Medical technologies of top scientists up for grabs at PU
The out-of-the-box indigenous technologies in the field of medical devices developed by the top scientists of the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs), National Institutes of Technology (NITs) and leading universities across the country will be up for grabs at Panjab University (PU) here later this week.
The Technology Enabling Centre (TEC), sponsored by the Department of Science and Technology (DST), Government of India, will be holding a two-day transfer of technology (ToT) conference — “Smartmed-2025” —on medical devices here on May 23 and 24. The event is being organised in collaboration with the Union Ministry of Education’s Innovation Cell (MIC), the All-India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), and the Punjab State Council for Science and Technology (PSCST).
The national-level event is aimed at promoting the “Make in India” initiative to encourage companies to develop, manufacture and assemble products in India and incentivise dedicated investments into manufacturing.
The organisers have invited the leading industrialists in the field of medical devices for the event. It will be held in a hybrid mode. Those who will not be able to make it to the PU physically can bid for the innovative technologies online.
Manu Sharma, a professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the University Institute of Engineering and Technology (UIET) of PU, who is the coordinator of the event, told The Tribune on Monday that the scientists from the IITs, NITs and the universities will be given stage time of 12-minute each to explain their own medical device technology before the industry leaders at the conference.
“It is expected that through this conference, some technologies will get transferred from the academia to the industry,” he hoped, while disclosing that the aim of this conference was to sell the technologies developed by the country’s leading scientists to the industry for their end use.
Prof Sharma, who specialises in Active Vibration Control and Design, divulged that at least 58 indigenous medical device technologies with Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 4 and above will be showcased at the event. “Each inventor will present his/ her innovation within seven minutes, followed by a five-minute question-and-answer session,” he said, while adding that the technologies cover a wide range of areas, including diagnostic and therapeutic devices, surgical tools, hospital equipment, orthopaedic and rehabilitation aids etc.
He said all medical device manufacturers, startups, hospitals, distributors, investors and industry associations were invited to attend the event. “Industry participation is key to accelerating the commercialisation of indigenous technologies and supporting the “Make in India” initiative in the healthcare sector,” Prof Sharma expressed, while giving a clarion call to the industry and innovators to come together to shape the future of healthcare at “Smartmed-2025”.
Opportunity for industry: VC
"This is an opportunity for the medical device industry to explore ready-to-transfer innovations, interact directly with the inventors and initiate licensing and collaboration discussions," said Prof Renu Vig, Vice-Chancellor, PU
‘Smartmed-2025’ a strategic meet
“Smartmed-2025” will be a strategic meet on a academia-research–transfer model on medical devices. A national-level transfer of technology conference will be conducted in a hybrid mode, with a strong emphasis on physical participation by the industry.
