Vinner Årets innovasjonsmiljø 2013 Oslo Medtech from Innovasjon Norge on Vimeo.

Just over a year ago, the 30 year old doctor and Ph. D. student Marte Bratlie had an idea. Today she has a company and a patent pending prototype. Marte Bratlie and the company she started, RemovAid, shows that even in the development of medtech equipment it is possible to take great strides in a short time.
 

Innovation has been at the heart of Sunnaas Rehabilitation Hospital in Oslo for over 50 years. Yet, during recent years, the hospital felt it needed to carve out a more focused innovation strategy. 

Sunnaas Rehabilitation Hospital is one of the largest rehabilitation hospitals in Europe. The hospital has the responsibility for trauma treatment and rehabilitation within the South-Eastern Norway Regional Health Authority, and is the hospital in Norway spending most on R&D after Oslo University Hospital – Rikshospitalet.

Oslo Medtech member Otivio AS has raised NOK 5 million in venture capital from private investors. Approximately half was raised by existing shareholders, including Otivio CEO Iacob Mathiesen.

Otivio develops treatment solutions and instruments based on technology, originally developed at the University of Oslo, which improves blood flow to the skin of patients. The company develops a product for temperature management of patients and one product for wound healing. Both systems rely on the improved blood flow to the skin.

Photo: Oslo Business Memo

Mobile phones can be a challenge for both doctors and patients. When doctors are available all the time, they are prone to many interruptions.

- Doctors are disrupted in most situations, often while they are sterile dressed, says researcher Terje Solvoll at The Norwegian Centre for Integrated Care and Telemedicine (NST). He will soon finalize his Ph.D thesis on communication between healthcare professionals.

The contest “Power Up in the game of life" recieved 12 applications by the deadline 3. May. The applications came from both startups and established gaming companies, but academia and municipalities are also among the participants. Several applications were also participating in phase 1, launched at The Gathering 2013. I am pleased that we received so many applications and although the majority of the participants are from the Oslo region, the south-west and northern Norway are also represented. Expected allocation is NOK 750 000 divided into 3 projects.

Oslo Medtech has together with Helse Sør-Øst RHF and "NHO/KS Nasjonalt program for leverandørutvikling" and 6 other Nordic regional health authorities and partners, been granted a Nordic development project within Innovative Procurement.  Nordic Innovation is financing the project. The Nordic project has been given the name “Public-Private Innovation Net”, and Cecilie Louise Buøen has been engaged by Oslo Medtech as the project manager for the Norwegian part of the project.

Oslo Medtech is one of three finalists for the prize Innovation Norway Cluster Award (2013), which is awarded by Innovation Norway at the conference “Signalkonferansen” 28th of May.

Minister of Health and Care Services Jonas Gahr Støre`s new strategy process for the health sector called HelseOmsorg21 is greeted with great expectations in the medtech industry.

HelseOmsorg21 is both a forum for senior executives and a strategic process modeled on similar processes previously carried out in sectors such as climate, oil and gas and ocean.

Fimreite Software AS released a new version of its product PaCentric in April and has received CE marking for sale in the EU markets and 510(k) clearance for sale in the US market.