Melbourne strikes new med tech deals in India

These agreements will strengthen Victoria’s medical technology sector and add value to Indian organisations

The State Government of Victoria, Australia announced the signing of two new agreements which will further strengthen Victoria’s renowned medical technology sector and share our expertise partnering with leading Indian organisations to address major health challenges, including the diagnosis of epilepsy.

Swinburne University has signed two memoranda of understanding (MoU) with major Indian partners while on a Neuroscience Victoria trade mission, run jointly by the Victorian Government and Austrade to open up new markets for Victorians in the medical technology sector.

Neuroscience leaders from Swinburne University, who were part of the delegation to India, signed an agreement with Medanta, on a project to improve diagnosis of epilepsy across India. The overall prevalence of epilepsy in India is 5.59-10 in 1000 persons. There is a gap in access to adequate diagnostic services and medical care in particularly in rural India.

This project will develop products and technologies that can be used to help diagnose epilepsy in villages and remote communities across the vast nation. The technology can be used to help local health workers diagnose epilepsy early and refer patients for treatment in urban centres.

Swinburne also signed a MoU with the prestigious All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) to develop a cutting edge ‘smart helmet’ to reduce the incidence of head injuries for motorcyclists.

Two thirds of road vehicles in India are two wheelers and tens of thousands of people die on India’s roads every year with many more suffering injury and trauma, but many people still do not wear helmets. According to a study by the state police, there were over 1 Lakh deaths due to road accidents in India in the year 2015.

The ‘smart helmet’ is designed to be light-weight and incorporate technology to address issues that discourage people from wearing helmets.

These new agreements reinforce Victoria’s reputation as a world leader in the life sciences sector and India aligns as a natural partner with its globally recognised expertise in medical research.