TRENDLINES GROUP: Extends incubator network with National Healthcare Group

Adjunct Professor Lim Tock Han, Deputy CEO (Education & Research) of National Healthcare Group with Trendlines Singapore Chairman Todd Dollinger (right) at MOU ceremony on 16 November. (Photo by Sim Kih) Singapore's medical technology scene can look forward to more innovative devices reminiscent of Israel's brilliant innovation eco-system. On 16 November, Trendlines Medical Singapore ("Trendlines Singapore") entered into an MOU with National Healthcare Group ("NHG") to collaborate in identifying clinical unmet needs and developing innovative technological solutions to address these needs for local and global clinical demand. Trendlines Singapore, a joint venture between The Trendlines Group and medical device giant B. Braun, invests in and incubates Singapore medical device companies.

Medtech innovation model

"There will be the creation of a new company that will be jointly owned with an entrepreneur who comes from within the system," said Trendlines Group Chairman Todd Dollinger at the MOU ceremony.

"I am not ashamed to say we are high-risk investors. So, we want to make sure we have an honest understanding of the risks and opportunities ahead of us. - Todd Dollinger Chairman and CEO The Trendlines Group  (Photo by Sua Xiu Kai)

"Our most common business model is to identify a need and establish a new company after proper due diligence has been done. We are very focused on doing things quickly.

"But there is one thing we are slow in -- making initial investment decisions.

"We have to work with our partners in an open way with complete integrity. Together, we evaluate the opportunity and the risk.

"After that, everything is about how fast you can go.

"When you start dealing with patients, the speed changes again because you have to make sure everything is done with full patient understanding. Everyone involved has to place the patients' safety at the forefront.

"Next comes the product development period. [At this stage], it is okay to break things and find the way to fix them," he said.

Medtech projects identified

Under the MOU, NHG, through its clinicians and healthcare professionals, will identify key problem statements and unmet clinical needs, while Trendlines Singapore and its affiliated companies will develop innovative solutions to address these needs. Stock price  15c 52-week range 14c - 20c Market cap S$92.5m Price Earnings - Dividend yield - 1-yr return -7.27% Source: Bloomberg NHG and Trendlines Singapore have already identified three potential areas of collaboration as follows: Improve the condition of inpatients with fragile skin. Develop more efficient ways to monitor vital signs. Find more effective solutions to ensure the safe delivery of nutrition to patients. The global vital signs monitoring devices market size was valued at US$4.1 billion in 2016 and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 6.5% from 2017 to 2025, according to Grand View Research.

Strong partner in NHG

National Health Group is very eager to look for innovative solutions. We look at how end-solutions that meet unmet clinical needs can be monetized. - Eric Loh CEO Trendlines Medical Singapore (Photo by Sim Kih)

"When we started our operations in Singapore in February, our intention was to look for good technology and good ideas that can be spun off into commercially successful products.

"We had been looking for these projects from our local universities, research institutes, and hospitals.

"National Health Group has a very strong team that is very eager to look for innovative solutions to benefit the patient.

"This is exactly what we need when we look for companies," said Trendlines Singapore CEO Eric Loh at the MOU signing ceremony. 

For the 3QFY2017 financial results of The Trendlines Group Ltd, click here.