Main Achievements

CMEMS strives to be a center of reference at international level, in the development of smart microsystems and biomedical devices, and has been able to build and maintain active exchange programs with universities, research centers and other laboratories around the world in the field of micro-nano fabrication and biomedical applications.

CMEMS is organized in 4 fully equipped laboratories that allow: computational modeling, micronano fabrication and testing, smart devices integration and testing of biomedical devices for neuro, cardio, osteo-articular, and gastro applications. CMEMS incorporates non-invasive image techniques, such as color Doppler ultrasound and Computer Tomography.

In the period 2015-2017, CMEMS strategic program was devoted to medical devices with innovative demonstrators in endoscopic autonomous device, smart implants and neural microsystems. Since 2013, the CMEMS team successfully supervised 137 MSc and 33 PhD students in the field, or with application to the area of health applications. The members of CMEMS were able to build a sustainable growth, doubling the fund raising capability and with a remarkable growth on PhD and Master students engaged in the research work.

At the moment, the CMEMS encompasses a total of 93 researchers (29 integrated members,49 PhD students and 15 collaborators). Currently 10% of the postdoctoral staff come from foreign countries. The collaborators include worldwide renowned experts in different fields on the medical and engineering areas.

Regarding the outputs in the period 2013-2017, the CMEMS members published 549 international ISI indexed journal papers, issued 25 patents, 9 of them international (EPO and USA). Active and close cooperation with international companies and 10 international awards were achieved.

The excellence can only be achieved through international cooperation. In this way, during the period 2013-2017 several partnerships were established with European, American, and Brazilian Universities in the field of micro/nano fabrication and biomedical applications. As can be observed from CMEMS publications authors, a significant part of them is done with international investigators, as well as with industrial partners. Moreover, national and regional key players should also be taken into account. In this way,a strong partnership has been built with the International Iberian Nanotechnology Laboratory (INL), an international key player in the field of micro/nanofabrication, located in the city of Braga.

Finally, CMEMS already submitted in 2017 project proposals (totaling 4 MEuro) in Horizon 2020, PT2020 and FCT frameworks, that are in evaluation process.

Internationalization

In the period 2013-2017 CMEMS participated in consortium projects with international companies as Given Imaging (Israel), Medtronic (USA), Siemens Healthcare (Germany and Portugal), InnovNano Materials (Portugal), and collaborated with academic institutions such as Delft University of Technology (NL), RWTH-Aachen, (D) NECSTLAB and Media Lab. at MIT, Boston, USA, Aalto Foundation (FI), Aalborg University (DN), Duisburg-Essen University (Germany), University Florida-Gainesville (USA), UFRN and UFSC (Brasil), Institute of Biomaterials- University of Erlangen-Nuremberg (Germany), University Hospitals Leuven - KU Leuven (Belgium), Rush University Hospital (Chicago-USA). The CMEMS research team, in special young researchers, spent periods in these institutions for acquiring/sharing knowledge with experienced investigators. Also, CMEMS researchers participated in international fairs, such as MEDICA (Dusseldorf, Germany) for promoting the medical prototypes.

From 2017, CMEMS hosts the European Branch of the Institute of Biomaterials, Tribocorrosion and Nanomedicine. The CMEMS is launching an international workshop on medical devices co-organized by Universities in Brasil, EUA and Europe. Internal brainstorming meetings for PhD and MSc students are organized regularly (every 3 months) for discussions on developing projects, where international recognized speakers (as engineers, doctors, physicians) are invited to give talks on subjects that are important for the CMEMS researchers.

Smith & Nephew Company collaborated in the development of the smart hip prosthesis. So far, 18 industrial national and multinational partners assumed or submitted applications for specific projects on components based on new CMEMS hybrid 3D printing-subtracting technologies, including Mahle automotive components.

In terms of international peer expertize recognition of CMEMS members, J.H. Correia was the Portuguese National Delegate in the European Commission (EC), in Brussels, for the Nanotechnology NMP Program. J.H. Correia and L.A. Rocha are Scientific Experts in the European Commission, in Brussels, for the ICT Micro/Nano-Systems area. P.M. Mendes is Scientific Expert in the European Commission, in Brussels, for the ICT Health area. P. Flores participated in scientific expert committees in Switzerland, Belgium, Spain, Czech Republic, Georgia and Romania.

Two CMEMS members have created one spinoff named X-treme materials, in the area of dental medical devices. The spin-off will launch, in 2018, different components based on 5 patents submitted in late 2017.