Why the UK is the Gateway to Global Health Innovation – Insights from HETT North’s Afternoon Keynote

At this year’s HETT North, the Department for Business and Trade (DBT) hosted a standout keynote exploring why the UK continues to attract some of the world’s most innovative health and life sciences companies. Led by Dace Dimza-Jones, National Life Sciences Inward Investment Specialist at DBT, the session dived into the UK’s unique offering and featured a first-hand success story from Joanna Mik, CEO of PHIN Group. 

The UK Advantage – More Than Just a Market 

Kicking off the session, Dace offered a fascinating look at the sheer scale of support available for international companies looking to land and expand in the UK. With a global network of colleagues in over 170 countries, Dace explained how her role is to guide MedTech, digital health, pharma, and life sciences innovators as they navigate the complexities of entering the NHS and wider UK market. 

“When innovative companies come here, they’re quite confused because they do not always know which are the right ways into the UK, into the NHS,” Dace said. This is where the DBT steps in, connecting businesses with the right regional partners, NHS contacts, universities, and even the NIHR infrastructure to help fast-track their UK journey. 

Beyond the ecosystem, Dace outlined the hard-to-ignore reasons companies choose the UK: world-leading academic institutions, the lowest corporate tax rate in the G7, and access to unique resources like biobanks and patient data. Not to mention, as Dace put it, “We are the birthplace of the unicorns.” 

A Polish Innovator’s Journey to the UK 

To bring this support to life, Dace invited Joanna Mik to share her personal experience of expanding PHIN Group into the UK. With 25 years of experience in MedTech and digital health, Joanna decided it was time to stop consulting and start building her own innovation, Stoma Alert, a remote telemedicine system designed to support stoma patients after hospital discharge. 

“We found out that there is a gap in the healthcare system,” Joanna explained. “There are no standard descriptions of stoma complications, and the same patient can be described by two people in different ways.” PHIN Group took on the challenge, developing a standardised system to classify stoma complications, which now underpins their app-based solution designed to connect patients with stoma nurses remotely. 

Her decision to expand into the UK wasn’t accidental. Joanna described the UK as a “reference market for medical devices” and even “a challenge market” that would set a high standard for PHIN Group’s success in Europe. “I knew this would be my first choice,” she said. 

The Realities of Setting Up in the UK 

Of course, no entrepreneurial journey is without its challenges. Joanna candidly shared that while setting up the business itself was “very easy” in the UK, opening a bank account was unexpectedly difficult. “In Poland, I can open a bank account in 10 minutes on the high street… here, I need a visa,” she laughed.  

Despite the hurdles, Joanna’s optimism shone through. Supported by the DBT and the UK Embassy in Warsaw, she’s now focused on scaling the business and sees the UK as a launchpad for international growth.  

A Glimpse into the Power of Collaboration 

The session wrapped up on a personal note, with Dace praising Joanna’s drive and ability to juggle entrepreneurship, family life, and international expansion, all while developing technology designed to improve patients' lives. “You’re a true inspiration,” Dace told Joanna. 

For anyone curious about expanding their health tech or life sciences business into the UK, this keynote was a compelling reminder of the ecosystem’s strength and the real support available to make that journey possible. 

As Dace summed up perfectly, “It doesn’t matter if you want to bring your innovation to Newcastle, Birmingham, Manchester, or London, there is going to be cluster support available for you.” 

Join us at our upcoming event, HETT Show on 7-8th October at ExCeL London to be part of the conversation. Register your interest below.