Empowering MedTech Innovators Through the WIPO Global Health Innovation Fellowship

September 27, 2023

The Medical Technology (MedTech) sector – integral in many steps of patient care – has witnessed an expansion in Low and Middle-Income Countries (LMICs). Despite the promising growth trajectory and increased investments, the industry continues to grapple with multifaceted challenges, including securing intellectual property (IP) rights and navigating regulatory processes. The WIPO Global Health Innovation Fellowship, launching in October 2023, aims to bridge healthcare and innovation, foster inclusivity, promote collaboration, and drive local growth and development.

The MedTech industry encompasses a wide range of products and services used at every phase of the patient care pathway: prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and monitoring. It combines the fields of medicine, engineering, and business to develop solutions that save and improve people’s lives. The industry has witnessed impressive growth in LMICs in recent years. For example, in 2021, around 479 African health-related startups received US $4.77 billion in investment, in contrast to the US $379.6 million that was invested in 180 early-stage companies in 2020. Noteworthy success stories include Wisepill, a South African company founded in 2007, whose software alerts patients via their mobile phones, when they forget to take their medication.

Despite these opportunities, MedTech innovators in LMICs continue to face a range of challenges that limit their potential to grow further. These often stem from limited financial resources, insufficient health infrastructure, lack of technical expertise and regulatory processes that may not be keeping pace with advances in the healthcare environment.

Securing IP protection for inventions also poses challenges for many firms. For instance, the cost of both filing and maintaining a patent can amount to thousands of dollars, a potentially significant expense for Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs) and start-ups. In addition, weak enforcement of IP laws in many LMICs puts innovators in danger of having their ideas stolen or copied. Such conditions could also potentially deter investments in the industry.

WIPO Global Health Innovation Fellowship bridges the gap between healthcare needs and innovation

As the United Nations specialized agency for IP and innovation, WIPO plays a key role in advancing innovation and access to the resulting breakthroughs. To this end, WIPO recently announced a partnership with the Indian Department of Biotechnology (DBT) and the Indian Institutes of Technology (IIT) to launch the Global Health Innovation Fellowship in which budding researchers and entrepreneurs will work with DBT and IIT as part of its Biodesign Program in India.

Four MedTech fellows from LMICs will be sponsored by WIPO to participate as part of the first cohort. The fellows will have residency at the IIT campuses in New Delhi or Mumbai for two years. WIPO DBT will also develop and deliver IP-focused training materials that will be tailored to the needs of the Biodesign program, covering 100 students each year. The aim is to build capacity on how to leverage IP to promote innovation and equitable access to medical technologies addressing global health challenges.  

Building an inclusive MedTech innovation ecosystem

WIPO promotes an inclusive IP ecosystem, focusing on underrepresented groups. In 2022, women comprised 17.1% of inventors in international patent applications. This gender disparity can be attributed, in part, to the fact that women often face reduced opportunities to pursue careers in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) fields. To bridge this gap, the WIPO Global Health Innovation Fellowship offers aspiring innovators, including women, a chance to address global health challenges through innovation and technology.

Moreover, the DBT Biodesign Program promotes the creation of technology-driven products, services, and solutions, including those tailored to improve maternal health outcomes and other aspects of women’s health and well-being. This is in line with WIPO’s mission under the IP and Gender Action Plan (IPGAP), to lead the development of an IP ecosystem that promotes and encourages women’s engagement in IP and innovation, for the good of everyone.

Promoting collaboration

While developing their MedTech innovations, participants of the DBT Biodesign program will also gain knowledge on how innovators, governments, international organizations, and the private sector use the IP system to develop and disseminate medical technologies to achieve better health outcomes. For instance, WIPO’s network of Technology and Innovation Support Centers (TISCs) and Technology Transfer Offices (TTOs) bridges the gap between research and practice, and supports the transfer of knowledge and technology from academia to industry across 90 countries. The overall exposure can help the participants of the DBT Biodesign Program learn how partnerships can take their ideas from the lab to the market.

Linking Medtech Innovators to IP services and support

IP can support localized innovation in LMICs. It can help build local capacity, create jobs, and support economic growth, contributing to multiple United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Integrating IP-related materials into the Global Health Innovation Fellowship program will help foster an entrepreneurial mindset among participants. The fellows can gain insights in IP valuation, market assessment, and business development, enabling them to contribute to the commercialization and dissemination of medical technology solutions.

WIPO’s IP services, knowledge and data benefit innovators in the MedTech sector in many ways. WIPO’s global services for protection of intellectual property – including patents, trademarks, and industrial designs – can help innovators protect their ideas. WIPO’s global databases also allow innovators to explore existing patents and technologies, helping to prevent duplication of efforts and avoiding potential infringement issues. Should disputes arise, the WIPO Arbitration and Mediation Center provides neutral, international, and non-profit dispute resolution services in a time- and cost-efficient manner.

WIPO supports startups and SMEs to utilize intellectual property to commercialize their inventions. WIPO IP Diagnostics, for instance, is a free IP self-assessment tool that helps businesses identify their IP assets. This tool generates a customized report that gives recommendations and further information on IP and business competitiveness. 

WIPO also supports inventors and small businesses with limited resources to transform their innovation into commercial assets through the Inventor Assistance Program (IAP). The IAP matches selected beneficiaries with a volunteer patent attorney to help them navigate the patent system at no cost. These targeted tools can promote homegrown innovation that meets the specific healthcare needs of a given population. Local production can also help LMICs achieve self-sufficiency in developing medical technologies and reduce their dependence on imported medical solutions, ultimately expanding equitable access.

The WIPO Global Health Innovation Fellowship is committed to addressing global health challenges through innovation and technology, making IP a catalyst for innovation, creativity and access.