The supply of Irish technology graduates will be boosted this year as a result of research into medical devices conducted by Lero, the Irish Software Research Engineering Centre, and the Dundalk Institute of Technology.
The first 20 students have finished their degree programme in a new Higher Diploma in Computing in medical device software which is being carried out in Dundalk Institute of Technology under the leadership of Dr Fergal McCaffery. Up to 40 medical software graduates per year will result from the programme.
This is being conducted as part of the ICT Ireland Skillnet programme where employees who were working in construction, financial services and other sectors which went into decline after the boom are being retrained.
The opportunity to deliver the course came as a result of international research that Lero is conducting into medical device certification. Under new EU and US regulations medical devices are no longer treated solely as hardware. Now the software involved must comply with a new IEC 62304 standard.
Lero and the Dundalk Institute of Technology are developing processes which will enable medical device companies globally to develop products in accordance with these latest standards.
Professor Mike Hinchey, Director, Lero which is funded by Science Foundation Ireland, says “It is gratifying that the research we are doing is also stimulating the technology talent pool in Ireland and increasing the number of technical graduates in the market.”
