We help take innovation
to the next stage
Whether you start from a problem, an idea, research or a prototype, CMICe connects what’s needed to move your innovation toward real-world use.
The path to real-world use
Innovation, from understanding to lasting change
CMICe’s innovation journey as one connected path, with support at every step.
- 01
DISCOVER
Find the problem and the opportunity
Turning a problem seen in patient care or the health system into a challenge that can be developed, and judging whether there is enough opportunity and value to move forward.
- Clinical unmet need
- Problem framing
- Opportunity identification
- Initial innovation consultation
- Research / idea assessment
- 02
DEVELOP
Develop research and prototypes
Developing a solution from an idea or research findings into a prototype, designed around real users and the real context of use.
- Research translation
- Prototype development
- Product concept
- Expert consultation
- Development planning
- 03
VALIDATE
Test and build evidence
Planning and running tests that build credible evidence of usability, safety and effectiveness.
- Clinical validation
- Technical validation
- User validation
- Feasibility
- Real-world testing
- 04
NAVIGATE
Chart the essential pathways
Seeing the pathways a medical innovation needs to follow, and connecting with the right experts and organisations.
- IP strategy
- Regulatory pathway
- Funding pathway
- Business model
- Commercialization planning
- 05
SCALE
Put it into use and scale
Connecting the innovation with partners, manufacturing, distribution and commercial opportunities so it can have a wide impact.
- Clinical adoption
- Industry collaboration
- Licensing
- Technology transfer
- Startup / spin-off pathway
- Market access
- Scaling partnerships
MediGate Framework
A MedTech product innovation development process, from university research to commercialization
MediGate builds on the Augmented Stage-Gate model and divides development into six stages (Stages 0–5). For each stage it sets out suggested activities for ten functional groups, expected deliverables, and the criteria required to pass each gate before moving to the next stage.
Discover → Develop → Validate → Navigate → Scale is the easy-to-follow support journey showing how CMICe helps at each point, while MediGate is a stage-gate framework for developing MedTech products, from the research of Kruachottikul et al. (2024). The two are divided differently and do not map one-to-one.
Six stages, five gates
At each gate the project is judged against set criteria. The decision is one of four: approved, approved with conditions, on hold, or terminated.
- S0
Stage 0
Innovation Ideation
Decide which academic MedTech research has the potential to be exploited.
- Gate 1 · Project Definition Acceptance
- S1
Stage 1
Build Business Case
Build the business case from the core deep-tech research, customer needs and technical requirements.
- Gate 2 · Initial Design Acceptance
- S2
Stage 2
Design & Development / Early Validation
Develop the product design, a workable prototype and the manufacturing process, with early verification and validation.
- Gate 3 · Final Design Acceptance
- S3
Stage 3
Test and Validation
Final validation of the product and preparation for its introduction.
- Gate 4 · Early Product Launch Acceptance
- S4
Stage 4
Launch
Early market introduction, improving both the business and the product from market feedback.
- Gate 5 · Product Launch Acceptance
- S5
Stage 5
Full Launch / Scale Up / Post-Launch Review
Full market introduction, collecting and analyzing feedback from the market.
Build → Measure → Learnruns as a loop across Stages 2–4, and every stage can iterate (iterations & spirals).
Start from anywhere
You don’t need to know which stage to start from
Tell us what you have now and what you’re looking for, and we’ll guide you to the right next step or the right people.