Ireland’s University of Galway has a launched a new medical device prototype hub, representing the latest milestone in its ongoing alliance with Medtronic.
Medtronic and the university established the €5m ($5.9m) innovation partnership in 2023. Set to last five years, the pair-up is focused on developing the medtech ecosystem, STEM engagement, and research in the region.
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Availed of staff to facilitate concept creation, development and manufacturing of innovative medical device prototypes, the hub is positioned to offer a suite of services to support early-stage medical device innovation, including virtual and physical prototyping, and the support of design iteration through computer aided design (CAD), modelling and simulation.
A report from KPMG revealed that venture capital investment in Ireland rose 25% to $1.45bn in 2025, up from $1.15bn in 2024. Data demonstrated that medtech and fintech sectors performed strongly in dealmaking.
Professor David Burn, president of the University of Galway, commented: “The launch of the Medical Device Prototype Hub at University of Galway marks a hugely significant milestone in our signature partnership with Medtronic but it also sends a strong message to all those in the sector and all those who are driving innovation – University of Galway is creating the ecosystem in which our partners in research and innovation can thrive.”
The new hub is part of the Institute for Health Discovery and Innovation, which was established at the university in 2024, as part of the broader innovation partnership. The University of Galway added that there are plans to further support the hub through collaborations with government agencies and other industry leaders in future.
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By GlobalDataRonan Rogers, senior R&D director at Medtronic, commented: “We are proud to invest in an ecosystem that not only drives technological progress but also supports talent development. This hub will unlock new avenues for discovery and accelerate the path from promising ideas to real‑world medical solutions for patients.”
The latest development in Medtronic’s collaboration with the University of Galway is far from its only collaboration with UK-based academic institutions. Medtronic also has a presence at London’s Imperial College, University College London Hospitals, and King’s College London, where the largest artificial intelligence (AI)-based gastroenterology trial in the country is currently underway, utilising Medtronic’s GI Genius intelligent endoscopy module.
In September 2025, the medtech giant signed an agreement with the Manchester University UK National Health Service (NHS) Foundation Trust (MFT) to co-develop technologies including robotic surgery and AI-related initiatives. Along similar lines, Medtronic completed an expansion of its London site based in the Old Street ‘Silicon Roundabout’ in the same month. At the time, Medtronic said the retooled 25,000ft² Centre of Digital Excellence underlined the company’s ambition to drive research and development in software for robotic-assisted surgery in the UK and globally.
