BioInnovate Ireland, based at University of Galway, hosted its annual symposium, bringing together more than 250 health technology innovators, clinicians, entrepreneurs, legal experts and industry leaders.

The event explored vital role of building a team of advisors and directors to drive startup success in health tech innovation, while also featuring a showcase of the cutting-edge solutions being developed by this year’s fellows for unmet patient needs.

The theme of the symposium was ‘From Bench to Boardroom: Governance Strategies for Health Tech Leaders’.

The event was co-hosted by the Ian Quinn Centre for Health Technology Innovation, which is co-located at BioInnovate on the University of Galway campus. The Centre aims to translate health technology projects to successful spin-out companies by providing co-working space, mentorship, and global connections.

Professor Martin O’Halloran, Director of BioInnovate Ireland, said: “As a growing number of our alumni companies grow and scale, having the structures and processes in place to manage that scaling becomes more and more important. These companies must be empowered with the frameworks and leadership practices that underpin successful health technology ventures. This year’s symposium reflects BioInnovate’s commitment to supporting our companies transitioning from start-ups to scale-ups."

Professor Peter McHugh, Interim President of University of Galway, said: “BioInnovate Ireland is a flagship example of our University’s innovation ecosystem in action - bringing together academia, healthcare and industry to address real clinical needs. We are proud to support a programme that not only delivers tangible health solutions, but also builds national capacity in medtech leadership.”

Among those taking part in the symposium were Dr Elizabeth McGloughlin, co-founder of Tympany Medical; serial medtech entrepreneur Professor Paul Gilson; and Marie Gavin, Partner at law firm RDJ, all of whom explored governance, including the value of effective boards, the role of strong chairpersons, and practical strategies for navigating early-stage growth and investment.

Other speakers included Caroline Spillane, chief executive of the Institute of Directors Ireland; Lorna Smyth from Diligent; and Ruairí Cosgrove from PwC.

The event also hosted a panel discussion and innovation showcase, with pitches from this year’s BioInnovate fellows, who have spent the last ten months understanding specific unmet healthcare challenges, including hypertension, nephrology and interventional oncology. The solutions being developed have the potential to help millions of patients through exciting first-in-class medical devices and connected health solutions. 

BioInnovate is supported under the Innovators’ Initiative Programme, co-funded by the Government of Ireland through Enterprise Ireland, and the European Union through the Northern and Western Regional Programme 2021–2027.

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