Medical Innovation Xchange partners with Ontario government to assist companies in retooling for COVID-19 | BetaKit
The Medical Innovation Xchange (MIX), a healthtech hub based in Kitchener-Waterloo, is partnering with the Government of Ontario to offer free advisory services to companies retooling their manufacturing facilities to create medical supplies in the fight against COVID-19.
“We are uniquely positioned to help domestic non-medical manufacturing companies.”
MIX will provide its advisory services to the Ontario Together Fund recipients and companies that have received purchase orders from the province. The $50 million Ontario Together Fund was launched in April to help businesses provide innovative solutions or retool their operations in order to manufacture essential medical supplies and equipment.
“MIX advisors currently help young domestic medical technology companies navigate the specific challenges in the healthcare sector,” said Armen Bakirtzian, CEO of Intellijoint Surgical and founder of MIX. “We are uniquely positioned to help domestic non-medical manufacturing companies facing similar challenges as they accelerate the production of medical equipment and supplies to meet both short-term and long-term demands.”
Advisory services will be provided by MIX CEOs as well as the employees of their Canadian medical technology companies, some of which include Intellijoint Surgical, Vena Medical, Penta Medical, and NERv Technology.
Areas of focus for advice include clinical research, device engineering, traceability, post-market surveillance, manufacturing, compliance, and Health Canada medical device licences. MIX will also facilitate connections within Canada to source product testing labs, consultants, testing, packaging compliance, and sterilization suppliers.
The concept for MIX was first announced in June by Bakirtzian, and officially launched in January. MIX aims to offer healthtech companies an environment to grow locally and go to market globally. The organization says itit does not take equity in participating companies, as it is intended to be a “collision space” for peers and strategic advisors in the Waterloo Region.
On March 21, Premier Doug Ford launched the Ontario Together web portal and asked Ontario manufacturers and entrepreneurs to provide essential supplies and equipment to support frontline workers in their fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.
More than 17,000 proposals have been submitted to the portal, and on May 6, the province announced Oakville, Ont.-based Virox Technologies was the first manufacturer to receive money from the $50 million Ontario Together Fund.
“Through the Ontario Together initiative, we can support supply chains, ensure the growth of medical technologies in our province and ultimately, be better prepared for the future,” said Vic Fedeli, Ontario’s minister of economic development, job creation, and trade.
Canadian healthtech companies interested in offering volunteer services for this effort are also encouraged to contact MIX.