Sharing his reflections during the launch, Professor Alex Sia, CEO of KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital, the main clinical partner institution for this women’s health-themed edition of the programme, highlighted the opportunity at hand.
“We now have a unique opportunity to set something up that will be able to impact the medtech scene in general in Singapore,” said Prof Sia, adding that the programme will provide a springboard to link up with other areas and sectors to solve bigger challenges ahead.
Speaking during a panel discussion at the launch, four students from the inaugural cohort talked about their projects, what had prompted them to apply for this programme, their experience so far and the challenges they have faced.
The students talked about the clinical needs their teams are exploring, which range from in-vitro fertilization to fibroid surgery and prenatal ultrasound technology. With the guidance of their industry partners and clinical mentors, they will go on to invent solutions and develop prototypes before presenting their projects at a Shark Tank-style presentation at the end.