Asian Scientist Journal (Sep. 16, 2022) — From client wellness and medical units to healthcare infrastructure and workflow efficiencies, the Biodesign methodology creates tailor-made options throughout a variety of healthcare purposes.
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 assumption that, slightly than a collection 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 way of 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 fascinated by mastering the Biodesign methodology to ship impactful options for unmet scientific wants.
 >
The large concept behind biodesign
At its core, Biodesign is a needs-centric method that leverages a rigorous discovering, filtering and validating course of. With a tried and examined roadmap, innovators can determine scientific wants, give you 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 client 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 load of a pandemic and an ageing inhabitants, innovation has turn out to be extra vital than ever. The Biodesign course of can assist innovation and straight tackle the wants of all stakeholders—sufferers, suppliers and the general public sector.
The method begins by figuring out an unmet want by way of 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 potential ideas. Lastly, the crew will formulate a sturdy technique to implement and commercialize a novel expertise.
 >
Taking step one
To assist budding innovators make the leap, the Singapore Biodesign Innovation Fellowship provides six months of hands-on coaching with multidisciplinary consultants devoted to growing new well being and medtech improvements for unmet scientific wants in Asia.
This system will deliver collectively various people that embody engineers, healthcare professionals and business professionals. The crew 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 business,” shared Dr Kan. “They may even have the chance to immerse in regional nations like China and Indonesia to research unmet scientific wants and develop a deeper understanding of the native well being and medtech ecosystems.”
Leveraging the group’s intensive community, fellows can spend time with Silicon Valley companions to develop and refine high tasks. This distinctive method provides them entry to seasoned commercialization consultants and the possibility to safe follow-up funding and see their tasks to fruition.
 >
Filling the medtech hole
Up to now, 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 business. One instance is Privi Medical, a homegrown medical gadget firm based by former Innovation Fellows from the 2014 batch. With the Biodesign methodology, the crew 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, turning into the primary Singapore Biodesign Innovation Fellowship–originated challenge to attain a profitable exit.
“I hope to see the fellowship broaden and appeal to extra well being and medtech innovators keen about making an affect in varied disciplines, healthcare merchandise and areas. To attain this, Singapore Biodesign will proceed to refine our educating and mentoring in the course of 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 direction of turning into the subsequent Singapore Biodesign Innovation Fellow. Utility particulars can be found on the Singapore Biodesign web site.
—
Photographs: PixaBay; Singapore Biodesign
This text doesn’t essentially mirror the views of AsianScientist or its employees.
