Innovation in healthcare offers huge opportunities for entrepreneurs, but is also a challenging field that requires new, interdisciplinary approaches. Fortunately, the identification, invention, and implementation of new medical technologies is a discipline that can be learned.

The innovation in healthcare process was developed by Stanford University’s Program in Biodesign over a decade ago to help both novel and experienced innovators increase their likelihood of success. It provides them the tools, resources, and information to help them effectively transform needs into marketable products.

Since 2001, the Stanford Biodesign innovation program has graduated over 120 Fellows and 700 students who have learned the Biodesign process in detail. Biodesign trainees have started 26 companies within the program, which have raised over $200 million and led to the creation of over 500 new jobs. More importantly, far more than 150.000 patients have been benefited by technologies invented by Stanford Biodesign trainees. Some of the devices that are being used to treat thousands of patients worldwide are: a novel treatment for Dry Eye, a $20 knee for amputees in developing countries, a handheld, low-cost test to diagnose diseases ranging from flu to the HIV or an inexpensive portable ventilator designed to save lives during global disasters are, just, a few examples.

Design Health Barcelona shares the same spirit of Stanford’s Biodesign. Design Health Barcelona is Moebio’s initiative to develop leaders in biomedical technology innovation. From September 2013 on, Design Health Barcelona fellows will learn the method to design disruptive solutions to improve healthcare for all. They will do it in a playful and intellectually stimulating environment. To start, and for 8 weeks, they will “live” in a leading hospital and get immersed in its daily activity: they will observe medical procedures and identify medical problems that new devices could help solve. Then, they will come up with ideas and develop prototypes for the best ones. They won’t be alone but networking with internationally renowned minds who will provide them new ways of thinking to find fresh solutions to problems and the support and resources needed to become their ideas in reality.

Would you like to be part of an initiative like Design Health Barcelona? What skills of the innovation process in life sciences are the ones you would like most to learn?

Lessons Learned:

• Innovation in healthcare offers huge opportunities. It is a market that is set to take big strides in the forthcoming years.
•  Biodesign is a proven method to boost medical innovation.
•  Biodesign is already benefitting thousands of patients worldwide.
•  Design Health Barcelona, following the biodesign process, will provide to talented people the knowledge and the skills to turn ideas into innovative business, products and services.