Digital Mental Health Innovation Cluster (DMHIC)

Updated June 11, 2026

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Key Details

Organisation Name

Digital Health & Care Innovation Centre (DHI)

Location

1st floor, Suite B, Inovo Building, 121 George St, Glasgow, G1 1RD

Scotland

Website

Social

eMHIC Member Status

Strategic Partner

At a Glance

Description

The Digital Health & Care Innovation Centre (DHI) leads Scotland’s Digital Mental Health Innovation Cluster, bringing together cross-sector partners to drive collaboration, share insights, and develop innovative digital solutions that support mental health and wellbeing across Scotland.

Implementation Status

Routine service delivery

The Digital Health & Care Innovation Centre facilitates Scotland’s Digital Mental Health Innovation Cluster, connecting cross-sector partners to develop, test, and implement digital mental health solutions aligned with national policy and programmes.

Target Population

Industry

Digital Mental Health Technology Innovators at any development stage

Academics

Reseachers, Higher education staff

Clinical

Mental Health Clinicians, Nurses, healthcare providers

Third Sector

Mental Health Charities

Impact & Outcomes

The DMHIC members collectively established an outcomes-based approach as part of an early workshop facilitated by a Scottish SME, Matter of Focus.

Two core outcomes are used to guide activities:
• Outcome 1: Cluster members collaborate to develop and adopt digital mental health interventions.
• Outcome 2: Knowledge and learning are shared within and beyond the cluster.

These outcomes provide a roadmap for activity planning, evaluation, and impact measurement.

281

DMHIC Members

212

DMHIC Linkedin Group

267

DMHIC Newsletter

Events per annum

281

DMHIC Members

212

DMHIC Linkedin Group

267

DMHIC Newsletter

Events per annum

The Cluster has become a central point of contact and coordination for digital innovation and has been able to drive forward crucial work around service delivery priorities. We have seen the work of the Cluster turn into wider, tangible, opportunities for the industrial sector, bolstered by it’s available to create of strong partnerships between clinical, academic and commercial sectors.

Chris Wright, National Advisor for Digital Mental Health

DMHIC have been very proactive in meeting with us to discuss work on Neurodevelopmental Pathways, providing a wealth of information mapping out the existing landscape, exploring possibilities for digital innovations and improvement and making links to other key interests in the Scottish Government and elsewhere

Susan Ferguson, Mental Health Directorate, Scottish Government

The DMHIC has provided the insight, connections, context and opportunities to help our sector diversify into digital health, creating fresh possibilities for innovation, collaboration, and growth.

Brian Baglow, Ecosystem Builder and Founder of Scottish Games Network

China Global Dialogue Forum: Digital innovation driving mental health transformation

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Initiative Overview

The Current Gap

The Digital Mental Health Innovation Cluster addresses the lack of coordination, collaboration, and knowledge-sharing across Scotland’s mental health ecosystem. Fragmented innovation pathways can limit the development, adoption, and scaling of effective digital mental health solutions.

By connecting industry, healthcare, academia, public services, third-sector organisations, and citizens, the cluster helps bridge gaps between innovation, policy, and implementation. It supports the identification and development of evidence-based digital solutions, enabling faster collaboration, improved access to expertise, and more effective deployment of technologies that enhance mental health and wellbeing outcomes across Scotland.

Our Solution

The Digital Health & Care Innovation Centre established and facilitates Scotland’s Digital Mental Health Innovation Cluster to accelerate the development and implementation of digital mental health solutions. The initiative brings together industry, healthcare, academia, public sector organisations, third-sector partners, and citizens to foster collaboration, share insights, and address key mental health challenges.

Through dedicated engagement spaces, knowledge exchange, and links to government policy and national programmes, the cluster supports the co-design, testing, and deployment of innovative technologies that improve mental health and wellbeing outcomes across Scotland.

Key Features

1

Knowledge Exchange

DMHIC operates as recognised vehicle for knowledge exchange (within Scotland, UK and between and across international partners).

2

Cross Sector Connectivity

DMHIC provides a dedicated place for interaction with the local, national and international ecosystem. It provides both virtual and physical environments which attract key stakeholders

3

Activity Management

DMHIC functions as an agent for identifying, mobilising and progressing specific research and innovation activities which are aligned with Scotland’s strategic priorities

Collaboration in Action

Main Collaborators

Government & Public Sector:
• Scottish Government
• Chief Scientist Office
• UK Research and Innovation (UKRI)

Health & Innovation Networks:
• Health Innovation Network
• Health Innovation Research Alliance Northern Ireland (HIRANI)

Clinical & Healthcare Partners
• NHS Scotland (including all Scottish NHS Boards)
• NHS England
• Health and Social Care Northern Ireland
• NHS Wales
• NHS 24

Academic Partners
• All 19 Scottish Universities
• Ulster University

Research & Development
• NHS Research Scotland
• MindTech
• MIND

Third Sector & Charitable Organisations
• Scottish Action for Mental Health (SAMH)
• Mental Health Foundation
• NAIT
• Scottish Games Network

Industry & Digital Innovation Partners
• Care Reality
• eMoodie
• Red Star

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Key Learnings

Main Challenges

The initiative faced challenges in coordinating collaboration across diverse sectors, maintaining active industry engagement, and addressing fragmented digital mental health pathways across Scotland.

Additional challenges included varying levels of digital maturity, workforce pressures, stigma surrounding mental health, and the complexity of integrating innovative technologies into existing health and care systems.

The rapid increase in demand for neurodevelopmental services, particularly ADHD support, also highlighted significant service capacity and pathway challenges.

Important Lessons

• Strong cross-sector collaboration, meaningful lived experience involvement, and alignment with national policy are essential for successful digital mental health innovation.
• The initiative demonstrated the importance of creating trusted spaces for knowledge exchange and maintaining continuous engagement with stakeholders.
• Early mapping of challenges, services, and innovation gaps helped identify priorities and opportunities for scalable impact.
• Building relationships across academia, industry, healthcare, government, and third-sector organisations was critical to accelerating innovation and supporting sustainable implementation.

Collaborative Insights

• International collaboration was essential for sharing knowledge, identifying best practices, and learning from different digital mental health systems and approaches.
• Engagement with global partners enabled the initiative to explore common challenges, including stigma, access, workforce wellbeing, and service transformation.
• International partnerships also strengthened Scotland’s global reputation in digital mental health innovation, created opportunities for collaborative research and innovation projects, and supported the exchange of expertise that informed policy, service design, and future innovation activity.

Looking Ahead

Future Plans

The initiative will focus on strengthening UK-wide and international partnerships, increasing industry engagement, and expanding collaborative research and innovation opportunities.

Planned activities include supporting the 2026 Global Digital Mental Health Conference in Glasgow, developing new cross-sector partnerships with universities and innovation networks, enhancing member engagement through online forums, and advancing ADHD service transformation activities.

The initiative will also continue promoting knowledge exchange and supporting the adoption and scaling of evidence-based digital mental health solutions across Scotland.

Opportunities

The initiative welcomes collaboration opportunities with industry, academia, healthcare organisations, third-sector partners, innovators, and international networks working in digital mental health. Opportunities include collaborative research and innovation projects, knowledge exchange activities, pilot testing, service transformation initiatives, and participation in events and workshops.

Interested organisations can contact the Digital Health & Care Innovation Centre (DHI) through the DMHIC team at the University of Strathclyde or via the DHI website to explore partnership opportunities.

Future Vision

The future vision is for Scotland to become a globally recognised leader in digital mental health innovation through stronger collaboration, evidence-based innovation, and scalable digital solutions. The initiative aims to create a sustainable innovation ecosystem that accelerates the development, adoption, and implementation of technologies that improve mental health and wellbeing outcomes.

Future aspirations include influencing national and international policy, strengthening global partnerships, improving neurodevelopmental pathways, and ensuring digital mental health innovations are accessible, inclusive, and integrated into health and care services.