Three University of Colorado campuses, including CU Boulder, announced a partnership on Thursday with the global healthcare technology company Medtronic aimed at accelerating the development of new health technology to advance patient care.
Bryn Rees, CU Boulder’s Senior Associate Vice Chancellor for Innovation and Partnerships, said the goal is to innovate together for the benefit of patients.
“We can think of the university as serving as a research and development partner that’s really going to enhance Medtronic’s capabilities,” Rees said.
Medtronic will identify a goal or clinical solution that it needs, based on patient and market needs. CU will collaborate across all its campuses to provide the creativity, technology expertise and research capabilities. Medtronic brings a strong understanding of healthcare challenges and needs, Rees said, which will enable CU to bring discoveries to patients faster.
The partnership was formally announced on Thursday at an event on the CU Anschutz campus, where Medtronic announced an initial round of $250,000 in seed funding. Medtronic selected CU Boulder, CU Denver and CU Anschutz from a nationwide search, and researchers from all campuses will work together in partnership with Medtronic.
“We are thrilled to welcome the University of Colorado as our newest academic strategic research partner,” Jim Peichel, Medtronic’s Chief Technology Officer, said in a release. “Together, we will explore new frontiers that are critical to the future of healthcare and to the Medtronic Mission of alleviating pain, restoring health and extending life.”
Medtronic, with operational headquarters in Minneapolis and executive offices based in Galway, Ireland, aims to find technology solutions to health problems. The company’s technologies and therapies address 70 health conditions and include cardiac devices, surgical robotics, insulin pumps, surgical tools and patient monitoring systems.
Medtronic is especially interested in working with CU in areas such as artificial intelligence, robotics and sustainability, Rees said. One preexisting example of a way CU Boulder has already collaborated with clinicians to address a healthcare need is the development of a quantum-technology breathalyzer that can measure compounds in a patient’s breath and detect diseases earlier. While the breathalyzer is an existing example of how clinical need can line up with new invention and multi-campus collaboration, Rees said, it’s this kind of technology that will be possible by partnering with Medtronic.
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