Med-Tech Innovation Industry News
INDUSTRY NEWS Med-tech leads Ireland’s revival
Ireland’s vibrant medical device sector is one of the country’s greatest assets. It is widely acknowledged as a global leader in the field and comparable in scale to some of the world’s largest clusters such as Minnesota and Massachusetts in the United States.
The statistics are impressive. Nine of the top 10 companies in the sector have significant manufacturing operations in Ireland. There are currently more than 160 medical technology companies that employ 25,000 people, the highest number of people working in the industry in any country in Europe per head of population. Perhaps most noteworthy is the continued growth of the sector in recent years. In the midst of the economic challenges facing the country, medical device exports remain a shining light, climbing by more than 9% to ¤6.8 billion in 2009 and figures for 2010 are expected to show further growth. The sector is driven by the presence of global players, many with multifacility operations such as Abbott, Boston Scientific and Stryker. A significant development is the continued expansion of the range of activities undertaken. In addition to manufacturing, Ireland is increasingly attracting more complex global support functions such as Covidien’s European Healthcare Services Centre and J&J DePuy’s Global Supply Chain Centre and R&D. More than half of medical technologies companies based in Ireland have dedicated R&D facilities.
An ambitious foreign direct investment strategy, recently launched by IDA Ireland (
www.idaireland.com), the inward investment promotion agency, will ensure
Funding on offer
As part of a £21.5 million programme in regenerative medicine, the Technology Strategy Board (TSB) is to invest up to £2.5 million in commercial R&D projects in the area of regenerative medicine therapeutics. TSB’s aim is to support businesses in the preclinical, and particularly clinical development of these therapeutics. The programme has been developed in partnership with the Medical Research Council, the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council, and the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council. Projects must be collaborative and led by a business. They may range from focused basic research aimed at establishing technical feasibility, through to applied research and to experimental development. Those interested in applying for funding should contact the TSB before 20 April 2011.
www.innovateuk.org
www.med-techinnovation.com
an increasingly sophisticated and embedded presence by med-tech multinationals in Ireland. The country’s strong spirit of entrepreneurship has not been dampened by the severity of the economic crisis. Through engagement with third level research institutes and entrepreneurs, a record 15 life sciences start-ups were created by Enterprise Ireland in 2010. Profiles on indigenous Irish capability can be found at www.
bestconnected.ie. Med-tech and the wider life sciences sector are bucking the recession in Ireland: the indigenous sector grew by 13% in 2009 with sales of almost ¤1 billion and figures for 2010 are expected to show ¤100 million additional exports.
Indigenous success stories include Cappella Medical Systems, which recently won two prestigious awards: Medical Device Company of the Year (2010) and the Emerging Company of the Year (2010). The company develops novel solutions for the treatment of complex coronary artery disease. Marvao Medical, which
is developing products that reduce the risk of catheter related infection, will conduct its first clinical study in early 2011 and expects to CE mark its first product before the end of the year. Innovation is the cornerstone on which the medical device industry will continue to grow. As part of Ireland’s Strategy for Science, Technology and Innovation, ¤8 billion will be spent by 2013 on R&D and development of technology-driven sectors. A ¤500 million “Innovation” fund is providing liquidity to support growth of high technology companies.
Despite the severe challenges facing Ireland, the med-tech sector has remained resilient. Ireland’s economic recovery will be export led and the medical device sector will be in the vanguard of the revival. Information provided by Enterprise Ireland.
www.enterprise-ireland.com
Nanofibre application update
The remarkable features of nanofibres are presented in a new book, “Advances in Nanofibre Research” from iSmithers Publishing. Nanofibres (with diameters on the order of 100 nanometres) can be produced by interfacial polymerisation and electrospinning. Medical applications include drug and gene delivery, artificial blood vessels, artificial organs and medical facemasks. The book discusses electrospinning processes and presents new progress in applications of electrospun nanofibres.
www.polymer-books.com
April 2011 ¦ 09
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