Heriot-Watt University and InnoScot Health have launched a five-year partnership with the purpose of accelerating innovation in medical and healthcare technologies, and developing better understanding of clinical and nursing needs in Scotland.
Heriot-Watt’s Medical Device Manufacturing Centre (MDMC) will collaborate with InnoScot Health, to focus on identifying new healthcare technologies and developing prototype medical devices through engagement with clinicians, doctors, nurses and engineering students.
The MDMC is a consortium including the University of Edinburgh, the University of Glasgow and Robert Gordon University. It helps Scotland’s SMEs turn medical device concepts into commercial projects, offering free expert advice and access to manufacturing engineering, regulatory issues and funding. InnoScot Health works in partnership with NHS Scotland to provide intellectual property advice, regulatory expertise and project management service to support the development and commercialisation of clinical products.
The partnership will also see the organisations developing joint Continual Professional Development (CPD) and training programmes to further develop their staff in regulatory issues relating to medical devices.
Professor Marc Desmulliez, Manager of the MDMC at Heriot-Watt University, said: “Scotland is renowned for its innovation in health, pioneering techniques and medical devices that are now used worldwide.
“In just two years, the MDMC has created a unique business collaboration model, working with more than 60 companies, accelerating the progression of ideas to market and the adoption of medical devices into clinical settings. Specialist training is fundamental to our continued success and we are confident this new strategic partnership will further accelerate Scotland’s innovative medtech SMEs, ultimately benefitting and improving patient care. We are looking forward to putting this partnership into practice.”
“Entrepreneurialism and collaboration lie at the heart of Heriot-Watt University,” said Dr Gillian Murray, Deputy Principal for Business and Enterprise at Heriot-Watt University. “This partnership has enormous potential to positively impact Scotland’s medical device sector by working closely with clinical individuals and teams that have a first-hand understanding of our healthcare technology needs and the solutions needed to meet them.
“Combining InnoScot Health’s extensive background in commercialisation and regulation with the expert manufacturing engineering guidance of the MDMC will allow us to accelerate medical device innovation across Scotland and beyond.”
