New centre for medical device research to open at NUI Galway
CÚRAM will receive €68 million in funding for its research
A new €68 million centre for medical device research, CÚRAM, is to be opened at NUI Galway today, a move to strengthen the Irish medical technology sector which employs 29,000 people in Ireland.
The Science Foundation Ireland research centre will receive an investment of €49 million over six years from SFI and industry partners including Boston Scientific, Cook Medical, Medtronic, Mylan and Stryker Instruments and has also secured funding of €19 million fromthe European Union's Horizon 2020 programme. Its research will advance medical devices to mimic the body’s biology, targeting chronic diseases such as diabetes, Parkinson’s and heart disease.
“In the long-term we may have minimally-invasive injections instead of operations for back pain, electrodes which degrade within the body over time, or 3D printed muscles and tendons," Professor Abhay Pandit, Scientific Director of CÚRAM, said.
The centre will be opened by Jobs Minister Mary Mitchell O'Connor who said: “The medtech sector is hugely important to the Irish economy with over 400 companies based here, it accounts for over 29,000 jobs and is responsible for €12.6 billion worth of exports. I am delighted to launch CÚRAM, a world class research centre, which will be very significant for our society and our economy."
"CÚRAM will also play a key role in ensuring that world class skills will be available to companies in Ireland as it is here to future proof the medtech industry by providing access to unparalleled scientific expertise and innovation.”
CÚRAM, which has a team of 280 people including more than 250 researchers engaged on current projects, also hassix academic partners-- University College Dublin, University College Cork, University of Limerick, Trinity College Dublin, The Royal College of Surgeons and NUI Galway, where it is based.
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