Asian Scientist Journal (Sep. 16, 2022) — From shopper wellness and medical units to healthcare infrastructure and workflow efficiencies, the Biodesign methodology creates tailor-made options throughout a variety of healthcare functions.
Launched in 2010, Singapore Biodesign is modeled after the established Biodesign Program at Stanford College and is the primary Asian International Affiliate of the famend Stanford Byers Middle for Biodesign.
Like this system at Stanford College, Singapore Biodesign emphasizes the idea that, quite than a sequence of random ‘lightbulb moments’, innovation is a course of that may be discovered and honed with steerage. The national-level expertise improvement platform, hosted by the Company for Science, Expertise and Analysis (A*STAR), goals to coach and nurture the following technology of well being and medtech innovators for the area.
One of many methods Singapore Biodesign intends to attain that is via its Innovation Fellowship program. This system is devoted to offering well being tech hopefuls with six months of high-touch coaching and mentorship for an opportunity to compete for funding from private and non-private funders. Purposes are actually open for passionate people occupied with mastering the Biodesign methodology to ship impactful options for unmet medical wants.
 >The large thought behind biodesign
At its core, Biodesign is a needs-centric strategy that leverages a rigorous discovering, filtering and validating course of. With a tried and examined roadmap, innovators can determine medical wants, provide you with conceptual options and implement these options with well-researched methods.
“The energy of the Biodesign framework lies in its adaptability. The methodology is highly effective in uncovering unmet healthcare wants from any healthcare self-discipline and designing agnostic options for shopper and wellness, regulated medical units, healthcare IT and healthcare workflow efficiencies,” defined program director, Dr Mary Kan.
As healthcare infrastructure in Asia strains and buckles underneath the burden of a pandemic and an ageing inhabitants, innovation has turn out to be extra essential than ever. The Biodesign course of can help innovation and instantly tackle the wants of all stakeholders—sufferers, suppliers and the general public sector.
The method begins by figuring out an unmet want via on-the-ground remark and analysis. Particularly, a ‘good’ want that takes under consideration insights past the speedy technical drawback. Subsequent, innovators will brainstorm to generate doable ideas. Lastly, the group will formulate a strong technique to implement and commercialize a novel expertise.
 >Taking step one
To assist budding innovators make the leap, the Singapore Biodesign Innovation Fellowship gives six months of hands-on coaching with multidisciplinary consultants devoted to creating new well being and medtech improvements for unmet medical wants in Asia.
This system will carry collectively numerous people that embrace engineers, healthcare professionals and trade professionals. The group might be skilled within the Biodesign pedagogy and guided alongside their well being expertise innovation journey by esteemed mentors.
“Fellows will get to faucet into their mentors’ wide-ranging expertise from related disciplines like medical, technical, enterprise and trade,” shared Dr Kan. “They will even have the chance to immerse in regional nations like China and Indonesia to research unmet medical wants and develop a deeper understanding of the native well being and medtech ecosystems.”
Leveraging the group’s in depth community, fellows can spend time with Silicon Valley companions to develop and refine prime initiatives. This distinctive strategy gives them entry to seasoned commercialization consultants and the prospect to safe follow-up funding and see their initiatives to fruition.
 >Filling the medtech hole
Thus far, Singapore Biodesign has skilled over 1000 people who’ve gone on to contribute considerably to the native well being and medtech ecosystem. Forty-three former Innovation Fellows have enabled 20 startups and 50 innovation initiatives, whereas the alumni of the workshops provided by Singapore Biodesign have contributed to greater than 500 innovation initiatives.
Impressively, Singapore Biodesign alumni have mobilized a whopping $87 million in funds for the trade. One instance is Privi Medical, a homegrown medical system firm based by former Innovation Fellows from the 2014 batch. With the Biodesign methodology, the group developed a novel remedy for hemorrhoids and launched it to the market after acquiring each US FDA and China NMPA clearance. In 2021, the corporate was acquired by way of a commerce sale, changing into the primary Singapore Biodesign Innovation Fellowship–originated undertaking to attain a profitable exit.
“I hope to see the fellowship increase and entice extra well being and medtech innovators captivated with making an impression in varied disciplines, healthcare merchandise and areas. To realize this, Singapore Biodesign will proceed to refine our educating and mentoring in the course of the fellowship, whereas bolstering help for our alumni of their post-fellowship journey,” mentioned Dr Kan. “I’m additionally hopeful to see extra improvements from our alumni attain the market over the following few years.”
Click on right here to enroll and take step one in direction of changing into the following Singapore Biodesign Innovation Fellow. Utility particulars can be found on the Singapore Biodesign web site.
—
Photos: PixaBay; Singapore Biodesign
This text doesn’t essentially replicate the views of AsianScientist or its workers.
