Answering Unmet Wants With The Singapore Biodesign Innovation Fellowship

Asian Scientist Journal (Sep. 16, 2022) — From shopper wellness and medical gadgets 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 World Affiliate of the famend Stanford Byers Heart for Biodesign.

Like this system at Stanford College, Singapore Biodesign emphasizes the idea that, fairly than a sequence of random ‘lightbulb moments’, innovation is a course of that may be discovered and honed with steerage. The national-level expertise growth platform, hosted by the Company for Science, Expertise and Analysis (A*STAR), goals to coach and nurture the subsequent technology of well being and medtech innovators for the area.

One of many methods Singapore Biodesign intends to attain that is by 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. Functions are actually open for passionate people thinking about mastering the Biodesign methodology to ship impactful options for unmet scientific wants.

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The massive concept 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 establish scientific wants, provide you with conceptual options and implement these options with well-researched methods.

“The power 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 gadgets, 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 grow to be extra essential than ever. The Biodesign course of can assist innovation and immediately tackle the wants of all stakeholders—sufferers, suppliers and the general public sector.

The method begins by figuring out an unmet want by on-the-ground statement and analysis. Particularly, a ‘good’ want that takes into consideration insights past the quick technical drawback. Subsequent, innovators will brainstorm to generate attainable ideas. Lastly, the staff will formulate a strong technique to implement and commercialize a novel expertise.

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Taking step one

To assist budding innovators make the leap, the Singapore Biodesign Innovation Fellowship presents six months of hands-on coaching with multidisciplinary specialists devoted to creating new well being and medtech improvements for unmet scientific wants in Asia.

This system will carry collectively numerous people that embody engineers, healthcare professionals and trade professionals. The staff will probably be educated 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 scientific, technical, enterprise and trade,” shared Dr Kan. “They may also have the chance to immerse in regional international locations like China and Indonesia to analyze unmet scientific 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 tasks. This distinctive strategy presents them entry to seasoned commercialization specialists and the prospect to safe follow-up funding and see their tasks to fruition.

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Filling the medtech hole

Thus far, Singapore Biodesign has educated 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 tasks, whereas the alumni of the workshops provided by Singapore Biodesign have contributed to greater than 500 innovation tasks.

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 staff 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 through a commerce sale, turning into the primary Singapore Biodesign Innovation Fellowship–originated challenge to attain a profitable exit.

“I hope to see the fellowship increase and entice extra well being and medtech innovators keen about making an affect in numerous disciplines, healthcare merchandise and areas. To realize this, Singapore Biodesign will proceed to refine our educating and mentoring throughout the fellowship, whereas bolstering assist 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 subsequent few years.”

Click on right here to enroll and take step one in the direction of turning into the subsequent Singapore Biodesign Innovation Fellow. Utility particulars can be found on the Singapore Biodesign web site.

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Pictures: PixaBay; Singapore Biodesign

This text doesn’t essentially replicate the views of AsianScientist or its employees.