The Bioengineering Design Forum

Abstract

The author assesses the results of the Bioengineering Design Forum – a collaboration between university researchers, clinicians and industry in Ireland. The aim of the Forum is to initiate, develop and bring to a successful conclusion R&D collaborations that lead to new or improved medical devices. By laying down certain operating procedures for the Forum, an effective ‘meeting ground’ has been developed which serves the objectives of both university engineering departments and the medical device industry in a unique way. The purpose of this paper is to relate our experiences of the Forum; they may be useful to others who would like to attempt similar initiatives in other fields. The author also describes the results that may be expected from this kind of university–industry collaboration in practice.