The development of medical bionics devices will be fast-tracked thanks to an international partnership between researchers from the University of Wollongong and the National Ciao Tung University, Taiwan.
Delegates from the Taiwan National Program on Nanotechnology (NPNT) and the Biomedical Electronics Translational Research Centre (BETRC) are in Wollongong for talks with researchers from UOW’s Intelligent Polymer Research Institute.
ACES director Professor Gordon Wallace said the signing of a memorandum of understanding between the parties would create opportunities in 3D printing, specifically in the production of medical devices.
‘‘We have been building an innovation pipeline that generates and develops ideas within ACES and gets knowledge about practical advances to the marketplace as quickly as possible,’’ Prof Wallace said.
‘‘In many projects we will not have all the skills involved readily at hand.
‘‘The Taiwan electronics industry is globally recognised – if we can couple that expertise to our biomaterials developments we can progress the field of bionics much more effectively.’’
NPNT and BETRC program director Professor Chung-Yu (Peter) Wu added: ‘‘The research centre here at ACES has a very strong track record of research achievement in polymers, wearable devices, medical bionics devices and materials.
‘‘If we establish collaboration we can leverage those research achievements and form a team for the design of a complete medical device: ACES can do the materials development component and we in Taiwan can do the electronics system.’’
