The exhibition comprises more than 100 stands where companies will be displaying a myriad of products and manufacturing services, while the two-day conference includes a day-long schedule of round table discussions targeted at inventors, entrepreneurs and start-ups – where industry experts will offer invaluable advice on how fledgling ideas and organisations can achieve business success. 

MEDTEC Ireland’s comprehensive Conference programme also features a second stream of presentations where speakers will address key issues such as medical device labelling, testing, innovative materials and ‘connected’ medical devices, as well as automation/IT and device design and integration. 

Conference sessions

Day one (Wednesday 9th October ) features a stream of dedicated debates for the inventor, entrepreneur and start-up. The forum starts with the sessions ‘So I have a great idea for a product, now what?‘ and ‘How to tame your dragon – early company formation‘. The focus here will be on clinical advisors, building a company board of directors that can add value, IP, developing a business plan and ‘the elevator pitch’, building a team, the use of consultants and legal matters.

This will be followed by ‘How do I raise the money to get started and then keep going?‘ and ‘What do investors look for?‘, where the areas covered will include sources of capital (grants, angels, venture capital, personal), how much is needed and when, and what it is that acquirers are looking for. 

The next debate – ‘OK, now I have a company, what do I need to do to be successful?‘ and ‘Building success is all about managing the risks‘ – will see panel members discuss the building of a team, selecting vendors, suppliers and manufacturers, partners, implementing a quality system and the use of consultants.

There’s a panel covering ‘How do I get my product to market?‘ and ‘Navigating the global clinical and regulatory pathway‘. Clinical trials and regulatory approval, commercialisation strategies, pricing strategies and reimbursement will be discussed here.

Stream Two’s Medical labelling and packaging sessions (on Day One) address the needs of regulatory directors and managers, R & D managers and packaging quality control directors/managers. The presentations will include The global medical supply chain, ISO 11607, Validating packaging, Reducing the validation merry-go-round, How to ensure the content of your regulatory texts, IFU and packaging survive the packaging workflow and Are you safe from packaging problems after successful validation?

R & D and regulatory professionals, as well as engineers and marketing managers, will find the Medical device testing sessions (also Day One) of interest. Sessions will embrace MRI safety for medical devices (regulatory and technical aspects) and new trends in cleaning and decontamination validations, while the automation and manufacturing IT systems sessions will cover:

•  The effective use of robotics in the life science industry

•  Applying IT on the manufacturing floor to achieve paperless manufacturing

•  IT manufacturing systems in line with FDA Regulations and GAMP guidelines.

The Medical Materials Innovation Forum on Day two (Thursday 10th October) will start with the Keynote Address on the Clinical unmet needs for biomaterials, and presentations are planned on new applications for new materials. 

Day Two’s Conference track on Connected Medical Devices includes:

•   Connected sensors and devices; how the market is evolving

•   Designing connected medical devices for consumers and clinicians 

•   Electronic device development in a fast changing, regulated environment

•   Connected health in Ireland; fertile collaboration ground 

•   Driving adoption by clinicians and hospital systems

•   Moving to decentralised healthcare systems – the key enabling technologies.

The track for Medical Device Design and Integration, also on day two, will cover:

•   Mechanically responsive needles for medical device applications

•   A case study from a SWAT team on the drug device product development front line

•   Managing specification changes within a product development programme – how to get what you want, when you want it

•   Multi-objective optimisation of an implantable medical device.

For the full programme content, including details of presenters and timings, as well as booking details, and to register to attend the free exhibition, visit medtecireland.com