Göteborg - a centre of medical technology
In the latest number of Medtech Magazine, Göteborg and the Västra Götaland region were described as being a centre of medical technology.
“When we consider that Nobel Biocare, Astra Tech, TATAA Biocenter and Mölnlycke Health Care and others all have their head offices in the Göteborg region it is perhaps hardly surprising to find that medical technology has a strong position and major development potential in west Sweden," writes the magazine.The article names several examples of interesting companies working with medical technology. One of these is Aidera, a company producing Diasend, an apparatus that enables diabetes patients to send in their glucose or insulin tests to health care centres for analysis. All the patient needs to do is place their test sample beside the transmitter and this sends over the result using the GSM net. Aidera is located in the Sahlgrenska Science Park, as is Medfield Diagostics, another company mentioned.
Medfield Diagnostics use microwaves instead of X-rays or ultrasound when examining such things as tumours. The result provides clearer pictures for analysis by medical care personnel and less exposure to radiation for both personnel and patients.
The Swedish Foundation for Strategic Research, the Swedish Research Council and VINNOVA (Swedish Governmental Agency for Innovation Systems) are investing 81 million kronor (approx. 9 million euro) in a five year interdisciplinary medical technology plan. The cooperative project between the Chalmers University of Technology and the Sahlgrenska Academy “Biosynthetic blood vessels, from bacteria to patient" received 9.6 million kronor (approx 1.1 million euro) just a few months ago.
