The Montreal TransMedTech Institute: An open-innovation ecosystem for the development of next-generation medical technologies
Based on Polytechnique Montréal’s cutting-edge, integrated, university-hospital infrastructure—and its internationally recognized, transdisciplinary innovative research and strategic partnerships in biomedical engineering and medical technology—the Montreal TransMedTech (MT2) Institute initiative seeks to shape the future of diagnosis/prognosis, intervention, and medical technologies for complex diseases across all age groups.
The transdisciplinary and translational initiative is based on a “living lab” approach, where engineers and biomedical scientists, clinicians, patients, caregivers, students, health-system stakeholders, and decision-makers are at the centre of an open-innovation ecosystem. This unique, converging concept provides an integrated environment that supports a collaborative process ranging from conception to design of prototypes, and their clinical validation. The objective is to accelerate the availability of new medical technologies or interventions, and their potential adoption by end-users.
MT2’s scientific strategy addresses challenging and unmet needs, by creating an environment to develop innovative and advanced medical technologies that will solve real-world, critical medical problems. MT2 will then translate these technologies into tools that have an impact on both human health and society. Specific metrics will be used to rank priorities, and to focus on research activities with high transformative potential.
The MT2 Institute will support two complementary technological themes in which its expertise, excellence and global leadership are established and internationally recognized for a range of complex diseases. The focus will be on musculoskeletal and cardiovascular diseases as well as cancers. The two themes are:
- “iDx,” the next generation of medical technologies for diagnosis and prognosis; and
- “iSurg,” intervention and rehabilitation technologies of the future.
The MT2 Institute initiative will consolidate existing strengths and enable world-renowned scientists and clinicians, and their industrial partners, to increase their impact by working together in a unique environment without interdisciplinary barriers. This synergy will provide breakthroughs that will enable the development of medical technologies to transform health care, and to create an attractive model of excellence for Canada.