Bhubaneswar : Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bhubaneswar organized a Stakeholder Consultation Workshop recently for the Medtech Mission by the Department of Science & Technology (DST), Government of India. The workshop explored ways to build an integrated and sustainable ecosystem for biomedical technology through innovation, entrepreneurship, and global branding. Experts stressed the importance of multi-disciplinary collaboration to develop advanced medical devices that address real-world needs. The event was coordinated by the IIT Bhubaneswar Research & Entrepreneurship Park.
The initiative is aimed at developing a comprehensive enabling infrastructure- cum-centers of excellence for Bio-medical product development starting with the development of biocompatible materials and their processing, facilities for modelling and simulation, prototyping, testing and evaluation using animal models as well as alternatives to animal models. These Hubs will be equipped for catering to biomedical product development, pilot scale manufacturing, testing and validation and also leading to human resources development.
The workshop at IIT Bhubaneswar, the fifth in a nationwide series, gathered stakeholders from Odisha, West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, and the Northeast to discuss international collaborations, project pipelines, and sustainable hub models. In its first phase, the mission will prioritize areas like medical electronics, robotics, artificial intelligence, assistive devices, and diagnostic sensors, fostering partnerships across academia, industry, and startups to position India as a global Medtech leader.
Speaking on this occasion, Prof. Shreepad Karmalkar briefly provided the participants with an overview of IIT Bhubaneswar and mentioned how the Institute is receptive to differences and respects diversity. He also shared how IITs have changed over the period of time and have expanded into different areas of interdisciplinary studies, which gives room for collaborative approaches. In this context, he lauded the objective of the workshop that aims at bringing people together towards developing products and technologies for the benefit of the society.
In her address, Dr. Anita Aggarwal, Scientist- “F” & Head, SEED, Department of Science & Technology, Ministry of Science and Technology provided the overview of the workshop. She highlighted the significance of the collaboration among various stakeholders including industries to develop medical technologies for the benefit of general public.
Dr. Sanjay Behari, Director, Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology spoke on the multi-disciplinary and collaborative approach towards developing medical devices, products and technologies that can be accepted by the end-users.
Dr. Amitabh Bandhopadhyay, Professor, Department of Biological Sciences & Bioengineering, IIT Kanpur presented on the proposed draft for Medtech Mission by DST.
Dr. Dipti Kakkar Thukral from Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF) also highlighted the objectives of the mission.
The event offered a meaningful platform for bringing together various academic experts, leaders & stakeholders from academic institutions, innovations hubs, and industries working in the area of medical devices. This collaboration sparked in-depth discussions on the various key pointers of the DST’s Medtech Mission:
- Strategies for sourcing product pipelines from existing industries
- Criteria for startup engagement with the Centre of Excellence (CoE)
- Decision-making processes for product support
- Cultivating self-sustainability within the CoE
- Financial responsibilities for incubators in product development
- Guidelines for pilot production from academic units
Dr. Soobhankar Pati, CEO & Director, IIT Bhubaneswar Research & Entrepreneurship Park proposed a vote of thanks.
