Inovus Medical launches new Education, Research, and Innovation Centre as first students graduate from £1m Liverpool City Region life sciences skills pilot
Posted by Ben Quinton. 14th May
14th May, 2025 – Democratising access to surgical training, Inovus Medical today launched its new Education, Research, and Innovation Centre (ERIC).
Based within Inovus Medical’s St Helens headquarters – and part-funded by the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority – ERIC is a cutting-edge centre designed to advance education, research, and innovation in the region by delivering specialist training across key sectors including healthcare, life sciences, and advanced manufacturing.
ERIC will also serve as an extension of the LCR Ignite programme – a training programme for young people supported by £1m from the Combined Authority as part of the Liverpool City Region Innovation Zone.
It provides a physical location where industry partners, educators, and local communities can unite to strengthen the region’s talent pipeline, foster economic growth and inclusion, and support the LCR in fulfilling its ambition to become a leader in innovation.
A series of one-day intensive courses will be offered, combining hands-on practice with expert guidance and structured feedback. Students will be empowered to improve their core surgical skills and develop more complex techniques using Inovus’ suite of state-of-the-art simulators. Each course has been carefully constructed to help trainees embed essential skills in a compact time frame.
Inovus Medical’s hybrid augmented reality simulators are compatible with real instruments and offer natural haptics to closely mimic the real-life surgical experience while also providing a safe learning environment that rewards repetition.
“Working to solve the global surgeon shortage and ultimately save lives is the driving force behind Inovus Medical and ERIC. This new educational institution will not only bring trainee surgeons from all over the world to the LCR but will also allow them to maximise their training time through our affordable, accessible intensive courses that combine surgical simulation with expert-led education.”
“Giving local people the skills to benefit from job opportunities created in the life sciences sector is a key part of the Innovation Zone programme. Inovus is helping to ease a worldwide shortage of surgeons and plug the city region’s life sciences skills gap.
“The LCR Ignite programme is a wonderful opportunity for students to get amazing work experience using state-of-the-art technology at a city region company that has global reach.”
The launch of ERIC coincided with an event honouring LCR Ignite’s first cohort. 24 students from Carmel College in St Helens have successfully completed a four-month work experience programme with Inovus Medical. Divided into four specialisms, each attended weekly interactive sessions where they developed sector-specific skills in Medical Technology Operations, Brand & Business, Software Engineering & Development, and Medical Technology Innovations.
Attended by 60, the event was an opportunity to celebrate the students’ hard work and commitment as well as thank the industry mentors, partners, and educators who have supported the programme.
With this first cohort, LCR Ignite has already proved itself to be a catalyst for positive change, enabling young people to unlock their potential and confidently pursue careers in the region’s thriving innovation sector.
About Inovus Medical
Inovus Medical works to remaster surgical training through accessible, affordable, and functional technologies. Founded in 2012, the company is transforming surgical care, providing a solution to the global surgeon shortage, and, ultimately, saving lives through connected surgical training.
Press Contact:
Ben Quinton
Digital Marketing Manager