Building a community around health innovation in the Manawatu region got a further shot in the arm on 25 March when BCC and MidCentral DHB welcomed Otago University Professor Lyall Hanton to speak about his research and the path to commercialisation.
Hanton, who is a professor of chemistry, has helped develop a wound healing gel used in sinus surgery and told the audience of clinical staff, researchers, entrepreneurs and investors about his journey from idea to animal trials and on to human trials and commercialisation.
The event followed a September launch of the health innovation programme and was held at Te Manawa Museum of Art, Science and History.
“It was good for everyone to hear first-hand a successful story of health innovation,” says Jane Donaldson, BCC technology transfer advisor, “and it was also good to hear about some of the challenges along the way. For example, Professor Hanton’s team first sold the patent to Medtronic in 2011 and then bought it back for further development.”
In addition to this event, BCC and the DHB are running a series of workshops for MidCentral staff interested in innovation. The first workshop, focused on identifying good ideas and understanding how to protect and communicate them, was held in October. The second workshop, about using 3D printing technology in healthcare, is scheduled for the end of April. Two more workshops are being developed for the remainder of the year.
The workshops are sponsored by MidCentral DHB and are primarily focused on upskilling and educating staff in the area of innovation. For more information, contact Jane Donaldson on or email .
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