Health Engineering
COPPE
The recent development of human and animal health comprises a large chain of high-technology goods and services, so much so that it can establish itself as one of the most important agents for the economic and social development of a country. This area accounts for a considerable part of the national GDP, generates millions of jobs, and contributes significantly to Brazilian research in STI (Science, Technology, and Innovation).
Health Engineering
Health Engineering is one of the areas that advances the research and development of new technologies the most. In essence, it consists of applying our knowledge in Engineering with its multiple sub-areas and in Social, Economic, and Biomedical Sciences together, both for our society and for our academic community itself. In this line of research, we seek to improve human health, as well as animal health in their broadest sense.
By applying this knowledge and its principles, we enable projects and materialize solutions for developing and implementing, for instance, cutting-edge technologies, electronic systems, software, new materials, miniaturization, and optical devices. They can address aspects such as the continuous increase in healthcare costs, the quality and safety of medical and hospital procedures, care for the aging population, and hospital and laboratory management, among others.
The concept of Healthcare innovation ecosystems mirrors business or entrepreneurial ecosystems and the influence they have come to exert on development and innovation around the world.
Essentially focused on human needs, an ecosystem with these characteristics combines our competencies with our excellence in research and access to RD&I infrastructure, public funding resources, and the private sector, as well as an innovation-prone mindset for contributing to our society and solving complex problems. Other aspects of these ecosystems are the education of highly specialized human resources and the generation of employment and income for our country.
Below we highlight some of the potential deliverables originating from the healthcare innovation ecosystem:
- Innovative technologies for the healthcare sector and new optimized processes;
- Collaborating to create and implement a national health agenda to meet the demands of the Brazilian public healthcare system (SUS) and to further advance the national industry;
- Supporting ANVISA with health technology assessments, by integrating COPPE and UFRJ laboratories;
- Structuring an economic-industrial complex in healthcare for the production of prostheses, orthoses, and equipment in general;
- Creating a platform consisting of our laboratories at the UFRJ Science Park for developing health technologies.
Our role and infrastructure in the Health sector
Our competencies in the Health sector incorporate four dimensions:
- RD&I Laboratories;
- Expertise in qualified human resources in various fields in Engineering;
- Ongoing and completed RD&I projects in the Health sector; and
- Healthcare innovation, originating patents from our research.
RD&I Projects
Through our many Engineering Programs and the projects we develop, we assist our public healthcare system with primary, secondary, and tertiary care in the Materials, Products, Processes, and Equipment categories.
Multidisciplinary skills
We at COPPE have developed expertise in managing innovative businesses since 1994, when we created our Business Incubator. Since then, our Business Incubator has supported our clients in developing their entrepreneurial skills and improving their businesses with training, advisory services, mentoring, monitoring, and networking. As such, it is an ideal space for students, researchers, and professors at UFRJ to convert their ideas, research, and technologies into business, being equally open to our internal community and to the public.