Biomedical centres to foster commercialization

Calgary, AB – Two new biomedical centres at the University of Calgary have been established to accelerate development of innovative medical technology in Alberta.

Federal and provincial governments, research funding agencies and the University of Calgary are partnering to create the new centres to foster innovation and commercialization of biomedical technologies. A provincial investment worth $7.4 million will establish the Biovantage – Alberta Ingenuity Centre to tackle real-world medical problems to deliver biomedical technologies through collaboration with researchers, business people and clinicians.

In addition, a combined investment of $7.3 million from the University of Calgary and the Canada-Alberta Western Economic Partnership Agreement will establish a second centre, the Bose Biomaterials and Tissue Engineering Technology Development Centre. This new centre will take research to the next level by combining specialized industry expertise and state-of-the-art infrastructure to focus on innovation and product development.

“Bose Corporation shares a common commitment with the University of Calgary to improve people’s lives through research and innovation,” said Dave Thomas, vice president of corporate research and development at Bose Corporation. “Our ElectroForce test instruments provide true advancements in medical device testing. They’ll be used in the new centre to help accelerate the development and commercialization of biomedical devices in order to prevent, diagnose and treat illnesses. “

These new centres aim to develop technologies and better treatment methods in many areas such as stroke, Alzheimer’s, arthritis, osteoporosis, and heart disease. The incidence of these chronic medical conditions is increasing as the world’s population ages. These centres will enable collaboration from across many disciplines including engineering, medicine, kinesiology, science, nursing and veterinary medicine. They will also attract the interest of internationally recognized corporations like the Bose Corporation and hold potential for developing new innovative and non-invasive technologies for treatment of these diseases.