Innovation Symposium reports and videos now available

We have recently updated our bespoke ViVet website with written reports and videos from the programme's recent Innovation Symposium where the initiative was launched.

The ViVet programme grew out of the recommendations of the Vet Futures research and is designed to ensure veterinary professionals are engaged with innovation and technological development in the animal health sector.

ViVet was launched at the Innovation Symposium which took place at the Warwick Business School at The Shard in September and saw delegates working in the veterinary, health technology and/or innovation space gather to hear experts in the field.

Among those speaking were:

• Professor Richard Susskind, a technology advisor to government and business, on the impact of exponential technological development on the professions;
• Christopher Woolard from the Financial Conduct Authority on how regulators can support innovation;
• Dr Umang Patel from health technology company Babylon on how telemedicine can support and enhance clinical standards;
• Professor Dimitrios Spyridonidis, from the Warwick Business School, on the relationship between innovation and disruption;
• Dr Guen Bradbury and Dr Greg Dickens from innovation consultancy Innovia on how practices can embrace technology;
• Dr Adam Little, Director of Veterinary Innovation and Entrepreneurship at Texas A&M University on veterinary innovation in the North American context; and,
• Anthony Roberts, Director of Leadership and Innovation at the RCVS, who introduced the delegates to the College’s ViVet project.

Videos of all of these talks plus the panel debates about telemedicine, big data and veterinary technologies currently in the pipeline, in addition to written reports of each, are available.

The site also has a number of blogs and case studies which look at areas of innovation in the veterinary profession and examples of how practices can best embrace technological and business development to enhance the service they provide and animal health and welfare.

Recent articles include the impact of 3D printing of veterinary orthopaedics, what the veterinary sector looks like from an outside investor perspective, how technology is creating alternative career paths for vets and how vets can best fuse online and offline interactions.

Anthony Roberts, our Director of Leadership and Innovation, said: “The inaugural Innovation Symposium was a huge success, bringing  together some of the best and brightest in the veterinary innovation sector, with great  speakers, fascinating issues and an overall atmosphere of positivity about how the veterinary sector can move forward.

“Through ViVet, the College will now be working to provide support and advice to the professions on how they can both embrace innovation and also influence it so that it works in the best interests of animal health and welfare. We will also be examining our regulatory framework to make sure it is fit for purpose as far as supporting and encouraging veterinary surgeons and veterinary nurses to make use of the full range of technologies are concerned.

“If you are interested in regular updates about the programme then please visit the website to sign up to the ViVet newsletter.”