Collaboration and Innovation: Highlights from the MedTech Advance Workshop & Networking Event
HRB National Clinical Trials Office (NCTO)
NCTO is the national contact point for industry & academic support of Clinical Trial Research in Medicine & MedTech
It’s been a week since our workshop and networking event "MedTech Advance: Transforming Clinical Investigations in Ireland". It proved to be an outstanding success, drawing a full house with nearly 120 registered attendees. Hosted by Medtronic, a global leader in medical technology, the event showcased Galway's prominence in the MedTech sector.
Galway, home to eight of the world's top ten MedTech companies, provided the perfect backdrop for this gathering of industry professionals. 美敦力 's state-of-the-art facilities offered an ideal setting.
This highly anticipated event brought together experts, innovators, and leaders in the field, fostering valuable connections and knowledge exchange.
Organisations represented included:
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Meeting Highlights
As our gracious host, Ronan Rogers, Senior R&D Director of 美敦力 gave us a warm welcome and provided an insightful overview of Medtronic's fascinating history in the Galway area.
Dr Emer Sherry , Senior Public Policy & Regulatory Affairs Executive at Irish Medtech , emphasised the importance of stakeholder relationships in influencing policy and linking clinical research to the market. She highlighted how fostering strong connections between regulators and sponsors can drive impactful clinical research in Ireland.
Chaired by John Kilmartin , Adjunct Professor at the University of Galway - Institute for Clinical Trials, the morning session featured insights from regulatory agencies and experts. Dr Donal O'Connor or led his team from Health Products Regulatory Authority (HPRA) and Lucia Prihodova from the National Office for Research Ethics Committees gave a detailed overview of how to prepare for and conduct a clinical investigation of a medical device under MDR and IVDR in Ireland. Tom Melvin introduced the Harmonised EU Early Feasibility Study project (https://heuefs.eu/) and upcoming EU regulatory sandboxes. One key takeaway from the session is the vital importance of having access to the right guidance. Regulators not only ensure safety and quality but also offer support, facilitation, and expert advice throughout the process.
The afternoon session shifted focus to patient advocacy and the challenges and opportunities within the MedTech sector. Chaired by Ruben Keane, Quality and Regulatory Affairs Manager at NCTO and Head of Clinical Sponsorship Oversight at Trinity College Dublin, the session began with a moving personal story from Mr. Michael Mee, who shared his experience as a patient. His inspiring and impactful words resonated deeply with the audience, serving as a powerful reminder of the tangible impact of this work.?Sponsor companies of all sizes, including Marianne Wanten of Medtronic, Annette Kent of FIRE1 , and Mark O’Sullivan of NeuroBell , shared their insights on conducting clinical investigations both in Ireland and internationally. Several sectoral challenges were discussed but all of the companies found that clinical investigations conducted in Ireland were of a very high quality with strong support from regional clinical units. Anne-Marie Byrne , Operations Director with the RCSI National Surgical Research Support Centre discussed the creation of an All-Island Surgical Trial Network aimed at enhancing surgical research and innovation.
In Summary
This event was more than just a workshop—it was a celebration of our outstanding network partners and the strength of collaboration in the sector. A sincere thank you to all the speakers, panellists, attendees, and partners, and in particular to 美敦力 for their warm hospitality in hosting the event. Together, we highlighted the tremendous potential of clinical investigations to transform healthcare in Ireland. Thank you all for making this day an outstanding success. We hope to run our next networking workshop event in Munster in 2025, so watch this space for details in due course.