Smart Medical Devices and Therapies Innovation Cluster

Innovative products from small and medium-sized companies often struggle with the regulatory obstacles of national and international markets. In particular, the amendment of the Medical Device Regulation from 2020 onwards poses great challenges for medical technology companies. In the future, the new innovation cluster "Smart Medical Devices and Therapies" will support SMEs in meeting these challenges by providing hands-on support and the necessary know-how on the various issues surrounding approval and certification. In a further step, the innovation cluster aims to facilitate market access by organising pilot projects with health care providers and other partners for the participating SMEs. Since market access can only be regarded as successful if the respective company also generates revenues, health insurance companies play an important role as partners of the innovation cluster by showing SMEs ways to position reimbursable products in the first health market. This also includes an early technology assessment of whether reimbursement is possible for the development at all.

The overall aim of these activities is to accelerate the development of smart medical products and innovative therapies. The establishment of the innovation cluster helps to expand and increase the performance of Saxon SMEs in particular.

In order to strengthen the life sciences economy in Saxony, not only local companies are to be supported, but also foreign companies are to be recruited and encouraged to relocate. The Smart Medical Devices and Therapies Innovation Cluster will also use the bionection event as an annual conference in future to present the latest projects and technologies in the fields of therapy and diagnostics.

The detailed press release on the project can be found here.