CÚRAM is ideally positioned as a centre of excellence for transforming conceptual and technological innovations into clinically validated, ready for market medical devices. Translation, through clinical trials, from a research setting into a safe, cost-effective clinical application requires a high level of coordination and a wide range of specialist expertise. CÚRAM works with Clinical Research Development Ireland (CRDI) and HRB Clinical Research Coordination Ireland (HRB-CRCI) to accomplish this.

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HRB-CRCI, hosted by CRDI, is an independent integrated national clinical research network, providing centralised support in the conduct of multicentre clinical trials as well as the infrastructure, facilities and expertise needed for the successful conduct of trials through its partner CRF/CRCs. In addition, CÚRAM has links with the new hospital groups and academic partners, created by the Irish Government as part of a significant reform of the health services.

CÚRAM partners with CRDI on the project ‘Developing Key Structures and Resources to Support Medical Device Clinical Research in Ireland’. The CRDI / CÚRAM partnership is built on the belief that successful technology innovation and translation is supported through the acquisition of pertinent skills and knowledge.

The CRDI / CÚRAM partnership objectives include developing and delivering:

MedTechTranslate, in particular, is being developed to centralise expertise to support medical device research translation. This will be facilitated via an online portal which will provide information on pathways to EU regulatory approval for medical devices and map EU regulatory requirements to key stages of a medical device product’s life cycle. The portal will also sign-post device innovators towards relevant practice and expertise information and will serve as a conduit to increased linkage between device-based industry representatives, academics, clinicians and clinician-researchers.