Earlier this month, Global Health Connector and the Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce brought a delegation of healthcare, business, university and innovation leaders from Nashville to Belfast, before going on to Dublin.

The aim was to build relationships and look at where the two places could work together on healthcare innovation, research, commercialisation, entrepreneurship and investment. 

Let’s break it down.

Understanding Belfast’s story first

The week started with Belfast’s history. A Black Taxi tour through West Belfast, the Shankill Road and the Peace Wall showed the delegation the background to every conversation that followed. The health and economic progress the city talks about today was built across these divides.

That evening, Deloitte Belfast hosted the opening reception. Brian O’Connor, Founder and Chair of Global Health Connector, and Mike Farrar CBE, Permanent Secretary of the Department of Health, spoke to the delegation. 

In a fireside chat, Dan Crawford, founder of Axial3D, explained how Northern Ireland’s innovation community helped him launch the company, raise more than $20 million and reach U.S. health systems and surgery centres.

Policy, city and health system

On Tuesday, the delegation met former Health Minister Mike Nesbitt MLA. Lord Mayor Róis-Máire Donnelly then gave them an official welcome, followed by an economic overview from Innovation City Belfast. 

At a working lunch, Brian O’Connor and Dr. Paul Rice looked at how the Northern Ireland health system and its partners turn ideas into impact. In the afternoon, the group mapped ideas together with Ulster University. At Catalyst, a startup workshop helped Northern Ireland companies understand the U.S. market.

 The day ended with a reception at Titanic Distillers with partners from across the region.

Data, health and immersive technology

On the last day in Belfast, Queen’s University Belfast hosted a working morning led by Prof. Mark Lawler. It covered three themes: digital health and health data, cancer and precision oncology, and rural and community health. 

Prof. Lawler summed up the morning in one line: “Health dividend of peace, economic dividend of health.” 

The delegation then visited Studio Ulster, where immersive technology is used across healthcare, film, TV and gaming.

What comes next

The conversations go on in Dublin, and Queen’s University Belfast will share follow-ups from the breakout sessions. Global Health Connector wants to keep these new connections active so that companies, research and ideas can move more easily between Nashville and Northern Ireland.

Our thanks go to Innovation City Belfast, Belfast City Council, Deloitte, Catalyst, Ulster University, Queen’s University Belfast, Axial3D, Studio Ulster, Health Innovation Research Alliance Northern Ireland (HIRANI), Global Health Innovators Nashville, and the many people who welcomed the delegation.

Joining dots. Transforming lives.