<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><ns2:project xmlns:ns1="http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk/gtr/api" xmlns:ns2="http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk/gtr/api/project" xmlns:ns3="http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk/gtr/api/fund" xmlns:ns4="http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk/gtr/api/person" xmlns:ns5="http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk/gtr/api/project/outcome" xmlns:ns6="http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk/gtr/api/organisation" ns1:created="2026-08-26T13:36:10Z" ns1:href="http://gtr.ukri.org/gtr/api/projects/61AC593E-4771-48BC-923C-8CE20669612C" ns1:id="61AC593E-4771-48BC-923C-8CE20669612C"><ns1:links><ns1:link ns1:href="http://gtr.ukri.org/gtr/api/persons/A881ED0A-37FA-42B3-9B60-5A9EF708726E" ns1:rel="PM_PER"/><ns1:link ns1:href="http://gtr.ukri.org/gtr/api/organisations/3EB62BC3-57E8-46FF-AC57-75366503B19C" ns1:rel="LEAD_ORG"/><ns1:link ns1:href="http://gtr.ukri.org/gtr/api/organisations/3EB62BC3-57E8-46FF-AC57-75366503B19C" ns1:rel="PARTICIPANT_ORG"/><ns1:link ns1:end="2023-04-29T23:00:00Z" ns1:href="http://gtr.ukri.org/gtr/api/funds/A2471D90-7BD6-40B7-B304-814A5D522295" ns1:rel="FUND" ns1:start="2022-11-01T00:00:00Z"/></ns1:links><ns2:identifiers><ns2:identifier ns2:type="RCUK">10043342</ns2:identifier></ns2:identifiers><ns2:title>BEACON (BEd bAnd proof of CONcept )</ns2:title><ns2:status>Closed</ns2:status><ns2:grantCategory>Grant for R&amp;D</ns2:grantCategory><ns2:leadFunder>Innovate UK</ns2:leadFunder><ns2:abstractText>High quality sleep is essential and has a major impact on health and wellbeing.

Globally, over 1.7 billion people have musculoskeletal conditions such as multiple sclerosis, arthritis, and muscular dystrophy and over 77 million have survived a stroke. It is common for people with the conditions listed to have mobility limitations that can prevent them from achieving high-quality sleep each night, resulting in direct and indirect healthcare costs. Lack of good quality and quantity of sleep can lead to further health issues, such as cognition problems, high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease and increased incidence of anxiety and depression_._ The market for sleep aids globally is &amp;pound;49.62 billion in 2020, this figure is predicted to rise to &amp;pound;92.82 billion by 2030\. With mattresses and pillows being the most lucrative form of sleep aid on the market.

BEACON will evidence and enable the Bed Band, a patent-pending health and wellbeing device developed using advanced manufacturing and materials by Person Centred Solutions that improves sleep quality for people who struggle to maintain a comfortable position in bed. The device helps users reduce their incidence of insomnia, pain, and discomfort resulting in improved sleep and lower costs of care. The UK addressable market for people with mobility limitations alone for the Bed Band exceeds 11 million people. The BEACON project will evaluate the Bed Band in people with mobility issues who struggle to get a good night's sleep due to discomfort

-We will measure the amount and quality of sleep using validated sleep monitoring technology and user surveys

-Results will support commercialisation by 2023</ns2:abstractText></ns2:project>