What We Do
We are the NI Health and Life sciences cluster organisation.
Clusters bring together vital stakeholders required to catalyse innovation across a region. We engage across borders and across the sector to develop funding, influence, policy and opportunity for collaboration. Through our events and sector knowledge, we represent Northern Ireland stakeholders and innovators on the global stage.
The Northern Ireland Ecosystem
80,000
6 Health Trusts employing
over 80,000 people
250+
Over 250 Health and
Life sciences companies
4,400
Health & Life
Sciences Graduates
Increasing Jobs
Analysis shows that prior to forming HIRANI, the life science and health sector together supported approximately 100,000 jobs, which is 5 percent of the population of Northern Ireland, and generated £1.1 billion gross value added (GVA) in 2018.
By embedding cluster connectivity, access to investment, and partnering with complimentary expertise in other UK clusters – such as NHSA and Medcity – GVA is likely to double to £2.2 billion.
What People Say About Us
"The hosting of the first NI ELRIG Scientific Forum at the Future Medicines Institute at Queen's University Belfast marks a significant economic and reputational boost for the city, with the event projected to generate approximately £200,000 in economic impact. By welcoming leading scientists, researchers and industry professionals to Belfast, the forum drives valuable spending across local hospitality providers and other businesses, while further strengthening the city’s growing life and health sciences ecosystem.
The opportunity was facilitated through an introduction from Health Innovation Research Alliance Northern Ireland (HIRANI), helping to connect Elrig with Visit Belfast and secure Belfast as the host location. Beyond the immediate financial benefit, the forum reinforces Belfast’s and Northern Ireland's position as an attractive destination for high-profile scientific collaboration and innovation-led events."
Louise McQuillan
Visit Belfast
"Our relationship with HIRANI is a very important one to us. The convening of the HealthTech leaders group has created an important platform to advocate for the industry in Northern Ireland and has already done much to address barriers that prevent patients accessing high quality, innovative technology, notably in improved regulatory support. HealthTech Spring has quickly established itself as a must attend event presenting invaluable networking opportunities for everyone involved."
Richard Phillips
ABHI
"HIRANI has played a pivotal role in supporting eXRt Intelligent Healthcare’s journey, providing invaluable guidance, funding, and connections that have accelerated our growth. Through the Launchpad NI programme, backed by Innovate UK, we received critical financial support to advance our innovation and scale our impact in digital neurorehabilitation.
HIRANI’s mentorship and network introductions have been instrumental in navigating the complex health innovation landscape, enabling us to achieve key milestones such as CE marking and regulatory approval for our Resynk platform. Their continued support has been essential in helping us translate cutting-edge research into real-world clinical solutions that transform patient recovery"
Dr Dominic Holmes
eXRT Intelligent Healthcare (2025)
"The NHS Clinical Entrepreneur Programme is proud to partner with HIRANI to strengthen connections with the vibrant Northern Ireland healthcare ecosystem. This collaboration opens doors for our entrepreneurs to engage with a dynamic network of innovators, industry leaders, and health and life sciences organisations across the region. By working together, we create opportunities for knowledge exchange, co-design, and collaboration that accelerate the development and adoption of transformative solutions for patients and healthcare systems. Importantly, working with HIRANI enables us to support Health and Social Care (HSC) innovators in Northern Ireland, adding to our diverse community of entrepreneurs across the UK.
Through HIRANI’s support and the annual CEP Pitstop in Northern Ireland, our entrepreneurs gain invaluable exposure to local expertise, investment opportunities, and cutting-edge innovation. This partnership not only widens access and visibility of the programme but also opens doors to flagship events such as the Northern Ireland Confederation (NICON) conference and HIRANI’s Health Tech Spring conference—key platforms for showcasing innovation and forging strategic partnerships. Together, we are building a stronger, more connected ecosystem—one that empowers entrepreneurs to scale impactful ideas and deliver better healthcare for all."
Lucy Dentice
Clinical Entrepreneur Programme Lead
HIRANI continue to be a key presence across Life and Health Sciences in Northern Ireland. The Health Tech Spring event encapsulated the breadth and scope of HIRANI with thought-provoking, informative and innovative speakers and sessions. The ABPI was delighted to host the Skills showcase during the event and will build on this each year ensuring NI commits to develop the skills and leadership NI will need across Life and Health Sciences in the future.
"The ABPI value the strong link with HIRANI and the symbiotic relationship that is supporting and driving advances for NI's entire Life and Health Sciences ecosystem. We look forward to continuing opportunities to cement the established links between ABPI and HIRANI as a true partnership dedicated to progressing the evolving landscape of NI’s life sciences industry and to benefit the health and wealth of the NI population."
Marion Laverty
ABPI
"Through the Innovate UK funded FemTech and Mindset-XR programmes, the Health Innovation Network South London has partnered with HIRANI to support innovators of FemTech and of immersive mental health solutions.
HIRANI have been valuable partners, sharing opportunities to apply for funding and support with innovators in Northern Ireland with the aim of increasing funding applications. HIRANI have supported these innovators with knowledge of the market in Northern Ireland, and intros as required. For the Mindset-XR programme, HIRANI have provided coaching, support and introductions, including hosting an event in partnership with the Academy of Medical Sciences, which allowed innovators of immersive mental health solutions to meet with health system leaders and share their innovations. "
Jill Owens
Health Innovation Network South London Mindset programme lead
"HIRANI have supported us through a combination of clinical networks, academic partnerships and innovation programmes, including the NHS Clinical Entrepreneur Programme, Innovate UK, national Health Innovation Networks, and regional support, providing both practical support and strategic insight to enable platform development, evaluation and sustainable growth."
Frances Duffy
Founder 6D Dementia
"Working with HIRANI has been exceptionally valuable for us. The organisation provides a crucial connection point between innovators and the health sector, which is exactly what a co-development company like ours needs. The most helpful aspects have been the platform and the connections. Being featured gives us a platform to showcase our technologies to a highly engaged audience of policymakers, academics, and clinicians. Furthermore, the opportunities to attend events, such as the Spring Conference, allow us to network directly with key health professionals who are driving change on the ground. These interactions are invaluable; they lead to the feedback and partnerships that ultimately refine our products and ensure they deliver real clinical value."
Chris Thomas
Propeer Solutions
The Connected Health & Wellbeing Cluster, an Enterprise Ireland co-funded initiative, is based at Dundalk Institute of Technology. It has eighty members from across the Health and Life Science sector and has actively engaged with HIRANI on areas of common interest, especially in relation to digital health and technology.
We were launched in 2021, and HIRANI have collaborated with us on a number of initiatives including direct support and input on our annual healthtech conferences. We always know that HIRANI can put us in touch with key stakeholders in Northern Ireland, and similar to us, are committed to quadruple-helix collaboration across industry, academia, healthcare and society.
Breanndán Casey
DKIT
"HIRANI have been instrumental on this journey, signposting to funding which led to a successful Innovate UK grant."
Corrina Grimes
Co-founder, MemoryTell
"The HIRANI network has been central to our development, from guiding our Innovate UK Launchpad grant applications and connecting us with the Business Navigator Life & Health Sciences Programme, to facilitating introductions to mentors, advisors and collaborators who have helped shape our strategic direction. Connections made through HIRANI’s Spring Conference also led to our collaboration with the Future Medicines Institute, giving us access to resources and expertise that would have otherwise been out of reach at this early stage. Their ongoing support has been instrumental in helping us grow both Antigenesis and the wider Northern Ireland life sciences ecosystem. "
Dr Ciaran Doherty
Antigenesis Biologics
"HIRANI outlined a high-value cardiac funding opportunities at our QUB Cardiac Research Group’s Heart Health conference. This drew our attention to the Healthcare Innovation Programme by the British Heart Foundation. Follow-up discussions with Professor Joann Rhodes, HIRANI CEO, supported the development of our proposal and assisted with facilitating the submission of the successful application and £250,077 in funding."
Dr Gareth Thompson
Research Fellow at the QUB School of Nursing & Midwifery
"HIRANI is a key stakeholder of the NHS Confederation in Northern Ireland. Innovation is a crucial policy area for us and HIRANI makes a perfect partner, from co-producing our health and wealth report in 2022, to having innovation on the main stage at our NICON conferences, we have build this partnership on strong foundations and are seeing it produce results and having the innovation agenda firmly included in the Department of Health Reset Plan. Health and social care staff are much more aware of the life sciences sector, what it offers and how innovation can address some of our most pressing healthcare challenges. We look forward to working with the HIRANI team on emerging projects for the future."
Heather Moorhead
Head of NICON
"HIRANI has given Big Motive a sharper seat at the table in Northern Ireland’s health-innovation world. By sponsoring and taking part in Health Tech Spring, we’ve been able to champion the human-centred design principles that underpin our practice.
Our team used the platform to spark better conversations about data, while the broader collaboration has helped position us firmly within the momentum that is driving health technology forward. It’s also created a natural pathway for promoting practical tools like our Design Sprint for Health, giving public-sector teams a way to turn innovation talk into services that genuinely meet citizens’ needs."
Kyla Phillips & Rebecca Walsh
Big Motive
"HIRANI's support has greatly contributed to the successful launch of Our Future Health, the UK's largest research programme, in Northern Ireland. We were delighted to have Dr Michael B Cook, our Interim Chief Science Officer, involved in their Health Tech Spring 2025 event which led to collaborations with researchers and innovators to further our shared goals and add value to the health research landscape. HIRANI's unique and pivotal role in bringing together organisations across all sectors in the life sciences space in Northern Ireland has enabled us to foster key connections and gain new insights where we wouldn't have been able to otherwise. We're very grateful to have worked with HIRANI over the course of this year, and we look forward to future opportunities to build on our work together.”
Our Future Health team
