Major New Technology In Healthcare Conference Comes To Wales

Main Category: Medical Devices / Diagnostics
Also Included In: Conferences
Article Date: 15 Apr 2009 - 1:00 PDT

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Companies in the healthcare sector across Wales are being encouraged to take part in a major new technology conference being launched next month. The New Technology in Healthcare Conference, takes place on 13 May 2009 at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff, as Wales becomes increasingly recognised as the hot spot for new technology and innovation in the sector.

The event is being hosted by the Welsh Assembly Government and is the second in a series of conferences aimed at profiling the application of new technologies in different sectors. This year's healthcare theme will see health sector clinicians and business development executives interested in discovering new products, technologies and ideas in attendance, as well as finance directors and investors from across the country.

Wales' Deputy First Minister, Ieuan Wyn Jones, who will be attending the conference, said:

"This event will appeal to anyone interested in learning about new, specialist technologies and products in the healthcare sector and we hope it will generate new leads for the company's exhibiting. For instance, there will be plenty of networking and brokerage opportunities to discuss potential collaboration and commercial projects, which will go a long way to enhancing a company's profile to a national audience."

For the first time the conference is offering delegates the opportunity to meet potential business partners and academics right across Europe in pre-arranged one-to-one meetings to discuss the take up of new technologies, which could result in a number of exciting collaboration projects being agreed on for the healthcare sector in Wales.

One organisation that will be looking to benefit from these partnering meetings is Informing Healthcare Health Informatics Research Labs based at Swansea University which is a Joint venture between Informing Healthcare and Swansea University. According to David Ford, University Director of the research labs, one of their main aims is to collaborate with industrial companies to develop novel and innovative product/services that will provide real benefits to NHS patients in Wales.

"The conference is a great opportunity for us to meet and collaborate with companies right across the UK that share our same vision - the successful delivery of healthcare innovations that are centred on the patient. With our excellent facilities here at Swansea University we can assist in the rigorous trialling of controlled, real-life deployment of companies' systems, as well as provide impartial expert assessment of a company's services for use in product enhancement and marketing."

Three of Wales' most pioneering Nanotechnology companies will also be demonstrating their capabilities at this year's New Technology in Healthcare Conference. Laser Micromachining Ltd (LML), MicroBridge Services and MetaFAB, all part of the XGEN consortium, will be profiling the practical application of their new products which have the potential to improve service delivery, patient safety and play a crucial role in a variety of other medical advancements.

Dr. Robert Hoyle of MicroBridge Services, who's organisation is currently on course to tackle one of the major challenges facing the medical industry today - control over artificial limbs in severely disabled spinal injury patients or loss-of-limb patients via direct readings of the brain, said:

"We have been collaborating with researchers and medical practitioners who are testing our micro-needle array sensors in the field which we believe one day will have a massive impact on the future functionality of severely disabled or loss-of-limb patients. Because of the complex and delicate nature of the brain, there is no room for error but with years of dedicated research, we are confident that are machinery can stand up to the test and be used in medical device research and development for years to come."

Ieuan Wyn Jones added:

"It is very fitting that these latest exciting developments are being showcased during the 2009 New Technology in Healthcare Conference. Having the three centres from XGEN exhibiting is great news and highlights the wealth of expertise and knowledge we have here in Wales in RFID and MNT technologies."

For further information on the New Technology in Healthcare Conference 2009 and to find out more about acquiring a stand, please visit here. Alternatively if you wish to be part of the brokerage/partnering opportunities on the day, please visit here for further details.

Speakers so far confirmed for 2009 New Technology in Healthcare Conference:

- Ieuan Wyn-Jones, Deputy First Minister and Minister for Economy and Transport
- Professor Hugh Clare, Royal Academy of Engineering Visiting Professor in Integrated System Design
- Dr Mike Fisher, Theme Manager, Bionano and Nanomedicine, NanoKTN
- Dr Steve Davies, Director, Technium
- Nick Elcock, Organisational Readiness Manager, Informing Healthcare
- Roger Lamb, Healthcare Manager, GS1
- Gwyn Tudor, Forum Manager MediWales (Chair)
- Hywel Williams, National AIDC Centre for Wales

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NanoKTN

The NanoKTN facilitates the transfer of knowledge and experience between industry and research, offering companies dealing in small-scale technology access to information on new processes, patents and funding as well as keeping up-to-date with industry regulation. The four broad areas that the NanoKTN focuses on are: Promoting and facilitating knowledge exchange, supporting the growth of UK capabilities, raising awareness of Nanotechnology, and providing thought leadership and input to UK policy and strategy.

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