By Laura Freeman

In exploring strategies to help new ideas move from concept to marketplace, you can learn a lot about the nature of creativity by considering how astrobiologists search for life in the universe. It all comes down to the right environment.

Billions of stars in our home galaxy multiplied by the vast numbers of new galaxies now visible through the Webb telescope might make the choice of where to start seem overwhelming. But scientists improve their odds for success by looking for places that combine the factors present where life has already managed to arise.

Just as stable stars with moderate size planets in the goldilocks zone are more likely to have temperatures for liquid water, light for photosynthesis, and enough gravity to hold an atmosphere without crushing small molecules, you can take a similar approach to building an environment to nurture innovation.

With that in mind, recent reports from the Brookings Institution, Hoover Institution, and Deloitte conclude that the strength of Birmingham’s medical community combined with the city’s history of manufacturing make Birmingham well-suited to become a medical device mecca.

“We have so much healthcare expertise in Alabama with lots of talented people who have great ideas. Being the best in their field may not allow these people enough time to learn about the steps needed to take their concepts into a design and prototype,” Mark Connor, Executive Director of a Hardware Park, a nonprofit 501(c)(3), said. “The legal maze of patents and regulations can be hard to navigate. If you aren’t a banker or broker, how do you know where to look for capital? It can take a lot of cash to move your prototype through testing and approval. Then, when you have a product, how do you use marketing and distribution to get it out to people?”

Business incubators bring together the elements necessary to nurture the creation and launch of new enterprises.

“Incubators in Birmingham have been successful working with pharmaceuticals and other health-related areas,” Conner said. “We saw that entrepreneurs with ideas for physical products, particularly medical devices, needed support. In addition to helping them, it gives us the opportunity to train the next generation of designers and engineers. This can also help power the expansion of manufacturing in our state in new sectors that offer potential for future growth.”

While other incubators may focus on workspace, Hardware Park focuses on think-space and networking. Located on Fifth Avenue North in the building that originally housed the Long-Lewis Hardware Company, Hardware Park has space where people can work on fabricating prototypes, but the campus is primarily set up for offices, hands-on education and connecting entrepreneurs with expertise.

“Our clients are able to sit with designers who can offer insights in optimizing line, shape and function on screen and paper for better performance when they work with engineers to select materials and manufacturing strategies,” Conner said. “We put them in touch with legal teams who have been through the process, and introduce them to financial experts who can guide them through different options for raising capital and explain the advantages and alternatives. If they need marketing help, we have resources on site. We can also put them in touch with a variety of distribution channels.”

Clients already on site include OD Revive, a MedTech startup that is developing a wristband that detects opioid overdoses and calls for emergency help. Another health technology startup housed at Hardware Park, Nephsol, is working on a non-invasive, blood flow monitoring device to optimize treatment outcomes for dialysis patients. Hardware Park also has clients who are working on ideas to improve mobility devices. And Fulmer Instruments, founded by Birmingham neurosurgeon Benjamin Fulmer, MD, designed their medical device at Hardware Park.

Innovate Alabama, the statewide public-private partnership focused on entrepreneurship, designated Hardware Park as an innovate entity, and gave the organization a grant for medtech design internships for local high school and college students. With this, Hardware Park officially launched the NextGen Education program, which immerses students in hands-on design, engineering, and manufacturing experiences with a strong focus on MedTech device innovation.

“Our NextGen program offers students interested in biomedical design and engineering an opportunity to work in hands-on internships. Undergraduate students from UAB, Tuskeegee and Auburn have already worked in internships using 3-D printers and other design and engineering tools,” Connor said. “Our interns learn by doing, getting experience that goes beyond a line on a resume. They get real insights in the work they are planning to spend their careers doing, and they have an opportunity to actually share their talents in areas where they can make a contribution.”

By bringing together ideas, hands on talent, resources and fostering opportunities for new jobs in the future, Hardware Park is working toward a win for Alabama. No bright idea should be left to burn out for lack of available elements that could spark it to life.