Periodic Reporting for period 1 - MedDevDoc (Doctorate Career Development and Mobility Studentships in Medical Device Research and Advancements:Enhancing the CÚRAM Industry-Academia Training Initiative)
Reporting period: 2023-12-01 to 2025-11-30
Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project
Project Context
Ireland is one of the world's leading MedTech hubs, hosting nine of the top ten global medical device companies and maintaining the highest MedTech employment per capita in Europe. This thriving ecosystem, spanning industry, research centres, and clinical partners, underpins national health innovation and contributes significantly to Ireland's economy.
Despite this strong positioning, significant challenges remain. The medical device sector must rapidly adapt to advancements in artificial intelligence, biomaterials, digital health technologies and sustainability requirements. Simultaneously, healthcare systems are under increasing pressure from ageing populations, the burden of chronic diseases, and the demand for more personalised, patient-centric care. Addressing these challenges requires a new generation of researchers equipped with interdisciplinary expertise, regulatory and quality assurance literacy, and strong skills in innovation and public engagement. Traditional doctoral training pathways are insufficiently equipped to meet these evolving needs.
In response, MedDevDoc was launched as a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) COFUND Doctoral Programme, coordinated by the University of Galway. Anchored within CÚRAM, the Research Ireland Centre for Medical Devices, MedDevDoc builds on a strong industry–academia–clinical network to develop highly skilled doctoral researchers capable of driving the next wave of MedTech innovation in Europe.
MedDevDoc supports the recruitment of 25 doctoral candidates through an open, transparent, merit-based process aligned with Ireland's research priorities, the EU's Horizon Europe and MSCA frameworks, and the UN Sustainable Development Goals (notably SDGs 3, 4, 8, 9, and 17).
MedDevDoc Objectives and Programme Structure
MedDevDoc empowers doctoral researchers to define their career goals and research direction through structured Personal Career Development Plans (PCDPs) and tailored supervision from academic and industry mentors. Research projects are embedded within CÚRAM's innovation pillars, spanning the following areas:
• Soft Tissue Repair and Regeneration
• Cardiovascular–Renal–Metabolic (CRM) Disorders
• Neural and Musculoskeletal (N&M) Systems
• Translational and Clinical Research
Cross-cutting themes include Education and Public Engagement, Entrepreneurship training, and translational support.
MedDevDoc delivers an integrated and holistic training ecosystem that includes the following:
• Advanced scientific and technical training relevant to medical device development
• Transferable skills, including entrepreneurship, leadership, project management, research communication, and Intellectual Property Rights (IPR)
• Industry exposure, including secondments with MedDevDoc's 14 partner organisations.
• Training in regulatory science, standards, ethics, data governance, and responsible research and innovation (RRI)
• Experts in education, communication, and creative media support public engagement skills.
• Sustainability and inclusivity, leveraging the University of Galway's Green Lab certification and targeted initiatives to widen participation in STEM.
Pathway to Impact
1. Researcher-Level Impact
MedDevDoc develops doctoral candidates into creative, independent, and employable Fellows with strong cross-sectoral mobility. Fellows gain interdisciplinary experience, regulatory and translational expertise, and advanced skills necessary to lead innovations in Europe's medical technology sector.
2. Institutional and National Impacts
The program strengthens Ireland's research and innovation capacity, supports regional innovative specialisation strategies, and reinforces Ireland's global reputation as a hub for medical device research, development, and manufacturing.
3. Industry and Innovation Impact
Through co-supervision, industry placements, and innovation-focused training, MedDevDoc accelerates the translation of research into clinically and commercially relevant solutions for patients. This enhances industry–academia collaboration and supports the development of new technologies, patents, licensing opportunities and spin-out pathways.
4. Societal Impact and Public Engagement
MedDevDoc places a strong emphasis on patient-centred research. Through Patient and Public Involvement (PPI), ethics training, and public engagement activities, doctoral candidates ensure that their work addresses real-world healthcare needs. Engagement with schools, community groups, and policymakers fosters trust in science and encourages future participation in STEM.
5. European and Global Impacts
MedDevDoc enhances researcher mobility and promotes cross-border collaboration in Europe and beyond. The programme contributes to key EU priorities, including
• Horizon Europe Pillar II—Health Cluster
• Digital Europe and AI for Health initiatives
• EU Pact for Skills—upskilling for health innovation
• The European Green Deal—sustainable lab and innovation practices
Role of Social Sciences and Humanities (SSH)
MedDevDoc integrates Social Sciences and Humanities (SSH) perspectives to ensure that medical device innovation is socially responsible, economically viable, and aligned with regulatory and ethical expectations. SSH contributions include the following:
• Health economics and reimbursement analyses support market access strategies for emerging medical devices.
• Research on health systems, digitalisation, and patient pathways ensures that technologies are suitable for clinical integration.
• Ethical innovation includes the responsible use of data, patient involvement, and sustainability.
• Alternatives to animal testing promote ethical research aligned with the 3Rs (Replacement, Reduction, Refinement), primarily through advanced in vitro and in silico modelling.
Ireland is one of the world's leading MedTech hubs, hosting nine of the top ten global medical device companies and maintaining the highest MedTech employment per capita in Europe. This thriving ecosystem, spanning industry, research centres, and clinical partners, underpins national health innovation and contributes significantly to Ireland's economy.
Despite this strong positioning, significant challenges remain. The medical device sector must rapidly adapt to advancements in artificial intelligence, biomaterials, digital health technologies and sustainability requirements. Simultaneously, healthcare systems are under increasing pressure from ageing populations, the burden of chronic diseases, and the demand for more personalised, patient-centric care. Addressing these challenges requires a new generation of researchers equipped with interdisciplinary expertise, regulatory and quality assurance literacy, and strong skills in innovation and public engagement. Traditional doctoral training pathways are insufficiently equipped to meet these evolving needs.
In response, MedDevDoc was launched as a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) COFUND Doctoral Programme, coordinated by the University of Galway. Anchored within CÚRAM, the Research Ireland Centre for Medical Devices, MedDevDoc builds on a strong industry–academia–clinical network to develop highly skilled doctoral researchers capable of driving the next wave of MedTech innovation in Europe.
MedDevDoc supports the recruitment of 25 doctoral candidates through an open, transparent, merit-based process aligned with Ireland's research priorities, the EU's Horizon Europe and MSCA frameworks, and the UN Sustainable Development Goals (notably SDGs 3, 4, 8, 9, and 17).
MedDevDoc Objectives and Programme Structure
MedDevDoc empowers doctoral researchers to define their career goals and research direction through structured Personal Career Development Plans (PCDPs) and tailored supervision from academic and industry mentors. Research projects are embedded within CÚRAM's innovation pillars, spanning the following areas:
• Soft Tissue Repair and Regeneration
• Cardiovascular–Renal–Metabolic (CRM) Disorders
• Neural and Musculoskeletal (N&M) Systems
• Translational and Clinical Research
Cross-cutting themes include Education and Public Engagement, Entrepreneurship training, and translational support.
MedDevDoc delivers an integrated and holistic training ecosystem that includes the following:
• Advanced scientific and technical training relevant to medical device development
• Transferable skills, including entrepreneurship, leadership, project management, research communication, and Intellectual Property Rights (IPR)
• Industry exposure, including secondments with MedDevDoc's 14 partner organisations.
• Training in regulatory science, standards, ethics, data governance, and responsible research and innovation (RRI)
• Experts in education, communication, and creative media support public engagement skills.
• Sustainability and inclusivity, leveraging the University of Galway's Green Lab certification and targeted initiatives to widen participation in STEM.
Pathway to Impact
1. Researcher-Level Impact
MedDevDoc develops doctoral candidates into creative, independent, and employable Fellows with strong cross-sectoral mobility. Fellows gain interdisciplinary experience, regulatory and translational expertise, and advanced skills necessary to lead innovations in Europe's medical technology sector.
2. Institutional and National Impacts
The program strengthens Ireland's research and innovation capacity, supports regional innovative specialisation strategies, and reinforces Ireland's global reputation as a hub for medical device research, development, and manufacturing.
3. Industry and Innovation Impact
Through co-supervision, industry placements, and innovation-focused training, MedDevDoc accelerates the translation of research into clinically and commercially relevant solutions for patients. This enhances industry–academia collaboration and supports the development of new technologies, patents, licensing opportunities and spin-out pathways.
4. Societal Impact and Public Engagement
MedDevDoc places a strong emphasis on patient-centred research. Through Patient and Public Involvement (PPI), ethics training, and public engagement activities, doctoral candidates ensure that their work addresses real-world healthcare needs. Engagement with schools, community groups, and policymakers fosters trust in science and encourages future participation in STEM.
5. European and Global Impacts
MedDevDoc enhances researcher mobility and promotes cross-border collaboration in Europe and beyond. The programme contributes to key EU priorities, including
• Horizon Europe Pillar II—Health Cluster
• Digital Europe and AI for Health initiatives
• EU Pact for Skills—upskilling for health innovation
• The European Green Deal—sustainable lab and innovation practices
Role of Social Sciences and Humanities (SSH)
MedDevDoc integrates Social Sciences and Humanities (SSH) perspectives to ensure that medical device innovation is socially responsible, economically viable, and aligned with regulatory and ethical expectations. SSH contributions include the following:
• Health economics and reimbursement analyses support market access strategies for emerging medical devices.
• Research on health systems, digitalisation, and patient pathways ensures that technologies are suitable for clinical integration.
• Ethical innovation includes the responsible use of data, patient involvement, and sustainability.
• Alternatives to animal testing promote ethical research aligned with the 3Rs (Replacement, Reduction, Refinement), primarily through advanced in vitro and in silico modelling.
Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far
During the reporting period, MedDevDoc doctoral candidates made substantial progress in CÚRAM’s three core scientific pillars. In Pillar 1, the Fellows developed a novel knot-structured hydrogel dressing loaded with encapsulated adipose-derived stem cells, offering a promising strategy to accelerate skin wound healing through enhanced regenerative activity. Parallel work has produced a 3D-engineered ovarian cancer model that replicates key tumour microenvironment features to investigate how glycans drive chemoresistance, providing an advanced platform for testing therapeutic responses. In Pillar 2, progress was made on two innovative biomaterial-based interventions: self-powered controlled-release devices for the localised delivery of therapeutics and immunomodulatory hydrogels designed to regulate angiogenesis and neurogenesis precisely. Collectively, these technologies provide new tools for studying tissue repair and developing targeted regenerative therapies.
In Pillar 3, doctoral candidates will advance research on ultrasound-modulated hydrogel implants that leverage immune dynamics to support precision bone regeneration, as well as anti-inflammatory nanoparticle-loaded hydrogels intended for intra-articular delivery in osteoarthritic joints, addressing key challenges in musculoskeletal disease treatment. Alongside the scientific pillars, MedDevDoc's EPE Fellows delivered impactful progress on two engagement-focused projects: the development of a facilitator training framework for community-driven STEAMM initiatives, empowering families to participate in locally relevant science activities, and the design of a national postgraduate access pathway for refugees and international protection applicants to remove structural barriers to graduate education. Together, achievements across scientific and societal strands demonstrate substantial interdisciplinary advancement, positioning MedDevDoc to make meaningful contributions to medical device innovation, community engagement, and equitable access to higher education.
In Pillar 3, doctoral candidates will advance research on ultrasound-modulated hydrogel implants that leverage immune dynamics to support precision bone regeneration, as well as anti-inflammatory nanoparticle-loaded hydrogels intended for intra-articular delivery in osteoarthritic joints, addressing key challenges in musculoskeletal disease treatment. Alongside the scientific pillars, MedDevDoc's EPE Fellows delivered impactful progress on two engagement-focused projects: the development of a facilitator training framework for community-driven STEAMM initiatives, empowering families to participate in locally relevant science activities, and the design of a national postgraduate access pathway for refugees and international protection applicants to remove structural barriers to graduate education. Together, achievements across scientific and societal strands demonstrate substantial interdisciplinary advancement, positioning MedDevDoc to make meaningful contributions to medical device innovation, community engagement, and equitable access to higher education.
Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)
MedDevDoc advances research and training in the medical device field through its intersectoral, interdisciplinary, and international (3i) approach, enabling doctoral candidates to generate innovations that extend beyond current practices. The program supports high-quality scientific development alongside strong translational, regulatory, and entrepreneurial skills, ensuring that emerging technologies have clear pathways toward clinical and commercial relevance.
Commercialisation and Intellectual Property
Although MedDevDoc projects are still in early development and have not yet generated intellectual property or licensing agreements, the program’s Translation Support Team provides advanced support in innovation assessment, health economics, and technology readiness evaluations. This early integration of valorisation tools positions MedDevDoc technologies to advance beyond the state of the art as research matures.
Market Access and Unmet Clinical Needs
MedDevDoc enhances the translational impact of research by enabling candidates to identify unmet clinical needs and strategic market opportunities. This ensures that innovations address real-world challenges and are developed with a clear understanding of potential adoption pathways within the healthcare system.
International Collaboration and Mobility
The program exceeds conventional doctoral training by embedding international cooperation through partnerships with leading global institutions. These collaborations expand scientific excellence, introduce diverse expertise, and enhance the international relevance and competitiveness of the research.
Regulatory Awareness and Innovation Compliance
Although not centred on regulatory affairs, MedDevDoc equips Fellows with regulatory literacy, including access to assessment tools that evaluate the compliance readiness of emerging technologies. By integrating regulatory considerations at an early stage, projects can move beyond typical academic research boundaries and are better aligned with real-world implementation.
Training, Skills, and Capability Building
MedDevDoc offers advanced training in grant writing, IPR, commercialisation, innovation strategy, and entrepreneurship, enabling candidates to position their work beyond state-of-the-art academic outputs. These skills empower Fellows to develop fundable, scalable, and ethically responsible medical technology (MedTech) solutions with long-term socio-economic impact.
Commercialisation and Intellectual Property
Although MedDevDoc projects are still in early development and have not yet generated intellectual property or licensing agreements, the program’s Translation Support Team provides advanced support in innovation assessment, health economics, and technology readiness evaluations. This early integration of valorisation tools positions MedDevDoc technologies to advance beyond the state of the art as research matures.
Market Access and Unmet Clinical Needs
MedDevDoc enhances the translational impact of research by enabling candidates to identify unmet clinical needs and strategic market opportunities. This ensures that innovations address real-world challenges and are developed with a clear understanding of potential adoption pathways within the healthcare system.
International Collaboration and Mobility
The program exceeds conventional doctoral training by embedding international cooperation through partnerships with leading global institutions. These collaborations expand scientific excellence, introduce diverse expertise, and enhance the international relevance and competitiveness of the research.
Regulatory Awareness and Innovation Compliance
Although not centred on regulatory affairs, MedDevDoc equips Fellows with regulatory literacy, including access to assessment tools that evaluate the compliance readiness of emerging technologies. By integrating regulatory considerations at an early stage, projects can move beyond typical academic research boundaries and are better aligned with real-world implementation.
Training, Skills, and Capability Building
MedDevDoc offers advanced training in grant writing, IPR, commercialisation, innovation strategy, and entrepreneurship, enabling candidates to position their work beyond state-of-the-art academic outputs. These skills empower Fellows to develop fundable, scalable, and ethically responsible medical technology (MedTech) solutions with long-term socio-economic impact.