Next generation prosthetics, deep learning systems for personalized medicine, and digital medicine were just a few of the emerging technologies our Economic Development team witnessed on April 3 at the 10th annual Bay Area Biomedical Device Conference hosted by the San Jose State University College of Engineering.

Our interest in both supporting and continuing to educate ourselves on the biomedical sector is deliberate: according to research by Gregory Theyel at the Biomedical Manufacturing Network, Fremont is now home to more than 115 companies in this sector, more than any other city in the Bay Area. At the conference earlier this month we got a chance to hear firsthand from speakers that are working on the cutting edge of biotech and see the projects of promising SJSU Bioengineering students.

There were several captivating industry speakers at the conference, such as Olivia Ware of Proteus Digital Health, a digital healthcare company that develops and markets digital medical products. Instead of a conventional pill, Proteus’ products contain tiny ingestible sensors that can send data to a person’s smartphone and their healthcare physician. Proteus, which manufacturers its products in nearby Hayward, claims that digital medicine greatly increases the likelihood that a patient will follow a prescription correctly and allows for more optimized patient therapies. According to Ware, the digital medicine (“DigiMed”) market will soon surpass total sales on iTunes.

The event also covered trends in low-cost medical devices for developing markets. In Sub-Saharan Africa, for example, the ubiquity of smartphones in even the most remote areas means there is now an opportunity to provide digitized healthcare services to hundreds of millions of people. Moreover, technology such as 3D printing now allows for prosthetics to be produced at much lower price points, with the potential to provide major quality of life improvements to the millions of people with missing limbs. This kind of innovation is happening within our own city borders with companies like PrinterPrezz, who are pioneering the way for low-cost spinal implants using titanium additive manufacturing processes.

The Biomedical Device Conference is organized through the College’s Biomedical Engineering Society, a student organization within the Bioengineering Department that connects students with industry experts to help build partnerships between local companies and the University. The Bioengineering Department is chaired by Dr. Guna Selvaduray, a longtime friend and collaborator with the Fremont Economic Development team.

If you’re looking for more ways to network with innovators in the Bay Area biotech industry, Fremont is co-hosting a Biocom Mixer this evening. This event seeks to bring together professionals from the broader biomedical community to network and learn about trends and developments impacting the industry. We are always looking for opportunities to bring new biomedical facility space to the market, connect industry with workforce resources, and assist biomedical companies in opening new operations in Fremont. If you would like to learn more, drop us a line at econdev@fremont.gov!