SMARTMED-2025 Concludes at Panjab University

Chandigarh, May 24, 2025: The two-day industry-academia event, Strategic Meet for Academia-Research-Transfer in Medical Devices (SMARTMED-2025), concluded at Panjab University, Chandigarh, registering an enthusiastic response from industry representatives and innovators.

More than 70 industry personnel participated in the two-day-long industry-academia event, which was organised by the DST-Technology Enabling Centre (TEC) at Panjab University in collaboration with AICTE (Govt. of India) and the Punjab State Council for Science and Technology (PSCST). As many as 57 medical technologies and prototypes were showcased.

Among the exhibits, the Artificial Breathing Capability Device (ABCD)—a collaborative innovation by PGIMER, IIT Ropar, and PU—generated the highest interest. Industry experts expressed confidence that at least a dozen technologies have strong potential for tech transfer, with follow-up engagements with inventors expected to initiate commercialisation discussions soon.

The event was inaugurated by Shri Yogesh Brahmankar, Innovation Director at the Ministry of Education’s Innovation Cell and AICTE, who outlined the Government of India’s policy framework and funding ecosystem for taking lab-scale innovations to the market.

Dr. Dapinder Kaur Bakshi, Joint Director, PSCST, reiterated the council’s commitment to Atmanirbhar Bharat through robust industry-academia partnerships and sustainable innovation pathways.

In a keynote address, Dr. PJ Singh, Founder of Tynor Orthotics and former President of CII (Northern Region), called for intensified public-private investments in R&D and assured his continued support for making SMARTMED an annual flagship event.

Chairman of the DST-TEC Management Committee, Prof. Raman C. Suri, highlighted the role of TEC in strengthening regional innovation ecosystems and announced plans to circulate SMARTMED-2025 proceedings globally to facilitate international collaboration and tech transfer.

Chief organiser Prof. Manu Sharma, Coordinator of DST-TEC at PU, emphasised that SMARTMED-2025 has set a dynamic precedent in India’s healthcare innovation journey through cross-sectoral collaboration, expert guidance, and visionary planning. The technologies presented spanned AI-integrated health tools, wearable devices, and point-of-care diagnostics, among others.

Ankush Gawri, Incharge of the Innovation Centre, Chandigarh, AICTE, concluded by outlining AICTE’s ongoing efforts to ensure seamless technology transfer from academic institutions to the private sector, fostering a more agile innovation pipeline.