The BridgeTech Program Announce Partners and 2018 Cohort : MTPConnect

11 July 2018

Following the launch earlier this year of a new professional development program for commercialising medical devices, the BridgeTech Program is now announcing the official consortium of partners and the selection of its first cohort.

Applications for the BridgeTech Program have been running over the past few months and over 120 expressions of interest were lodged 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 is also announcing the BridgeTech consortium partners who will be contributing to the design and networking opportunities of the program.

Comprising medtech companies, universities and industry associations, The BridgeTech Program 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:“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 this 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."