Applications for the BridgeTech Program have been running over the past few months, and have so far received over 120 expressions of interest from researchers, business development professionals, entrepreneurs, medical professionals and more.
The BridgeTech Program is convened and administered by QUT and involves a consortium of partners who are delivering a program to train researchers and entrepreneurs on the scientific, legal, financial, clinical, regulatory and reimbursement disciplines related to taking medical technology to market.
This highly selective program is now enrolling 77 participants from around Australia, including:
- 14 participants from New South Wales
- 25 participants from Queensland
- 8 participants from South Australia
- 23 participants from Victoria
- 7 participants from Western Australia
Further to the announcement of the selection of the 2018 participants, The BridgeTech Program also announced the consortium partners who will be contributing to the design and networking opportunities of the program.
Comprising medtech companies, universities and industry associations, consortium now has 20 partners including:
| Agilent Technologies | IDE Group | Stryker | |
| AusBiotech | Life Sciences Queensland | The Actuator | |
| Cochlear | Macquarie University | University of Melbourne | |
| Deakin University | Magnetica | University of New South Wales | |
| Flinders University | MTAA | University of Newcastle | |
| Gadens | Queensland University of Technology | University of Western Australia | |
| Hydrix | |||
| Siemens Healthcare | |||
Speaking on the importance of the partners, Professor Lyn Griffiths, Executive Director of QUT’s Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation (IHBI) and Director of The BridgeTech Program, said that “through its consortium of partners, the BridgeTech Program is unique in its ability to incorporate industry expertise, create key collaboration opportunities and draw on the breadth of knowledge needed to design an effective course.”
The BridgeTech Program is also supported by MTPConnect – the Medical Technologies and Pharmaceuticals Industry Growth Centre – who are providing industry matched funding to run the program.
At the first event last week, held in Brisbane, at the Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation QUT, The BridgeTech Program hosted Lusia Guthrie as the first speaker for the 2018 cohort.
In addressing BridgeTech participants, Mrs Guthrie spoke of her experience and interest in the development and commercialisation of breakthrough healthcare products that embrace automation, robotics and machine learning.
Having over 35 years of experience in various sectors of healthcare, Mrs Guthrie shares her breadth of knowledge on bringing innovative products to global markets, embracing the entire process from concept to product launch, including company formation and capital raising.
This seminar is just the first of a series of talks that will be held in different cities around Australia for the 2018 cohort. Following this, BridgeTech participants will attend a 3-day face-to-face training session to be held at Luna Park in Sydney in November where they will consolidate their learning and create key collaborative networks in order to facilitate their commercialisation pathway.
“Developing this important educational initiative in partnership with industry means that participants will be provided with relevant and specific commercialisation training, advice and networks to better assist the commercialisation of medical technology and medical devices in Australia,” Professor Griffiths said.
The BridgeTech Program is the sister program of The Bridge Program, which is now in its second successful year and focuses on the skills needed for the commercialisation of pharmaceuticals rather than medical devices.