The Medtech sector in Ireland employs over 48,000 people, the highest number, per capita, in Europe. The sector which was once primarily manufacturing based is now progressively being driven by Research and Development and is growing rapidly. Universities, research centres, government agencies, manufacturing companies, industry partners and medical clinicians are collaborating to produce the next generation of medical devices.

Given the critical nature of many medical devices, such as pacemakers and stents, where a product failure could be life threatening, medical devices are subject to strict regulatory standards. It can take many years of research and huge financial investment before a new medical device is licensed for use. Developing a medical device is a complex process. It involves different phases from initial idea, design, development, validation, testing and regulatory approval before it reaches distributors, hospitals, doctors, healthcare professionals, and patients. Working in this sector you will be part of a multidisciplinary team of scientists, engineers, quality control, regulatory, sales and marketing professionals at all stages of the development process.

Ireland is leading the way in Medtech research with record levels of investment into programmes such as the Disruptive Technologies Innovation Fund and facilities such as Bioinnovate and Science Foundation Ireland’s CÚRAM Centre for Research in Medical Devices. The Health Products Regulatory Authority regulates medical devices and in vitro diagnostic medical devices in Ireland. This includes clinical trials to assess the safety and effectiveness of medical devices before being used by the public. Human participants take part in clinical trials to evaluate the risks, limitations, and benefits of new medical devices before they are approved. A follow up study is carried out to confirm the long-term clinical performance and identify any adverse effects.

Innovation and constant change are at the heart of the Medtech sector where research is being translated into state-of-the-art new medical devices in clinical settings. These not only improve patient’s health and wellbeing but investments in medical technology can also result in cost savings to healthcare providers such as the HSE. Examples of new medical devices are a surgical instrument that facilitates superior access to the uterus during caesarean delivery and reduces risk factors to the mother and baby. Another example uses advanced technology and AI to enable remote access to pathology experts. This eliminates the need for physical samples to be sent for diagnosis, thus reducing waiting times and increasing access to healthcare around the world.

You may wish to be part of a team developing a ‘novel’ medical device which is defined as one which meets an urgent, unmet, or humanitarian need, or is safer or more effective. Examples include an ACL anterior cruciate ligament implant as an alternative to ACL reconstruction to treat ACL tears, and an insulin monitoring and delivery system that automatically adjusts for paediatric patients.

If you are interested in worthwhile work that can make a real contribution to society there are exciting research and development opportunities in academia and with world class companies in this thriving sector. You may enjoy the challenge of working on advanced materials or complex miniaturised medical devices. Other research areas include connected medical devices for diagnosis, treatment and real time monitoring, 3D printing of medical devices and AI powered diagnostic tools to name but a few.

It can be very rewarding to see a medical device you have helped develop transform a patient’s quality of life. There are a multitude of other career opportunities including biomedical engineering, product development and testing, risk management, clinical trial management, quality assurance, regulatory compliance and technical sales and marketing.