Scotland - a medical technology hub
Scotland has an established, vibrant medical technologies company base. This diverse, supportive supplier community is home to some ground-breaking, world-renowned research.
Key features:
- Established, vibrant company base
- Diverse, supportive supplier community
- Easy access to clinical skills & excellence
- Ground-breaking, world-renowned research
- Highly skilled, adaptable workforce
- World-class, tailored facilities
- Depth of experience in convergent technologies
- Dynamic, industry-led support network
Individually, each of Scotland’s strengths in medical technology is significant. Together, they present a compelling argument for Scotland’s claim as an internationally competitive hub for medical technology research, design, manufacture and commercialisation.
Established, vibrant company base
Scotland is already home to well over 100 med-tech companies with particular strengths in a number of key areas.
These range in size from indigenous companies like Axis-Shield or Optos to major multinationals including J&J Medical, LifeScan Scotland, Bausch & Lomb, Haemonetics (UK) and Vascutek (Terumo).
Life Sciences Scotland Source Book
Diverse, supportive supplier community
Scotland is home to over 150 companies that support and supply the med-tech sector. Their capabilities extend from cleanrooms, clinical, specialist components, engineering and laboratory services to contract manufacturing, medical supplies, packaging, production, sterilisation and waste treatment. Scotland also has proven capabilities in related technology sectors such as electronics, microsystems, engineering and biotech.
Find out more about specialist suppliers
Electronics Scotland has developed the capability directory to help companies select product development partners and source suppliers and contractors from the Electronics and Medical Device sectors in Scotland.
Search the Capability Directory on the Electronics Scotland website
Easy access to clinical skills and excellence
Scotland’s clinical research base and clinical trials capabilities are substantial, including clinical trial support services from CROs as well as the National Health Service - NHSScotland. As a result, many of Scotland’s hospitals are actively engaged in developing products for the healthcare sector and this activity is supported by Scottish Health Innovations (SHIL) .
Contract research organisations Clinical Expertise
Ground-breaking, world-renowned research
All of Scotland’s 13 universities are involved in ground-breaking med-tech research. Hotspots include imaging, cardiovascular instrumentation, ophthalmics, orthopaedics and implants. The diversity of research includes radiography, bioengineering, biomaterials and biophotonics.
Academic excellence Research strengths
Highly skilled and adaptable workforce
Scotland also has a highly skilled workforce and a large pool of recent graduates and post doctoral researchers in life sciences. The Medical Devices Doctoral Training Centre at the University of Strathclyde produces a dedicated pool of skilled employees for the medical technology sector.
Scotland – a supportive environment for growth
World class tailored facilities for Medical Technology
Scotland has established a portfolio of dedicated infrastructure within which to accommodate the needs of the medical technology community.
Dedicated infrastructure for Medical Technology Infrastructure for Life Sciences
Please review the new Medical Technology 2007 supplement (PDF, 1.8Mb)
Convergent technology
Scotland is also home to impressive capability across a range of science and engineering disciplines that, whilst not dedicated to medical technology development, can provide a valuable contribution to the development of this cluster. These include academic departments active in the fields of photonics, micro and opto electronics and materials and specialised companies in software and precision engineering.
It is the convergence of these technologies that will lead to the creation of next generation medical technology. The complex nature of the challenge is creating a need for cross discipline collaboration.
Dynamic, industry-led support network
Scotland has a host of industry associations and support organisations keen to develop the Med Tech and life Sciences sectors including Medical Devices in Scotland (MDIS), Scottish Health Innovations (SHIL), Scotland’s Intermediary Technology Institutes (ITIs), Scottish Development International (SDI).