Leading Health and Life Sciences in Nova Scotia

$20M Health Technologies Fund The new $20M Health Technologies Fund (HTF) will support the development of market-ready, made-in-Ontario health technologies by accelerating prototyping, evaluation and adoption in the Ontario health care sector. The fund will support projects that reflect priority areas of the government’s Patients First: Action Plan for Health Care. The first priority area for the HTF is Better Care Closer to Home. It will support home and community care through virtual, digital and mobile health care technologies. Applicants may apply for funding in one of three project categories:

  • Prototype
  • Pre-market evaluation
  • Early adoption
MEDEC is pleased to report that in addition to Ontario-based companies, the fund will also be open to any company that develops their technology in Ontario (specific parameters will be forthcoming). Preliminary program details are available here and applications will be accepted starting July 2016. Innovation Brokers Innovation Brokers will help remove barriers, so that innovative technologies and processes can be adopted by Ontario’s health care system and put to work for the benefit of patients. Innovation Brokers will also work with the Office of the Chief Health Innovation Strategist (OCHIS) to coordinate, integrate and ensure alignment of innovation with health system priorities and the needs of Ontario’s population. OCHIS has issued a Request for Expressions of Interest to establish a list of qualified and interested candidates as the first stage in a two-stage process for filling the Innovation Broker positions. More info can be found here. The OCHIS has also launched a new, easy-to-access link to their homepage at: Ontario.ca/healthinnovation The government’s news release on the announcement can be found here. A news story about the announcement which cites Mr. Charnetski’s remarks at MEDEC’s recent MedTech Conference can be found here. MEDEC is pleased that progress is being made on implementing the OHIC recommendations and we look forward to continue working with Mr. Charnetski and his office on the implementation in order to improve the environment for the medtech industry on behalf of our members. We will keep our members posted as this work progresses.]]>