The two clusters “Silicon Alps” and “Human.technology Styria” are launching a new cooperation offensive in the field of health technology. As a specialist in medical technology, WILD is the driving force behind the initiative.

Electronic based systems are shaping our future. They are a fundamental key technology that is increasingly finding its way also into medicine. For it is often the electronic components in combination with specific software that make a product intelligent and operational in the first place. Take, for instance, those small camera modules which, coupled with a special software, are already taking over diagnostic tasks today.

The two clusters “Silicon Alps” and “Human.technology Styria” recently initiated the “Health Technology” steering group in order to more efficiently focus on this key topic. WILD Electronics Managing Director Wolfgang Warum is the group’s executive sponsor. WILD already possesses decades of experience in the development and manufacturing of medical technology. “We expect this technology sharing to lead to the creation of a central knowledge hub for medical issues based on the motto: Who knows what? Who can do what?” says Warum.

The aim of this cross-cluster cooperation initiative is to identify the relevant activities in the field of health technology based on their overlapping with electronic based systems as enablers, point out regional strengths and development opportunities and promote key competencies in Carinthia and Styria through sustainable development measures. In addition, the partners are to benefit from joint qualification activities. “In addition to the technology information exchange between the cluster partners, our objective with this new working group for medical technology is to push innovation projects and to strengthen the international visibility of our cooperation partners’ core competencies”, Gernot Eder of Human.technology Styria explains.

Interface with science and research

Currently the “Health Technology” steering group consists of the following key players: AIT, CNSystems, CTR, EPCOS, Infineon, JOANNEUM Research, Joanneum University of Applied Sciences, Carinthia University of Applied Sciences, PAYER Medical, SVI, the WILD Group, and Wild High Precision. The Alpen-Adria University, the Technical University of Graz and the industrial enterprise Flex have also expressed their interest in participating. “Of course, the group is open to all interested partners from the world of business, science and academia”, stresses Oana Mitrea, who heads project management of this working group at Silicon Alps Clusters. From 2018 activities such as steering group meetings, workshops, roadshows, etc. will be organised at regular intervals.