A powerful session with lots of important discussions over the present and future of healthtech innovation in Portugal and Algarve. This session dynamized by Tec2Med Global Innovators & Algarve Evolution presented the new International Innovation Center in Medicine and Biomedical Engineering (Tec2Med CIIMEB), a partnership with Hospital de Amor e Harena | Hospital de Amor to the algarvean academic community.

The session highlithed that:

• There is a lack of connection and more relational bridges in the sector. The tissue of institutions is divided, either for political, personal or communicational reasons and people are not speaking with each other as they should;
• There were no biomedical engineering structures south of Lisbon until now with Tec2Med CIIMEB and Universidade do Algarve & Algarve Biomedical Center – ABC can and should start benefiting from it;
• There is a need for more private philantropic investment in algarvean healthtech entrepreneurship and also more support to fundamental science, including from CCDR Algarve;
• Healthcare students in the region need to have more access to opportunities to do research projects in healthtech startups and hospitals. A mapping is needed.

On the other hand Tec2Med is currently:

• Managing more than 20 real R&D projects;
• Supporting the validation of 5 startups;
• Managing scouting events in two continents;
• Expanding an ideation platform between engineering and healthcare students and professionals;
• Mapping the medtech sector in Portugal to support technological immigration of ideas.

For the last 7 years Tec2Med, first through its Summit, and now its Center is already real. The grow of the project is a sign of the huge potential and need for it.

Now its time to go into the next level. We are searching for:

• A place to accomodate our team and funding to buy more material;
• Volunteers for our medtech projects.

If you are a private investor, a student or a researcher who wants to help save more lives and invest your time and money in the validation of real technologies send us a message.