Bakken Medical Devices Center now part of the Institute for Engineering in Medicine
IEM’s Innovation Pillar aims to accelerate the development and commercialization of medical innovations
MINNEAPOLIS / ST. PAUL (07/01/2021) – The University of Minnesota announced that its Earl E. Bakken Medical Devices Center (BMDC), an internationally renowned center of excellence in the training and practice of medical technology innovation, is being incorporated within the University’s Institute for Engineering in Medicine (IEM).
IEM, which is uniquely situated under both the Medical School and the College of Science and Engineering, has a mission to advance healthcare by strengthening research collaborations between engineering and medicine in both academia and industry.
New and existing BMDC programs will form the core of IEM’s Innovation Pillar with a mission to accelerate the development and commercialization of medical innovations. By capitalizing on combined expertise, experience, and institutional support, BMDC and IEM aim to make the University of Minnesota a leader in medical technology innovation nationally and internationally.
Starting July 1, 2021, Mechanical Engineering Professor Art Erdman, the founding director of BMDC, and Carla Pavone, the Associate Director of the University’s Holmes Center for Entrepreneurship in the Carlson School of Management and the Program Director of Minnesota Innovation Corps, will become co-directors of the IEM Innovation Pillar. They will be joined by two BMDC Associate Directors, Professor Angela Panoskaltsis-Mortari (Department of Pediatrics in the Medical School) and Associate Professor Matthew Johnson (Department of Biomedical Engineering in the College of Science and Engineering).
“Together, this team will accelerate biomedical innovation at the University by supporting new initiatives and partnering with existing University programs that already do so much to develop and commercialize medical technologies,” Pavone said. “We will also provide more opportunities to current and potential industry partners to engage with University researchers and facilities like BMDC.”
“I’m excited for this next phase of BMDC,” Erdman said. “I’ve seen the center go from a few rooms in the Shepherd Labs building to leading medical device conferences and partnering with companies worldwide. And I’ve always thought, ‘We can do more.’ By integrating with IEM and connecting more closely with the innovation ecosystem at the University, BMDC will become an even more vibrant partner in innovation and commercialization.”
The Bakken Medical Devices Center was initially established in July 2007. The center moved to its current location in the Mayo Building on the University of Minnesota Twin Cities campus in spring 2013.
For more information, contact IEM at iem@umn.edu or visit iem.umn.edu.