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InForMed · Project

A Shared Pilot Factory for Manufacturing Tiny Medical Devices at Scale

healthPilotedTRL 7
informed-project.eu

Imagine you have a brilliant idea for a tiny medical sensor — something that goes inside the body on a catheter tip or sits in a handheld diagnostic kit. The problem is, there's almost nowhere in Europe where you can actually manufacture it without building your own factory. InForMed set up a shared production line at Philips where companies can bring their medical device designs, get them micro-fabricated, assembled, and validated — all under one roof. Think of it as a shared kitchen for medical tech startups, except instead of cooking food, they're building smart catheters, lab-on-chip devices, and point-of-care diagnostics.

By the numbers
40
consortium partners across the value chain
10
European countries represented
6
demonstrator products realized
21
SMEs in the consortium
75%
industry partners in consortium
30
industry organizations involved
The business problem

What needed solving

Getting a medical device from working prototype to manufactured product is brutally expensive. Building your own micro-fabrication cleanroom can cost tens of millions, and most SMEs simply cannot afford it. Europe risks losing its medical device innovation to regions with cheaper manufacturing unless smaller companies can access production-grade facilities without the capital investment.

The solution

What was built

A qualified pilot production line at Philips for micro-fabricating and assembling medical devices, open to external companies. Concrete outputs include: a fully optically powered smart catheter, an ablation catheter with ultrasound monitoring, ready-to-use electrophysiology CMOS chips, Cytopatch and MEA chip prototypes with measurement equipment, in-wall extruded electrode contacts for catheters, and a complete blueprint for industrialization of micro modules.

Audience

Who needs this

Medical device SMEs needing micro-fabrication without building their own cleanroomCatheter manufacturers looking for smart catheter production capabilitiesDiagnostics companies developing point-of-care or lab-on-chip productsPharma companies needing organ-on-chip or electrophysiology chip supplyMedTech startups ready to move from prototype to small-batch production
Business applications

Who can put this to work

Medical Device Manufacturing
SME
Target: SMEs developing minimally invasive surgical instruments

If you are a medical device SME struggling to move from lab prototype to production-ready catheter — this project built an open pilot line at Philips for micro-fabrication and assembly of smart catheters. They demonstrated 6 challenging products including optically powered catheters and ablation catheters with ultrasound monitoring. You could access this facility instead of investing millions in your own cleanroom.

In-Vitro Diagnostics
any
Target: Companies developing point-of-care diagnostic equipment

If you are a diagnostics company trying to manufacture lab-on-chip or electrophysiology measurement devices — this project demonstrated ready-to-use CMOS electrophysiology chips and Cytopatch prototypes with dedicated measurement equipment. The pilot line covers the full chain from micro-fabrication to system qualification, cutting your time from concept to validated product.

Pharmaceutical & Life Sciences
enterprise
Target: Pharma companies developing organ-on-chip testing platforms

If you are a pharmaceutical company looking to replace animal testing with organ-on-chip technology — this project's pilot line can manufacture the microfluidic chips and MEA (multi-electrode array) sensors you need. They produced first prototypes of Cytopatch and MEA chips and built the measurement equipment to validate them, giving you a production-ready supply chain in Europe.

Frequently asked

Quick answers

What would it cost to use this pilot line instead of building my own facility?

The project does not publish specific pricing for pilot line access. However, the facility was designed as an open-access production line at Philips Innovation Services, meaning companies can pay for production runs rather than investing in their own cleanroom infrastructure. Contact the coordinator for current access terms.

Can this facility handle production beyond just prototypes?

Yes. The pilot line was explicitly designed and qualified for small-to-medium-scale production of medical devices, not just prototyping. They developed protocols for technology transfer from concept through to high-volume production and system qualification. A blueprint for development and industrialization of micro modules was delivered.

Who owns the IP if I use this pilot line for my product?

The pilot line is a manufacturing facility, not a product development partnership. Based on available project data, companies using the facility would retain IP on their own product designs while Philips owns the manufacturing process IP. Specific licensing terms should be discussed directly with the coordinator.

Is this facility certified for medical device manufacturing?

The core objective was to qualify the Philips Innovation Services micro-fabrication and assembly facility specifically for medical device production. They implemented Statistical Process Control on critical process parameters and Product Data Management systems — both essential for regulatory compliance in medical manufacturing.

How long does it take to go from design to validated prototype?

The project ran over 40 months and delivered 6 demonstrator products across different complexity levels, from CMOS chips to full smart catheters. Based on the project timeline, individual product validation cycles would depend on device complexity, but the integrated value chain from concept to qualification is designed to compress development timelines significantly.

Can the facility handle my specific materials and processes?

The pilot line was specifically designed to process new materials in an industrial micro-fabrication and assembly setting. They demonstrated capabilities across sensors, microfluidics, CMOS chips, optical components, and extruded electrode contacts for catheters — indicating broad material and process flexibility.

What kind of technical support comes with pilot line access?

The facility is integrated into a complete innovation value chain with 40 consortium partners including 4 universities and 5 research organizations. Protocols for efficient technology transfer between different links in the value chain were developed as part of the project deliverables.

Consortium

Who built it

This is one of the most industry-heavy consortia you will find in EU research: 30 out of 40 partners are from industry, giving a 75% industry ratio — far above typical research projects. Led by Philips Electronics Nederland, it includes 21 SMEs alongside major industrial players across 10 countries. With only 4 universities and 5 research organizations, this project was clearly built for manufacturing reality, not academic publishing. The geographic spread across Belgium, Switzerland, Germany, Spain, Finland, France, Ireland, Netherlands, Sweden, and the UK covers the key European medical device manufacturing hubs.

How to reach the team

Philips Electronics Nederland BV (Netherlands) — reach out to their Innovation Services division which hosts the pilot line

Order a report on this consortiumSee PHILIPS ELECTRONICS NEDERLAND BV profile →
Next steps

Talk to the team behind this work.

Want an introduction to the InForMed pilot line team? SciTransfer can connect you with the right contact at Philips Innovation Services and help you assess whether the facility fits your manufacturing needs.

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