A Perspective on the ODT Conference
BY JOHN MCCORMICK, OCTOBER 18, 2006
This week we attended the inaugural Orthopedic Design and Technology Conference and Exhibition in the heart of orthopedic country — Ft. Wayne Indiana. Notably, this was a grouping of the folks who have the broad shoulders on which the orthopedics industry is built — the technology developers, universities, suppliers and engineers. The takeaway? Innovation rules.
The atmosphere at ODT was electrically charged with a focus on high concept engineering and the future of orthopedics. This was anything but a convention of metal benders. Rather, it was a forward thinking industry-to-industry medical technology forum dealing with emerging trends in orthopedic technologies. The conference also offered a refreshing break from the frenetic sell-to-doctor surgeon bazaar and a place for engineers and R&D professionals to talk amongst themselves about growth, technologies, capital and regulatory matters.
The conference parallel processed exhibitor booths and lecture sessions on key topics. The takeaways that emerged all revolved around innovation in the industry. How does the industry correctly and legally align with surgeons to foster innovation? How can the university labs participate? How do venture capital firms participate in bringing technologies to market? When will biotech and implants converge? The answers — not fully formed — are too long to describe here, but the questions provide a useful window into what the industry is really thinking about. Exhibitor booths ranged from anodizing and plastics to areas of high interest to the community, notably, coatings and rapid prototyping.
Our view? Anyone who walked the floors of ODT this week would find that this industry has a bright future and the innovation has only just begun.
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