Blog written by Yash Karade and Aamena Lakdawala
We bid farewell to Leeds on the morning of 7th June 2023 as we started our journey to the MedTech Expo in Birmingham. It was surely a day of exploration and adventure for us. With a lot of anticipation of what’s about to happen in the next two days, our train left from Leeds. The breathtaking scenery along the way was surely a remarkable sight. The scenery was something to be witnessed by the eye because the camera wasn’t doing any justice. Birmingham had urban landscapes, tall buildings, and things that can be intimidating to a lot. But the city surely had a different energy, something upbeat and vibrant compared to Leeds, which is quite calm and peaceful.
Med-Tech Innovation Expo is an annual exhibition held in Birmingham that provides a platform for the latest advancements, technologies, and products in healthcare and medical technology. These events provide a major platform for researchers, professionals, technology companies, and students like us to network and gain relevant knowledge of the industry.
The two-day event was filled with insightful discussions and valuable knowledge which provided us a picture of the present healthcare system and the changing perspective in the near future. The bustling exhibition hall was surrounded by a number of booths, each showcasing cutting-edge medical technology. We were focused on digital health solutions and companies that were involved in Artificial Intelligence algorithms. We struck up a few conversations with their representatives, who eagerly shared their knowledge and expertise. We asked for guidance about the classification, pre-clinical and clinical testing of their product and the potential ethical implications. They shared valuable insights on the challenges they face in the industry, from securing funding or navigating through the regulatory landscape.
There were various panel discussions and educational sessions, which provided an opportunity to learn from the experiences of experts within the industry. One of the sessions that we attended provided insights for developing a user-friendly and secure platform from the design process of the device. Moreover, the device must be interoperable with existing healthcare systems. Other sessions sparked discussions on data privacy, regulatory compliance, and challenges faced by companies of novel devices to penetrate a traditional healthcare system.
The most exciting part of the event was the Med-Tech Innovation Pitch, where various start-ups pitched their ideas, and an expert panel of judges selected a winner with an innovative idea with high potential. The pitch encompassed a broad spectrum of medical technologies, including wearable health trackers like the Senti wearable garment to track respiratory illness or risk prediction in pregnant women to reduce the chances of stillbirth. Each presenter passionately conveyed their vision, backed by compelling research and evidence of the effectiveness of their technology. Their entrepreneurial spirit and dedication left an impression and hope for the endless possibilities in the future of medical technology. One of the most engaging conversations we had was with MedBoard’s CEO Ivan Chamorro. The company focuses on empowering regulatory, clinical, and marketing professionals in the medical sector. It was lovely to see the CEO’s passion for his work, his platform, and all the efforts that the team had put to develop a consolidated platform. There were booths about companies providing features of coating which can prevent bacterial growth on devices. All these companies had to give a session about what the company does and how it impacts the world.
The event presented a sense of inspiration and motivation to contribute to the medical field. Moreover, we had the opportunity to make valuable connections, whose expertise fuelled our passion.