A formal collaboration is to take place between CÚRAM, the Science Foundation Ireland Centre for Research in Medical Devices at NUI Galway, and Rutgers University, New Jersey, regarding complementary medical device programmes.
The formal agreement will focus on developing multi-disciplinary collaborations involving research on medical device technologies, commercialisation of medical technologies, and business incubation and acceleration.
As global leaders in the field of medical device research, and because of its close collaboration with MedTech industry leaders, CÚRAM’s expertise was sought by a delegation from Choose New Jersey, an economic development organisation with a mission to encourage and nurture economic growth throughout New Jersey. The organisation is developing an innovation HUB in New Brunswick which will have two million square feet of office, laboratory and incubator space.
Together with Rutgers University, the delegation travelled to NUI Galway to learn from the experience and knowledge of CÚRAM with a view to creating a similar program at the HUB, potentially in partnership with CÚRAM.
The signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between Rutgers and CÚRAM took place with the Scientific Director of CÚRAM, Professor Abhay Pandit, Dr James Walsh, and Vincent Smeraglia from Rutgers University, and representatives from Rowan University, Hackensack Meridian Healthcare, DEVCO, the HUB in New Brunswick, and BioInnovate Ireland.
Speaking at the signing, Professor Abhay Pandit, the scientific director at CÚRAM, said the event was a testimony to CÚRAM’s position as a global leader in the field of medical device research.
“We welcome the opportunity to share our expertise with our colleagues in New Jersey. We look forward to working with them further as they develop the HUB.”
Dr James Walsh, the senior director for innovation at Rutgers University, stated on behalf of chancellor Christopher J Molloy and provost Prabhas Moghe, that the university was very excited to launch this alliance with its friends and colleagues in Galway.
“We believe that together, we can build on the strong links between New Jersey and Ireland’s highly innovative indigenous and multinational MedTech companies. Rutgers’ extensive research capabilities, faculty expertise, and business incubation leadership offer the alliance a strong foundation. We look forward to building on this with our colleagues at NUI Galway and Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology.”
