Key figures among the medical technology community of Belfast and Boston are meeting with health leaders from both cities in Boston on May 3rd, to discuss how advances in new health care technology will enhance the quality of healthcare delivery.

The event suggested by the "Belfast Boston Connection" is a private sector group dedicated to building business and academic links between the two cities. The event, sponsored by the British Consulate and Invest Northern Ireland www.investni.com (the main economic development agency in the region) will explore the key challenges facing the healthcare industry globally, with leaders from Boston and Belfast medical technology sectors discussing how new advanced technology is moving the point of care from clinical setting into patient’s homes and work environment.

Advances in health care technologies are driving opportunities to service patients in new ways and new settings. Nowhere is this more apparent than in the home, where innovation in point-of-care devices and broadband technology is enhancing the quality of healthcare delivery.

Ian Murphy, Managing Director of Clients and Entrepreneurship with Invest Northern Ireland, said, "The UK government has invested heavily in Research and Development in Northern Ireland. The positive impact of this R&D investment at Queens University Belfast (QUB) and University of Ulster (UU) has created a number of spin out companies in the medical technology space."

One such company is Sensor Technology and Devices Ltd (ST&D), "a spin-out from the Northern Ireland Biomedical Engineering centre at University of Ulster (NIBEC). ST&D are innovators in wireless sensing devices for remote patient monitoring and are a reflection of the innovation happening in Northern Ireland; traveling with the delegation to present to the Boston medical community and are just one of a number of aggressive technology companies making up a village-like community in the region.”

John Cullinane, the co-founder of the Belfast Boston Connection and Chairman of LiveData Inc, in Cambridge, Massachusetts, said of the group, “the ‘Belfast Boston Connection’ is an informal network of relationships and not an organization as such, glued together by goodwill between and among business leaders, researchers and government officials in both Belfast and Boston.” He added, "The initial telehealth ‘connection’ in December 2006 was a great success and has opened the door to very significant opportunities for Belfast, Boston and LiveData in telemedicine and telementoring."

Panelists at this event include Dr Jeremy Nobel, Harvard School of Health, Permanent Secretary Dr Andrew McCormick, Department of Health Northern Ireland, Joseph Kvedar, MD with Partners Telemedicine, Laurel Sweeney with Philips Medical Systems and Continua Health Alliance and Conor Heneghan with Biancamed.

Event Details

This event will be held on Thursday 3rd May at the British Consulate General , 1 Memorial Drive, Suite 1500 Cambridge, MA 02142. Co-sponsors are Connected Health /Partners, Continua, CIMIT and Mass Tech Leadership Council. The Boston-Belfast event focuses on the point of care following the patient’s home and the workplace.

5.30 pm            Registration

6.00 – 7.00 pm Programme

7.00 – 7.30 pm Press Q&A session

7.30 – 8.30 pm Reception

Invest Northern Ireland (www.investni.com ) is transforming Northern Ireland into a fast-growing, competitive, knowledge-based economy - an ideal location for international companies that wish to establish operations in the region.Invest NI is an economic development agency that centralizes resources to better deliver what has made Northern Ireland a popular investment location: the right infrastructure, resources, skills, support and partnerships to help businesses succeed.Through Invest NI, integrated teams of specialists can assist companies with site selection, information gathering, site visits, interviews, contacts and partnerships, as well as grants and incentives to help businesses set up and expand quickly.

For more information please contact Lisa Murray at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it or telephone 1 617 425 5510.