MTI Expo
Visitors at this years Med-Tech Innovation Expo, taking place on 5-6th June at the NEC in Birmingham, can expect to hear expert insights from an impressive list of names curated by the MTI team at the Med-Tech Innovation Conference, and can meet and interact with our exhibitors on what by the time the show opens could be the biggest show floor in the history of the event.
The expo floor features renowned names in the industry such as Medilink, NIHR, Shawpak, Boddingtons Plastics, BioInteractions, Renfrew, Ultrapolymers, Neilpak, and many more.
At the heart of the expo is the start-up zone. This will be home to the nine start-ups that are participating in PITCH@Med-Tech Innovation Expo on the second day of the show, where they have 5 minute slots to discuss their company in front of judges from expert organisations such as Innovate UK, NIHR and more.
New for the show this year, is the show floor social at the end of the first day, sponsored by Kirkstall Precision Engineering, BioInteractions, Neucin and PBC. This will be a great networking opportunity and a chance to meet others in the industry in a more relaxed and informal setting.
Across the show floor there will also be live product demonstrations, allowing visitors to get hands on with the technology and see how it can impact your business. Also featuring this year is the Med-Tech Connect Lounge, a location perfect for networking with old and new clients. Use the Event Hub app to set up meetings with exhibitors and speakers, so you can start filling up your diary, expanding your network and maximising your time at the show.
The conference programme, which is packed full of expert knowledge, kicks off on day one with a keynote presentation featuring experts from Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust and Johnson & Johnson MedTech.
MTI Expo
Hugo Breda, Bala Balaguru, Professor Phil Wood, Professor Tze Min Wah
“In Conversation: Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust and Johnson & Johnson MedTech”
Wednesday, 5th June 2024
10:00-11:00
Med-Tech Innovation Conference Stage
Creating a thriving health innovation ecosystem to improve health outcomes and reduce inequity through industry partnership: in conversation with Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust and Johnson & Johnson MedTech
The Med-Tech Innovation Conference kicks off with an exciting keynote session featuring influential leaders from Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust and Johnson & Johnson MedTech. Scheduled for Wednesday, 05 June 2024, from 10:00 to 11:00, this session will delve into the creation of a thriving health innovation ecosystem aimed at improving health outcomes and reducing inequity through strategic industry partnerships.
Attendees will gain valuable insights from Hugo Breda, Managing Director of Johnson & Johnson MedTech UK & Ireland, and Bala Balaguru, Director of External Affairs. They will be joined by Professor Phil Wood, Chief Executive of Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, and Professor Tze Min Wah, a leading figure in Interventional Radiology. This esteemed panel will explore how their collaboration is driving innovation, enhancing healthcare delivery, and tackling disparities within the health sector.
This keynote is essential for all stakeholders in the medical technology field who are committed to advancing patient care. Don't miss this opportunity to learn from and engage with top experts who are at the forefront of medical innovation. Join us to be part of the conversation shaping the future of healthcare.
MTI Expo
Pitch@Med-Tech Innovation Expo
Thursday 6th June 2024
13:40-14:40
Introducing Health-Tech Stage
PITCH@Med-Tech Innovation Expo is a great way to round off the Expo with the session just after lunch on day 2. Those who are eligible to pitch are all those who’ve taken a ‘Pod’ on the Startup Zone, which is sponsored by the NIHR and Innovate UK for the 4th year in a row. Six of the startups have had funding from the NIHR i4i Programme, although, like many startups in MedTech, they are likely to have had non-dilutive funding from most available sources including Innovate UK and possible SBRI Healthcare as well.
The 6 i4i funded companies reflect the diversity of the programme’s portfolio covering medical devices and digital health products ranging from rehabilitation to femtech.
All the startups will have 5 minutes to pitch, which includes time for any Q&A by the judges.
The judging panel reflects the Startup Zone sponsors and the organisers of the event. Ably chaired by Dr Jo Smart, we have Professor Tom Clutton-Brock (NIHR), Mr Andrew Shortt (Innovate UK, Business Growth) and Olivia Friett (Medical Plastics News).
While the judges are deliberating, the funders will also have 5 mins each to pitch – same rules!
The winner of PITCH@Med-Tech Innovation Expo will get a full interview with MedTech News to be published in an edition soon after the event.
New types of content
During the expo, Med-Tech Innovation News will be creating short-form social media videos, directly from the show floor. If you are familiar with our sister publication TCT Magazine, you may have spotted this type of content being produced at shows such as Formnext 2023 and TCT Asia 2024.
Exhibitors at the show will be showcasing what is on display at their stand, talking through their technology and how it works, and providing expert insights into their particular field of MedTech. The videos will be recorded, edited, and posted onto the Med-Tech Innovation News LinkedIn and TikTok accounts on the same day, so make sure you are following us on both of those social media platforms.
Follow us to see daily face-to-face interviews conducted by the experienced Med-Tech Innovation News editorial team, daily updates direct from the show floor, and first-hand expert insights. You won’t get this type of content anywhere else.
The videos produced on the TCT social media channels at Formnext 2023, the first foray into this new type of content at Rapid News Group, were a major success, achieving close to 100,000 views in just over a week.
MTI Expo
Jacob Skinner, Medical Device RA/QA Consultant, Med-Di-Dia.
“Strategies for robust supply chain management in the medical device sector”
Wednesday 5th June 2024
15:00-15:30
Med-Tech Innovation Conference Stage
Dive into the intricate world of MedTech supply chain management with Med-Di-Dia. This presentation will unveil strategies essential for navigating compliance and ensuring quality in the ever-evolving landscape of medical device manufacturing. The talk will focus on critical ISO13485:2016 and FDA CFR 21 Part 820 requirements relating to supply chain, purchasing, traceability and continuous improvement practices. From supplier qualification to risk mitigation, Jacob will explore the critical steps MedTech manufacturers must take to uphold regulatory standards and maintain product excellence and safety. Discover how stringent quality assurance protocols and collaboration with suppliers are the cornerstones of a robust supply chain. Gain insights into managing supplier changes without compromising compliance or quality. Join this talk as Jacob discusses regulatory requirements and best practices, empowering you to optimise your supply chain for success in the dynamic Medical Device industry. Don't miss this opportunity to elevate your understanding and stay ahead of the curve in supply chain management.
MTI Expo
Tautvydas Karitonas, Managing Director, TestLabs
“Global Medical Device Material Compatibility Challenge”
Wednesday 5th June 2024
15:00-15:20
Introducing Health-Tech Stage
Medical devices contribute toward the treatment and recovery of millions globally. However, these devices often face premature failure due to incompatibility with infection prevention and control practices. This seminar will explore the critical need for comprehensive material compatibility studies, highlighted by regulators such as the FDA and notified bodies in the EU.
The COVID-19 pandemic exposed significant vulnerabilities in medical devices, emphasising the urgent need for compatibility with stringent cleaning, disinfection, and sterilisation protocols. Additionally, the global push for sustainability demands the development of more robust, reusable medical devices. Healthcare systems, influenced by both external pressures and budgetary constraints, are imposing stricter tender requirements to ensure product reliability and safety.
Key topics include the impact of cleaning agents on materials, the risk of contamination, and the regulatory emphasis on safety and performance throughout a device's lifecycle. Case studies of FDA recalls will illustrate common compatibility issues, such as polymer degradation. The seminar will also address how certified laboratory testing can support manufacturers in meeting regulatory demands, enhancing product reliability, and ensuring patient safety. Participants will gain insights into the collaborative efforts required between device and disinfectant manufacturers to meet evolving standards and maintain market competitiveness.
MTI Expo
Mark-Paul Buckingham, Managing Director, Xi Engineering & DR Thomas Yearwood, Founder and Owner, Neuromodulation Specialists LTD
“Transforming Chronic Pain Care: Simulation, AI and Machine Learning”
Wednesday 5th June 2024
14:00-14:20
Introducing Health-Tech Stage
At the MedTech Innovation Expo, Xi Engineering Consultants will present on how advanced techniques like simulation, AI, and machine learning are revolutionising chronic pain care. This talk will showcase how these technologies enhance the precision and effectiveness of spinal cord stimulation, providing new hope for patients.
Spinal cord stimulation has been employed for nearly five decades to alleviate chronic pain conditions, particularly neuropathic pain stemming from nervous system lesions (such as Sciatica or Complex Regional Pain Syndrome). These conditions often result from various sources like physical trauma, infections, or degeneration. To develop effective treatments for such pain management issues, researchers focus on understanding how electrical currents, generated by electrodes implanted in the spinal column, can be modulated.
Simulation and data analysis play vital roles in this research. Neuromodulation Specialists collaborated with Xi Engineering Consultants to utilise finite element modelling techniques (using COMSOL Multiphysics software) to investigate the distribution of electrical fields within the spinal cord under different electrode configurations. This involved combining computational simulations with clinical insights to identify promising protocols for dynamically steering electric fields within the spinal cord structure.
Through simulation and data analysis, Xi Engineering Consultants explored various electrode drive configurations which may show promise in improving treatment effectiveness. High-frequency interferential (IF) neurostimulation represents a cutting-edge approach to pain management, offering significant potential for altering local metabolic processes with widespread effects. By applying current from multiple circuits operating at slightly different frequencies, IF stimulation generates interference patterns that result in a low-frequency beat. This beat may penetrate neural tissues more effectively than conventional stimulation methods, as evidenced by recent studies demonstrating its short-term safety and efficacy in treating chronic pain. Two specific protocols examined were single-axis and parallel-axis interferential stimulation (SAIF/PAIF), which enable the steering of electric fields vertically or laterally to target specific areas of concern.
In summary, by using simulation and data analysis techniques, researchers are advancing our understanding of spinal cord stimulation and developing more effective treatment protocols for chronic pain management. These core services of simulation and data analysis enable the optimisation of electrode configurations and stimulation protocols, ultimately improving patient outcomes and quality of life. Visit xiengineering.com to learn more about Xi's capabilities in the medical sector using simulation, data analysis, and machine learning. Xi Engineering Consultants are exhibiting at Med-Tech Innovation Expo at stand C39.
MTI Expo
Lucy Jung, Founder & CEO, Charco Neurotech
“Innovation in Healthcare – User Centred R&D”
Thursday 6th June 2024
13:00-13:30
Med-Tech Innovation Conference Stage
At Charco Neurotech, the CUE devices have been developed as non-invasive, wearable medical devices for people with Parkinson’s. Using focused vibrotactile stimulation and cueing, the CUE devices help alleviate symptoms such as stiffness, slowness, rigidity, and freeze of gait. To date, over 3,200 people use a CUE device daily.
The inspiration behind the CUE devices came from working closely with people with Parkinson’s, exploring how various stimulations might help day-to-day, and delving deeper into the characteristics of these stimulations. Patient-centric research and development was a key process.
The session will discuss the process the company undertook to ensure people with Parkinson’s are at the core of development, meeting their needs and care.
MTI Expo
Bethan Halliwell, Partner at Withers & Rogers, European and UK Patent Attorney
“Growing your MedTech Business the IP Way”
Thursday 6th June 2024
14:00-14:30
Med-Tech Innovation Conference Stage
Coming up with a new idea for a technology that could help to improve outcomes for patients is hard enough, but building a business around the technology can often be even more challenging.
Securing patent and other intellectual property (IP) protection at an early stage can help growing MedTech businesses to ringfence their innovation’s commercial potential in the form of exclusivity rights and use it to secure the finance needed to bring it to market, for example, by attracting investors or licensing the IP.
IP protection can give businesses many options for commercialising their technology, but one of the keys to a successful IP strategy is one that aligns with the goals of the business, and establishing this early on may save time and money.
Knowing when, where and how to file a patent application is crucial and could make the difference between commercial success and failure. Being aware of the patent landscape is essential in fast-developing fields of innovation and could help to avoid getting caught up in a costly and time-consuming infringement action. It’s also important to have a good understanding of patent eligibility criteria to ensure your IP budget is being spent wisely.
MTI Expo
Didier von Zeppelin, Manager, Additive Manufacturing, Arburg
“The promise of 3D printed implants – ARBURG plastic freeforming with medical certified materials”
Wednesday 5th June 2024
15:40-16:00
Introducing Health-Tech Stage
Arburg, manufacturer of injection moulding machines for more than 60 years, has been continuously developing a unique additive manufacturing machine for almost 10 years: the freeformer for industrial additive manufacturing. This is the process of manufacturing components in premium quality and stability from a wide range of original substances, material combinations and colour combinations. The highly flexible production process is easy and intuitive to access and can be configured to meet specific requirements.
Both the production of individual parts and low volumes from qualified standard granulates and the customisation of mass-produced articles can be handled with ease. Even production in clean room environments is possible. By combining fundamental research with continuous technical advances, we are able to offer you both extensive expertise and practical technology to enable you to take into industrial additive manufacturing.
The ARBURG Plastic Freeforming (APF) technology is predestined for Healthcare application because it allows you to select the materials of your choice, to modify the parameters to develop your own products intrinsically, while keeping the technical characteristics and performance of the used material. Especially for medical grades, bio- or recycling materials, and for Material development, this is a prerequisite. This opens not only opportunities in medical devices, textiles or orthesis but also in implants and pharmaceutical applications.
The freeformer can also use conductive materials in order to realize smart devices and individualisation/customisation is the main characteristic of Additive Manufacturing. As it is a new manufacturing technology, the regulations are “growing” but ARBURG knows the legislation topics from the injection-moulding experience. Using the approved materials and threating them the same way as in injection moulding reduces considerably the barriers because the constraints we know in house.
MTI Expo
Dr Luan Linden-Phillips. WMHTIA Programme Manager
“WMHTIA – The Power of Collaboration”
Wednesday 5th June 2024
15:30-16:00
Med-Tech Innovation Conference Stage
From pioneering the first clinical use of the X-Ray to the evolution of life-saving pacemakers, the West Midlands has always stood at the forefront of ground-breaking Health Tech innovation.
However, despite the growing community of innovators in the region, commercialising new products has become increasingly challenging. Fragmented support infrastructure, limited funding & investment opportunities, coupled with routine regulatory hurdles, contribute to a high rate of attrition during the crucial stages of product development.
The WMHTIA sets out to tackle these challenges by uniting the region’s key players under one cohesive programme, allowing innovators to focus on what truly matters – driving their ideas forward.
With the combined expertise of 20 partners spanning academia, business, and NHS – the WMHTIA provides access to essential services that are pivotal in critically developing technologies and driving them towards market access.
Unlike conventional accelerators, the scale and support model of the WMHTIA – which tailors a bespoke development path for every engaged innovator – facilitates the process of converting technologies from concept to real-world implementation.
Come to this talk, and find out how the collaborative nature of the WMHTIA is supporting a growing community of more than 200 innovators.
The WMHTIA is funded by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, in partnership with Innovate UK and the West Midlands Combined Authority.
MTI Expo
Olivia Simpson, CEO, Flexsea
“Displacing single-use medical plastics with seaweed”
Wednesday 5th June 2024
13:30-14:00
Med-Tech Innovation Conference Stage
Of the 60 million inhalers distributed per year only 0.5% are ever recycled.
Olivia will discuss the burden of single use plastics in the medical sector in the context of new policies and supply chain procurement. The talk will discuss the solution that FlexSea is providing- 100% biobased circular materials- and demonstrate the successes of medical device pilots using FlexSea material so far. The talk will place emphasise on the need for sustainable solutions to: plug into existing pathways, not demand further resources, nor place extra effort on consumers. Olivia will bring attention to the barriers sustainable solutions face in the medical sector and how we can all collaborate to other come these (NHS procurement, large corporates, SMEs, government & public sector).
Med-Tech Innovation Expo brings together leaders, engineers, innovators, and manufacturers, connecting them with technology and innovation to facilitate the design and manufacture of life-changing medical devices. The UK is home to one of the largest medical technology industries globally, with an annual turnover of 27.6 billion GBP, including over 5 billion GBP in exports. It also leads the world in research capabilities with universities building on an existing rich history of ground-breaking medical innovations. As the home of medical device manufacturing in the UK, Med-Tech Innovation Expo is at the centre of this exciting sector, and the exhibition showcases the entire ecosystem of market leading technology suppliers, machines, materials, software and service providers.
At Med-Tech Innovation Expo you can connect with almost 200 suppliers and see the entire spectrum of advanced technology, materials, and solutions available. The show is co-located with TCT 3Sixty, the UK’s definitive industrial 3D printing and additive manufacturing event, brought to you by Med-Tech Innovation’s sister publication TCT Magazine.
Thank you to our knowledge partners: Medilink UK, Boddingtons Plastics, Innovate UK, and NIHR, and our media partners: British Plastics and Rubber, Manufacturing Quality, Medical Plastics News, Packaging Europe, The Engineer, and TCT Magazine.
Click here to register if you haven't already, and enjoy the show!
