships with industry are critical to unlocking the full potential of these data resources. “We are already collaborating with a range of partners in Paddington Life Sciences to co-develop tools and insights that are making a real difference for patients and the NHS,” he said. 

The session also showcased how Imperial’s wider research infrastructure, including the London Biofoundry and Organoid Facility, is enabling external partners to work alongside Imperial researchers to translate scientific advances into real-world applications. 

Imperial Collider 2025 is part of the College’s wider commitment to supporting translational research and entrepreneurship. The day concluded with a networking reception and the Enterprise Big Summer Social, celebrating the innovation ecosystem emerging around Imperial.