International medical technology company praises council support

An international medical technology company which has made York its UK base has praised the business support available in the city.

Icentia, which was founded in Quebec City, Canada, in 2012, provides wearable ECG (electrocardiogram) devices which monitor the wearer’s heartbeat and can help diagnose irregular cardiac rhythms, in turn helping medical professionals detect and treat cardiac disease early and effectively.

After being worn for between 24 hours and 14 days, patients return the monitor by post to the Icentia’s offices, in Monks Cross, where a team of Cardiac Physiologists analyse the readings and provide summary reports directly to clinicians.

Through providing easy to use, discreet devices, the company aims to improve patient experience by reducing the number of hospital appointments required, facilitating faster clinical decisions and reducing waiting times for treatment.

According to the firm’s UK Managing Director, Darren Macfarlane, the decision over the whereabouts of Icentia’s British HQ was an easy one:

“In many ways the question for us wasn’t so much ‘Why York?’ as ‘Why not York?’

“Why wouldn’t we want to situate our business in a city with a fantastic quality of life, a highly skilled workforce and great transport links to the rest of the country?

The city’s highly skilled workforce has been of particular benefit to the company, as Darren explained:

“It’s been wonderful to be able to tap into the talent pool offered by the University of York and York St John University. We’ve had several members of staff come to work for us after graduating, and others who have worked part-time with us while studying in relevant fields, who then progressed to working with us full-time on graduation.”

Darren and his team have been supported by the council’s Economic Growth Team from the very start of the company’s UK venture, being helped to get established in York and then supported to grow from then on.

Christine Hogan, an Inward Investment Manager, helped connect Darren to essential regional and local business networks and helping them to identify potential office premises, with the business finally settling in, first at York Science Park in Heslington, then more recently making the move to Monk’s Cross as the business grew.

Once established in York, Darren worked with Louise Saw, one of the council’s Business Growth Managers, who has provided ongoing advice and guidance, including making introductions to key contacts, signposting to funding sources and programmes like Green Economy, which has helped Icentia develop a bespoke Carbon Reduction Plan to reduce their emissions and make cost savings.

Darren said:

“The really great thing about the business support offered by City of York Council is that it’s totally flexible and tailor-made for your specific needs as a business.

“We’ve received different support at different times across our seven years’ operating so far from York and that’s been really valuable to us as we’ve faced evolving business challenges, from finding office space, navigating the complexities of Brexit, to expanding the business and starting to export our products to Europe.”

Cllr Pete Kilbane, Executive Member for Economy and Culture at City of York Council, said:

“The work Icentia are doing is vital and making a real difference to thousands of patients across the world every year, including here in the UK, and it’s fantastic that this life-changing work is taking place right here in York.

“We’re delighted that we’ve been able to support Icentia at every step along the way, from ensuring that they could set up their York HQ with ease, to connecting them to the funding, talent and networks that they need to thrive and expand.

“Because no two businesses are the same, the support we offer is tailored to the specific needs and challenges of your business, and changes as your business grows.”

The council’s Economic Growth team have a wealth of local knowledge, and can help you identify premises and advise on funding, workforce development and much more.

For free, impartial business support, get in touch at economicgrowth@york.gov.ukto start a conversation with our team.