Edinburgh: In a bold move to accelerate healthcare innovation, Scotland has launched a pioneering DeepTech AI initiative designed to connect the country’s brightest university postgraduates with the pressing challenges of NHS Scotland.
The programme, named AI Discovery, is delivered by CodeBase through its government-backed Techscaler network, in partnership with the University of Edinburgh, University of Glasgow, and NHS Scotland. The aim: to empower a new generation of “academic founders” and catalyse the next wave of AI-powered healthtech startups.
Scotland’s world-class universities have long been engines of research and discovery, but the translation of academic breakthroughs into scalable, real-world solutions has often lagged. AI Discovery seeks to change that by targeting postgraduate students across disciplines—computer science, mathematics, microbiology, medicine, and engineering—and immersing them in a nine-week programme that blends technical, entrepreneurial, and practical training.
The first cohort, up to 30 postgraduates, will participate in a curriculum featuring ten three-hour modules, workshops, and hackathons. The focus areas range from lean product development and market research to data analysis, pitching, and go-to-market strategies—all tailored to help participants transform their research into viable, investor-ready startups.
“We have some of the world’s best universities, and there is a real opportunity to point some of the brightest minds at some of society’s biggest challenges. The plan is to connect NHS data to AI startups who can help bring about significant productivity and efficiency gains,” said Steven Drost, Chief Strategy Officer at CodeBase.
One of the initiative’s central ambitions is to foster the rise of the “academic founder.” Unlike the archetypal software entrepreneur—often mythologized as a college dropout coding from a couch—deeptech founders require advanced degrees and close ties to the latest research. CodeBase’s approach is to support these founders with best-in-class startup playbooks, delivered by a blend of specialist academics and experienced network operators.
“We are excited to see a mix of maths, computer science, medicine, and microbiology postgrads on this programme. We hope we can convert some of them into founders and connect them with international investors,” Drost added.
Alessandro Rosiello, Professor of Entrepreneurship and Innovation at the University of Edinburgh Business School, sees the programme as transformative for the university ecosystem: “AI Discovery is a critical step in the direction of changing the University’s mindset and building a more entrepreneurial campus”.
The urgency for AI-driven innovation in healthcare has never been greater. NHS Scotland, like many health systems globally, faces mounting pressures—from rising patient demand to chronic staff shortages and the ongoing challenge of reducing waiting times. AI Discovery is designed to directly address these pain points by connecting postgraduate talent with NHS data and real-world clinical problems.
David Lowe, Director of Clinical Innovation at the University of Glasgow and Clinical Lead Health CSO at The Scottish Government, described the initiative as a “true game changer for healthcare, particularly within the NHS.” He emphasised the programme’s role in nurturing the next generation of bioentrepreneurs: “By empowering innovative minds with the tools, resources, and support they need, we can accelerate the development of transformative technologies that will address some of the most pressing challenges facing the NHS and global healthcare systems today”.
The Techscaler network, now in its third year, has already supported around 1,000 startups, with member companies raising nearly £120 million in its first two years. Among its early healthcare successes is Glasgow-based Infix Support, led by consultant anaesthetist Dr. Matthew Freer. Infix’s AI-powered platform is being deployed across all NHS Scotland Health Boards to optimize operating theatre efficiency—a critical factor in reducing waiting times and improving patient outcomes.
The Infix system, now active in NHS Lanarkshire, NHS Lothian, NHS Forth Valley, and NHS Highland, is credited with improving theatre efficiency by up to 20 percent. The rollout is set to continue across the remaining health boards in the coming year, with advanced AI features being layered in to further accelerate patient pathways.
Jann Gardner, former Chief Executive of NHS Lanarkshire and now CEO of Greater Glasgow and Clyde, praised the impact: “By optimising the use of our resources, this data-driven solution is already making a real difference for patients in NHS Lanarkshire, and I look forward to seeing its impact continue to grow across NHS Scotland”.
For many participants, AI Discovery is a unique opportunity to bridge the gap between academic research and real-world impact. Yaheya Shafti, a University of Glasgow research assistant working on radar and machine learning for healthcare, highlighted the transformative effect: “AI is unlocking new possibilities that will transform healthcare. The AI Discovery programme is already proving to be invaluable to my entrepreneurial journey. And coming from an engineering background, gaining business insights from experts has been eye-opening, helping bridge the gap between research and real-world impact”.
The Scottish Government has made AI innovation a strategic priority, positioning AI Discovery as a flagship for public-private-academic collaboration. Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes underscored the initiative’s significance: “Artificial intelligence is already proving itself to be a force for good in our health and social care service, providing a range of solutions that are transforming services for the better and in a number of cases, saving lives. Tapping into the talent and innovation across Scotland’s Techscaler start-up community, the AI Discovery initiative presents a hugely exciting platform for business, academia and public sector to come together to create new startups that accelerate and scale up AI solutions”.
The launch comes on the heels of a World Economic Forum report noting that, despite significant advances, healthcare remains below average in scaling AI compared to other industries—highlighting the need for targeted, collaborative efforts like AI Discovery.
The hope is that AI Discovery will serve as a blueprint for bridging the innovation gap between academia and public health systems—not just in the UK, but globally. By nurturing academic founders, connecting them with real-world NHS data, and providing the entrepreneurial tools to scale, the initiative aims to unlock a new era of AI-enabled healthcare solutions.
If successful, the impact could be profound: faster patient care, more efficient hospitals, and a thriving ecosystem of healthtech startups rooted in Scotland’s academic excellence and driven by a mission to tackle society’s greatest challenges.
