Building a Bridge Towards Commercialisation


Pictured: MTPConnect CEO Dr Dan Grant with QUT Executive Director Professor Lyn Griffiths - who also leads the Bridge and BridgeTech Programs - at the 2019 BridgeTech cohort launch in Brisbane.

In its inaugural year in 2018, the BridgeTech Program hosted 80 applicants who were eager to learn more about commercialising their medical technology and medical devices ideas and products. The program aims to train researchers and entrepreneurs on the scientific, legal, financial, clinical, regulatory and reimbursement disciplines related to taking Australian medical technology and devices to market. The program has taken off nationally and is now in its second year with 81 participants enrolled in 2019.

The BridgeTech Program is the younger sister of the Bridge Program, which focuses on commercialisation skills and training in the pharmaceutical industry. Both programs are led by Professor Lyn Griffiths from The Queensland University of Technology.

The BridgeTech Program’s consortium collaborators include a mix of 21 universities, research institutes, medtech companies, industry associations and incubators – The Actuator, Agilent Technologies, AusBiotech, Australia China Technology Incubator (ACTI), Cochlear, Flinders University, Gadens Lawyers, Hydrix, iDE Group, Life Sciences Queensland (LSQ), Macquarie University, Magnetica, MTAA, Siemens Healthcare, Solentropy, Stryker, University of Melbourne, University of New South Wales, University of Newcastle and University of Western Australia – who have provided advice, links for the participants to engage and share their stories throughout the year.

Professor Griffiths said the program offers unique, industry-relevant opportunities for the participants and the alumni.

“The BridgeTech Program offers an exciting opportunity for those in the medical technology and medical devices sector to acquire enhanced skills and build productive networks in this thriving industry,” Prof Griffiths said.

“Hosting the first event for the BridgeTech Program here at QUT was a fantastic opening for this unique program and we’ve now also held our three-day residency symposium.

The BridgeTech Program is delivered via:

  • An interactive online training platform
  • An expert seminar series held in different capital cities around Australia to ensure all participants can attend and utilise the networking opportunities (also available as webinars)
  • A highly specialised three-day Symposium to cement the new knowledge and networks created as part of the program
  • A medical devices pitching competition that offers the successful participants an opportunity to attend a conference and undertake an internship with a BridgeTech industry partner

Chief Executive Officer at Solentropy, Paul Carboon said as a consortium partner he can see that the BridgeTech program provides the invaluable connections to the medtech industry.

“The BridgeTech program offers a fantastic opportunity for both participants and industry to come together and collectively raise the water level of the Australian medtech industry,” Mr Carboon explained.

“It fuels the entrepreneurial aspirations of our best and brightest ensuring they see the Australian medtech industry as a promising and accessible destination.”

Pictured: MTPConnect GM Stakeholder Engagement Dr Alfredo Martinez-Coll with the BridgeTech Program’s inaugural cohort and partners at the first Symposium event in Sydney 2018.

A participant of the BridgeTech Program in 2018 and founder and CEO of UH2 Cloud Ross Hadfield, said that the curriculum has “helped shape my thinking and better prepared me for the journey ahead.”

“This [program] was a fantastic opportunity to meet with representatives from the BridgeTech Program, from the consortium and also some of the other participants,” Mr Hadfield said.

“Within the health sector, collaboration across industries is key to both commercial success as well as improving health outcomes.

“The BridgeTech Program has brought all of the key stakeholders together to promote this process and has helped me to learn, develop, grow, collaborate, and network.”

The BridgeTech Program has many goals in mind, however one of its aims is to enable the commercialisation success of new Australian inventions and developments in the medical device sector that will aid in a better healthcare system for Australia and other nations around the world.

MTPConnect is a long-term supporter of the Bridge and BridgeTech program, with CEO Dr Dan Grant on hand for the recent launch of the 2019 Bridge program and the BridgeTech Symposium in Melbourne.

For more information, visit BridgeTech today. You can also hear more about this project from the Director herself, Professor Lyn Griffiths, on the MTPConnect Podcast Series now.