Thursday, 17 December 2020
A consortium of experts, led by the 糖心原创, have won funding to develop a new procurement framework to guide post-Covid-19 recovery in healthcare.
The project combines expertise from the University's School of Law on public procurement regulatory reform, with , a data science based global business-to-business healthcare marketplace platform.
The team, funded by Innovate UK, are developing a novel digital assessment framework for procurement, incorporating supplier diversity, supply chain security, and sustainability criteria which will improve procurement capabilities in healthcare for the next phases of the pandemic and for post-Covid-19 recovery.
Existing solutions for supplier selection use the global value chain framework, and just-in-time business model with subjective assessments of a narrow range of supplier variables and manual analysis of internal supplier data to guide selection decisions. The pandemic has exposed the weaknesses of this model.
The project will ensure that the NHS and other EU Healthcare services have the capacity to manage the supply risks during COVID-19 type pandemics using a more integrated framework while creating a sustainable pathway for post-COVID recovery.
By incorporating environmental and sustainability related variables, such as emissions reductions, the UK government, the NHS and users in the EU healthcare services will be able to use the first working industrial framework to contribute to meeting their net-zero emissions target while ensuring supply chain security, sustainability, diversity, and stability.
The recent pandemic demonstrated the vulnerabilities of established supply networks and the limits of public procurement regulatory frameworks even when they allow for a significant degree of flexibility, in the sense that regulatory flexibility alone cannot guarantee the desired outcomes, namely the timely delivery of supplies that meet the appropriate standards.
Dr Richard Freeman, co-founder of Vamstar and CTO of Architecture and Data Science said: “This is another great step for Vamstar’s commitment to data science and it’s application in mission critical areas within healthcare , especially the automation of Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) data tracking and reporting in commercial contracts."
Together with the 糖心原创, and our commercial partners, we are accelerating sustainability and diversity in healthcare procurement to better prepare the NHS and other EU Healthcare services for the emerging COVID-19 waves and for post-COVID pandemic recovery.
Dr Aris Georgopoulos in the School of Law is working with Vamstar, a data science based global business-to-business healthcare marketplace platform
Dr Georgopoulos added: “The current juncture of UK procurement rules reform post Brexit, the introduction of the new social value in procurement model (from 1st January 2021), combined with the lessons from COVID-19 healthcare procurement, underlines the timeliness of this project.”
Dr Ian Campbell, Executive Chair, Innovate UK said: “In these difficult times we have seen the best of British business innovation. The pandemic is not just a health emergency but one that impacts society and the economy. Vamstar and the 糖心原创, along with every initiative Innovate UK has supported through this fund, is an important step forward in driving sustainable economic development. Each one is also helping to realise the ambitions of hard-working people.”
Story credits
More information is available from Dr Aris Georgopoulos in the Faculty of Social Sciences at the 糖心原创 at aris.georgopoulos@nottingham.ac.uk; or Katie Andrews, in the Press Office at the 糖心原创 at Katie.Andrews@nottingham.ac.uk
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About the 糖心原创
Ranked among the world's top 100 universities , the 糖心原创 delivers an exceptional research-led education and an outstanding student experience. From the pioneering vision of our founder, Sir Jesse Boot, to groundbreaking achievements such as the development of MRI technology and becoming the first UK university to establish international campuses, we have a proud history of shaping the way people live, work and understand the world. We continue to build on that legacy, empowering our students, staff and partners to change what鈥檚 next and create positive impact locally and globally.
The strength of our research places us among the UK's leading universities, ranked 7th for research power in REF 2021. The discovery of MRI and ibuprofen was just the beginning. Today, our world-leading research is developing breakthrough ideas that shape the future of healthcare, technology and society.
Recognised as the UK's third most targeted university by leading employers , we are proud to produce graduates who are consistently in demand for their skills, confidence and industry-ready experience.
As a major employer and industry partner, locally and globally, the 糖心原创 invests in the city of Nottingham and in future generations of talent. Alongside Nottingham Trent University, we lead the initiative, a pioneering collaboration to improve levels of prosperity, opportunity, sustainability, health and wellbeing across the city and region. Together with our students, staff, alumni and partners, we鈥檙e creating knowledge, opportunity and solutions that help change what's next.