The Building Better Futures for Health Challenge is back

Following the success of the 2016 Building Better Futures for Health Challenge, ide Group is bringing the event back for 2017.

The aim of the challenge is to find and invest in Australia’s best medical technology innovations that have the potential to make a significant difference to people’s health. It provides an opportunity for start-ups and entrepreneurs to pitch ideas in front of a panel of medtech industry leaders and gain insight on best practice design and commercialisation for medical device technologies.

The winner of the challenge will receive $25,000 worth of design, development and commercialisation support from ide Group to help develop their idea into a commercially viable reality. This support will be provided on-site at The Connectory, a workshop and co-working space at ide’s Sydney headquarters.

Stephanie Watson, a member of last year’s winning team (Repartech), said the challenge offered a valuable opportunity to gain feedback and refine the team’s idea — a next-generation biological patch and low-powered laser for eye repair.

“Since winning the challenge and meeting the team at ide, my team and I have improved our device design and learnt about the way that good design can improve the functionality and appeal of our device,” said Watson.

Offering a few words of advice for this year’s applicants, Watson said to “use the challenge as an opportunity to reflect on your product and its value proposition, and optimise its design”.

Geoff Waring, another member Repartech, said applicants should try to focus on understanding and communicating their ‘why’.

“It is good to have some theatre but it must be authentic,” he said. “The panel and audience will be looking for you to show you are doing this project with a higher purpose that comes from your personal history.”

Entries close on 31 March, with semifinalist interviews to be held during April. The final event will be held on 8 June at the Museum of Contemporary Art, as part of this year’s Vivid Ideas Exchange. To enter, click here.