Bio- and MedTech enterprises have their momentum in Ticino

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Ryan Vannin

22.01.2016

The advanced short programs in Bio- and MedTech Entrepreneurship at the Università della Svizzera italiana (USI) have attracted ambitious entrepreneurs and company founders from the beginning. Their feedback is very good. The next edition of the courses are on the horizon.

BioBusiness and MedTech Business  at USI are two advanced short programs dedicated to the most promising business ideas in the BioTech and MedTech fields. Entrepreneurs and founders learn from a world-class team of instructors coming from both industries and venture capital. Each training provides insights to help them grow and establish a strong position in today’s market.

According to Dr. Heidrun Flaadt Cervini, Director of BioBusiness and MedTech Business (Photo), “these are unique programs in Switzerland, and probably in Europe, tailored to help Bio- and MedTech entrepreneurs to succeed with their business ideas in one week. Each year we only accept less than 30 students coming from all over the world and, among all the applicants, only those who bring the most promising business ideas are admitted. We really want motivated and focused attendees willing to take the extra-mile to create and finance a successful company”.

While BioBusiness is tailored to build and grow successful biotechnology companies, the MedTech Business program targets those who plan to create and finance a medical device or diagnostic company. Both are covering industry insights, market opportunities, product development, business plans, funding, IP, regulatory affairs; including workshops and hand-on project trainings.

These advanced courses have gained an outstanding reputation and have attracted many entrepreneurs from the life-science scene, who don’t spare their enthusiastic feedbacks. “The quality of the speakers is just world class. The organisation and the minds behind the program are brilliant.” says Dr. Med Patrick Kugelmeier, a trauma surgeon who attended BioBusiness in 2014 and just launched its own company, Kugelmeiers AG, which manufactures market-ready plates for stem cell research and other embodiments.

For MedTech Business 2014 attendee and CEO of Mininavident AG Frank Berlinghoff, “the scope of the program really shaped my strategic view about efficient approach to technology leaders and business partners. An important element was the professional introduction of supportive startup organisations in Switzerland and how to benefit from their networks and tools”.

Other promising companies and their founders have spent a week in Lugano in 2015. Among them, Dr. Benjamin Simona from Ectica Technologies AG, a startup based in Zurich offering tools for the biotech and pharma industry and dedicated to advance hydrogel-based 3D cell culture, or Dr. Antonia Fettelschoss, founder of Evax AG, a newly grounded company that develops new vaccines for horses.

“We built the programs up from scratch”, tells us Dr. Flaadt. “We are pioneers of this genre of training: we are fully committed and constantly shaping the contents to exceed the expectations of life-science entrepreneurs and help them exploit their full potential. The Università della Svizzera italiana and its president Prof. Dr. Piero Martinoli have supported us in offering an outstanding week in a beautiful environment. We collaborate with worldwide recognised companies and Swiss institutions. Moreover, we have attracted attendees and partners, including sponsors, from all over the world. All this contributes to all the efforts in our region, Ticino, to play an important role in the BioTech and MedTech industries not only in Switzerland, but also at an international level”.

The 2016 edition of BioBusiness will take place in Fall. The application deadline for the MedTech Business program (13-17 June 2016) will be at the end of March.

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