The Medical Engineering Design and Innovation Centre (MEDIC) are supported by the Enterprise Ireland Applied Research Enhancement (ARE) program. This ARE program provided seed funding to put the initial MEDIC resources and infrastructure in place in order to build the Biomedical Engineering Applied Research and Medical Device Product Development capability within the Cork Institute of Technology (CIT).

MEDIC brings together the full set of skills to develop medical device products with clinicians, inventors and/or industry partners. These ideas are taken from initial concept, through the product development pipeline (figure below) and on to commercialisation:

Medical Device Product Development Process

The development of new or derivative products is often initiated in the clinical environment where the physician or surgeon recognises a shortfall in the current product offering or perhaps sees a need for a new device or operating technique. Physicians are experts in the clinical needs aspect of product research and development but may not have the technical expertise to convert the idea into a tangible product or technology. The MEDIC team has the technical skills to develop these medical device ideas and convert clinical needs into commercial reality.

MEDIC Capabilities

MEDIC provides applied research and commercialisation capabilities for clinicians, inventors, and companies who endeavor to develop medical device technologies through to commercialisation. MEDIC helps inventors and companies secure funding for Research and Development projects to grow their business, increase jobs and exports.

MEDIC does this through the following activities: