(May 27, 2010, IIT Madras)

Trivitron Healthcare has inked a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with IIT Madras to set up Trivitron Innovation Center, a center for excellence in biomedical research and development and design, at IIT, Madras. The centre aims at offering new designs, innovative and cost-effective medical technology solutions for India and other emerging markets.

It will focus on inventions in medical technology, new concepts, design unique products, and obtain patents with an access to brilliant scientists and academics in the IIT campus. The center will fuel Trivitron's goal of creating a center of excellence in R&D for their own business needs and manufacturing and for partners and top medical technology players of the world.

IIT, Madras has an impeccable record of producing some of the world's best talents in the field of engineering design with application in various fields of technology including advanced biomedical applications for medical technology products. The innovation center will help IITians bring commercially viable medical devices into the market through continuous interactions and inputs from Trivitron engineering, manufacturing, and support team and also an employment opportunity for students and project associates in Trivitron design and development centre, on and off campus.

Indian medical technology market has been import dependent and more than 85 percent of products are still being imported due to lack of medical innovation and lack of coordinated efforts between medical and engineering institutes and medical technology manufacturers thus adding to soaring healthcare cost.

In his speech, Dr. G. S. K. Velu, managing director, Trivitron Group of Companies said, "Trivitron Innovation Center at IIT Madras is going to be the first physical infrastructure of its kind in IIT campus for design and R&D of medical equipment and devices in India." He added, "Our main focus in setting up the exclusive facility is to conduct research, design and develop processes to bring out cost-effective medical technology products to cater to India and emerging markets in the world. The center will be exclusively funded by Trivitron. In phase I, the alliance is working to design and develop medical devices in the area of critical care, renal care, laboratory diagnostics, and imaging diagnostics."

Speaking on the occasion, Dr M.S. Ananth, Director, IIT, Madras said, "Trivitron Innovation Center project will draw resources from all the core departments of IIT through its professors and students. The joint initiative will also help students to get a deeper insight into the medical technology market and make them better prepared to become expert design and R&D engineers." Prof. R. Krishna Kumar, Head, Department of Engineering Design, IIT Madras will be the coordinator of the center and will draw diverse talents and resources available within IIT.

Dr. Balakrishnan, an eminent cardio-thoracic surgeon said, "This tripartite initiative to create the Trivitron Innovation Center will be able to channelise and validate all biomedical research projects with closer interaction between IIT professors, industry experts, and eminent doctors." Apart from having the innovation center at IIT Madras, Trivitron may also develop a comprehensive center in its Trivitron Medical Technology Park at Sriperumbudur, near Chennai for cross-utilization and expansion. In due course, Trivitron Innovation Center at IIT Madras will be transformed into a common platform for MNCs and the Indian medical device manufacturers as an outsourced design and development center.