The Kansai area has a rich accumulation of the world’s top medical institutions, together with a variety of companies with excellent technologies, producing unique products. Accordingly, in 2003 the Osaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry established the “Next Generation Medical Device Industry Forum”. The Forum has supported activities for medical-engineering collaboration and commercialization.

Furthermore, taking advantage of global networks with Europe, the USA and Asia, the Forum supports the development and commercialization of medical devices, targeting not only the domestic but also future overseas markets.

The Forum recently collaborated with Oxford University Innovation (OUI), by organising a business matching meeting on seeds technology in the life science sector of the university. OUI is the academia-industry collaboration organization, established by the UK’s Oxford University in 1987.

OUI proposed the following three areas for collaboration:

• A digital support tool for applying for and acquiring certification of medical equipment.
• High speed and high accuracy imaging software for confocal scanning microscopes.
• Sports performance management and health monitoring by means of a mouthpiece.

Remarks

• In The Times Higher Education publication of September 2019, “World University Rankings 2020”, Oxford University is ranked No 1 overall.
• OUI, focusing on IP management and technology transfer, is 100% owned by Oxford University.