Product category:
Engineering Industry Developments and Awards
News Release from: Royal Academy of Engineering
Edited by the Engineeringtalk Editorial
Team on 05 May 2004
Academy award aids medical device
development
Edinburgh-based engineering entrepreneurs Neil Tierney and Neil Farish are heading for great things - with a little help from their friends.
Innovation in engineering is something to encourage, recognise and celebrate, and Edinburgh-based engineering entrepreneurs, Neil Tierney and Neil Farish are heading for great things - with a little help from their friends Founders of Lightweight Medical, they have been awarded an Engineering Professional Development Award from the Royal Academy of Engineering to enable them to develop and expand their engineering skills and realise the business plans they have for their company, including expanding their workforce
This article was originally published on Engineeringtalk on 1 Jun 2006 at 8.00am (UK)
Related stories
Medal recognises pioneering pipeline work
Dr Ian McEwan has been awarded the Royal Academy of Engineering's Silver Medal for his outstanding contribution to British engineering and commercial development.
CAE technology conference attracts big guns
This year's Altair Technology Conference will take place on 2nd November at the Heritage Motor Centre, Gaydon.
Jargon buster cuts through the ATEX jungle
ABB has published an "ATEX jargon buster" that helps motor users cut through the jungle of terms and definitions that make up the new ATEX Directives.
Both are graduates of Glasgow University and Glasgow School of Art in product design engineering, and they set up Lightweight Medical in March 2003, aged just 24 and 25 with the mission statement "To research and find opportunities then design, prototype and subsequently licence superior medical devices.
We utilise the most advanced materials in order to save weight, improve usability, efficiency and reliability.
We also ensure our designs have environmental and social integrity through the application of sustainable design principles.
Our bottom line is to help save lives and become a market success".
Lightweight Medical's launch product was a "critical neonatal product", which will save the lives of many newborns.
It was first displayed at The Lighthouse, Scotland's premiere design space, between November 2003 and January 2004.
In collaboration with a manufacturing company the project has entered the final development stages before commercial release in late 2006.
Currently the only company dedicated to designing lightweight, ergonomic and well-engineered medical devices, the company also recently won the Shell Livewire Lothian's final of the annual Young Entrepreneur of the Year competition - the Scottish final is on the 6th May in Edinburgh.
Neil Tierney says: "The training money from the Royal Academy of Engineering is brilliant.
We have primarily spent it on advanced computer aided design training.
We're now well under way with more speculative projects and are expanding the team with additional product design engineers in the near future.
Lightweight Medical is continuing to gain recognition and we'll definitely be applying for an academy award again this year".
• Royal Academy of Engineering: contact details and other news
• Email this article to a colleague
• Register for the free Engineeringtalk email newsletter
• Engineeringtalk Home Page

