Texas doctors and researchers are reaching across the pond to collaborate with British healthcare companies.

Dell Medical School is partnering with the Association of British Healthcare Industries, ABHI, to launch the first ABHI Innovation Hub, a new initiative to foster innovation and bolster startup companies.

“Dell Med is committed to helping our community get and stay healthy,” said Ruben Rathnasingham, assistant dean for health product innovation at Dell Medical School. “For us to achieve this goal, we need to work with a range of partners. ABHI is the first of what we hope will be a diverse group of organizations that are aligned with the mission of Dell Med.”

U.K. companies will have the opportunity to work in Dell’s world-class facilities and develop their U.S. business with the support of investors, mentors and clinicians and create product and service awareness to Texas communities. In return, local companies can take advantage of this new partnership by promoting their own products to the U.K. community, according to Rathnasingham.

“The hub will support promising medical technology innovation whilst looking to develop value-based healthcare for the benefit of patients in Texas, throughout the U.S. and at home in the U.K.,” ABHI Chairman Phil Kennedy said in a press release.

Member companies of ABHI will also be offered office spaces in Dell Medical School’s Health CoLab, a new space that provides start-up companies resources and connections, to directly benefit the Austin community and promote improved health and access for medical care, according to Rathnasingham.

“Great ideas can come from anywhere, and we want to engage with a diverse group of people and organizations that are trying to solve the challenges in health that our own community — and those across the nation — face,” Rathnasingham said. “The creation of the ABHI Innovation Hub is a part of that.”

ABHI also has an International Membership scheme which will allow international healthcare companies to market their products in the U.K. learn from ABHI expertise and form new connections, according to Rathnasingham. Another benefit for member companies will be the opportunity to participate in Texas Health Catalyst, a program run by Dell Medical School to provide funding for innovative ideas in healthcare.

U.K. companies will be selected on how well-aligned they are with the medical school’s mission to improve health outcomes and reduce overall costs, Rathnasingham said.

“We hope that we can learn from each other and apply our combined knowledge, skills and resources to improve population health outcomes and reduce overall healthcare costs,” Rathnasingham said. “We are hoping to develop many similar relationships with other organizations that are well-aligned with the … needs of our community.”