NEWSROOM

World-first collaboration Medtech-iQ off to a healthy start

22 September 2023

Medtech-iQ Aotearoa is a national collaboration of innovation with the purpose of accelerating the success of the New Zealand MedTech sector. It is a virtual national innovation hub that is linked to a backbone of four physical regional hubs in Tamaki Makaurau Auckland, Poneke Wellington, Otautahi Christchurch and Otepoti Dunedin. According to a recent Deloitte report, Medtech-iQ Aotearoa is a “world-first” initiative that aims to capitalise on the global medical device and digital health market estimated to have a value of US$815 billion. A strategic, coordinated approach helps leverage a significant opportunity for New Zealand, which will have a positive impact on the economic and physical health outcomes of all New Zealanders.

The University of Auckland, via its Auckland Bioengineering Institute (ABI), has been foundational in the development of Medtech-iQ Aotearoa, which builds on the 2012 establishment of the Consortium for Medical Device Technologies hosted by the ABI. The University of Auckland hosts both the national entity and the Tamaki Makaurau Auckland regional hub.

By bringing together researchers, scientists, investors, health professionals, students and industry, Medtech-iQ Aotearoa will leverage the power of a coordinated collaborative approach to achieve three common goals:

To put New Zealand on the map for medical device and digital health innovation to attract new partners and investment into the ecosystem.
To foster start-ups with business models based on high-tech innovation in engineering or major scientific advances.
To create a MedTech innovation ecosystem accessible to all that delivers new healthcare solutions, putting the consumer at the centre.

The opportunity for Medtech-iQ Aotearoa is uniquely positioned for several reasons. New Zealand’s geographical uniqueness is one that often works against us, with distance from foreign markets a major pain point for our economy. However, tech industries offer significant advantages over traditional ones, and investment of time, effort, and money will have much higher value returns, which in turn contribute to a more resilient and buoyant New Zealand economy. But the ultimate return on investment is a lifting of wellness and living standards across the nation. Early access to innovative healthcare solutions will also help boost the health of New Zealanders both directly and indirectly through increased healthcare productivity gains.

Honouring Te Tiriti o Waitangi and New Zealand’s place in the Pacific is another unique trait of Medtech-iQ Aotearoa, which is committed to the inclusion of Māori and Pacific stakeholders and health equity goals. Medtech-iQ Tāmaki Makaurau @ Waipapa Taumata Rau Research Engagement Advisor Ella Dixon says that community engagement is vital to their success. “This year, we are working with Māori and Pacific high school students, to come in during summer break and work alongside our researchers to develop solutions for their communities and introduce them to a MedTech pathway.”

Medtech-iQ Tamaki Makaurau’s future location will span Grafton and Newmarket, close to Auckland City Hospital and the University of Auckland medical school in what is being coined as “the most innovative square kilometre in New Zealand.” The innovation precinct is demarked by Auckland University of Technology and the University of Auckland’s City and Newmarket campuses. Plans for Medtech-iQ Tamaki Makaurau include spaces for teaching and simulation, workshops, events, manufacturing platforms, clean labs, incubation activities, spin-out companies, as well as formal and informal meeting and eating places.

Part of Medtech-iQ Aotearoa’s strategy for supporting early start-ups includes a HealthTech Capability Programme for the nation, which provides information and education around five key modules: Mātauranga Māori, Pacific Engagement, Future Leaders, Clinical Translation and Commercial Translation.

The University of Auckland Business School’s Centre for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (CIE) is excited about MedTech-iQ Aotearoa and the dedicated focus it will bring to MedTech start-ups and innovations at the University of Auckland and across Aotearoa. This year MedTech-iQ Aotearoa supported the Velocity and Vanguard Entrepreneurial Leaders Programme, and CIE are in discussions about what else can be done in the future. CIE Director Darsel Keane says, “Over our twenty-year journey, some of CIE’s most successful start-ups to emerge have included MedTech companies such as Alimetry, Kitea Health, and The Insides Company. There is a strong history and interwoven relationship between ABI and CIE, combining the world-leading research capability of ABI, the entrepreneurial development and venture ignition support of CIE and the MedTech knowledge and expertise of Cloud9. This collaboration has supported many spinouts from the University of Auckland, and it’s great to have this new opportunity to further amplify the ecosystem.”

Read more about Medtech-iQ Aotearoa

Read Deloitte report on the strategic and economic case for a national medical devices and digital health hub for Aotearoa

22 September 2023

Medtech-iQ Aotearoa is a national collaboration of innovation with the purpose of accelerating the success of the New Zealand MedTech sector. It is a virtual national innovation hub that is linked to a backbone of four physical regional hubs in Tamaki Makaurau Auckland, Poneke Wellington, Otautahi Christchurch and Otepoti Dunedin. According to a recent Deloitte report, Medtech-iQ Aotearoa is a “world-first” initiative that aims to capitalise on the global medical device and digital health market estimated to have a value of US$815 billion. A strategic, coordinated approach helps leverage a significant opportunity for New Zealand, which will have a positive impact on the economic and physical health outcomes of all New Zealanders.

The University of Auckland, via its Auckland Bioengineering Institute (ABI), has been foundational in the development of Medtech-iQ Aotearoa, which builds on the 2012 establishment of the Consortium for Medical Device Technologies hosted by the ABI. The University of Auckland hosts the national entity and the Tamaki Makaurau Auckland regional hub.

By bringing together researchers, scientists, investors, health professionals, students and industry, Medtech-iQ Aotearoa will leverage the power of a coordinated collaborative approach to achieve three common goals:

To put New Zealand on the map for medical device and digital health innovation to attract new partners and investment into the ecosystem.
To foster start-ups with business models based on high-tech innovation in engineering or major scientific advances.
To create a MedTech innovation ecosystem accessible to all that delivers new healthcare solutions, putting the consumer at the centre.

The opportunity for Medtech-iQ Aotearoa is uniquely positioned for several reasons. New Zealand’s geographical uniqueness is one that often works against us, with distance from foreign markets a major pain point for our economy. However, tech industries offer significant advantages over traditional ones, and investment of time, effort, and money will have much higher value returns, which in turn contribute to a more resilient and buoyant New Zealand economy. But the ultimate return on investment is a lifting of wellness and living standards across the nation. Early access to innovative healthcare solutions will help boost the health of New Zealanders both directly and indirectly through increased healthcare productivity gains.

Honouring Te Tiriti o Waitangi and New Zealand’s place in the Pacific is another unique trait of Medtech-iQ Aotearoa, which is committed to the inclusion of Māori and Pacific stakeholders and health equity goals. Medtech-iQ Tāmaki Makaurau @ Waipapa Taumata Rau Research Engagement Advisor Ella Dixon says that community engagement is vital to their success. “This year we are working with Māori and Pacific high school students, to come in during summer break and work alongside our researchers to develop solutions for their communities and introduce them to a MedTech pathway.”

Medtech-iQ Tamaki Makaurau’s future location will span Grafton and Newmarket, close to Auckland City Hospital and the University of Auckland medical school in what is being coined as “the most innovative square kilometre in New Zealand.” The innovation precinct is demarked by Auckland University of Technology and the University of Auckland’s City and Newmarket campuses. Plans for Medtech-iQ Tamaki Makaurau include spaces for teaching and simulation, workshops, events, manufacturing platforms, clean labs, incubation activities, spin-out companies, as well as formal and informal meeting and eating places.

Part of Medtech-iQ Aotearoa’s strategy for supporting early start-ups includes a HealthTech Capability Programme for the nation, which provides information and education around five key modules: Mātauranga Māori, Pacific Engagement, Future Leaders, Clinical Translation and Commercial Translation.

The University of Auckland Business School’s Centre for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (CIE) is excited about MedTech-iQ Aotearoa and the dedicated focus it will bring to MedTech start-ups and innovations at the University of Auckland and across Aotearoa. This year MedTech-iQ Aotearoa supported the Velocity and Vanguard Entrepreneurial Leaders Programme and CIE are in discussions about what else can be done in the future. CIE Director Darsel Keane says “Over our twenty-year journey, some of CIE’s most successful start-ups to emerge have included MedTech companies such as Alimetry, Kitea Health, and The Insides Company. There is a strong history and interwoven relationship between ABI and CIE, combining the world-leading research capability of ABI, the entrepreneurial development and venture ignition support of CIE and the MedTech knowledge and expertise of Cloud9. This collaboration has supported many spinouts from the University of Auckland, and it’s great to have this new opportunity to further amplify the ecosystem.”