The Northern Ireland Department for the Economy and the Welsh Government have jointly funded a Small Business Research Initiative (SBRI) Cancer Challenge to support the development of innovative solutions to improve cancer diagnosis and treatment.

Five companies have been awarded funding to develop their projects, which include:

• CYTED Ltd: Testing a capsule sponge test to reduce the need for endoscopies.

• IBEX Medical Analytics Ltd: Developing AI-powered diagnostics for pathology.

• Cansense Ltd: Developing a new test for bowel cancer diagnosis using artificial intelligence.

• Qure AI Technologies Ltd: Using AI to triage and prioritize suspected lung cancer patients.

• Future Perfect Healthcare Ltd: Developing a population-wide pre-cancer registry to identify high-risk patients using genomic testing.

"The current health and social care system cannot meet the growing demands placed on it," said Northern Ireland Health Minister Mike Nesbitt. "We need innovative solutions to deliver better outcomes for patients—diagnosing and treating the right patient at the right time, while ensuring services are sustainable."

"This Cancer Challenge gives us the opportunity to test and integrate promising new approaches into mainstream care," Minister Nesbitt added.

The collaboration between the Welsh Government and the Northern Ireland Department for the Economy aims to improve cancer care outcomes across both regions.

"Early detection of cancer is crucial for improving survival rates," said Cabinet Secretary for Health in Wales, Jeremy Miles. "Advancements which improve people’s outcomes and reduce health inequalities are both welcome and vital for people affected by this devastating disease."

The findings from these projects will be shared with commissioners and clinicians across Wales and Northern Ireland in Spring 2025.

This initiative demonstrates a commitment to leveraging innovation and collaboration to address the challenges of cancer care and improve patient outcomes.