R&D (research and development) tops Irish diagnostics agenda:

Diagnostics R&D ranked high on the agenda of the Irish Medical Devices Association's first diagnostics forum, held in Dublin on January 23 (see Clinica No 993, p 9). "Cost remains a primary issue, particularly because the Irish industry is so export-based," IMDA director Sharon Higgins told Clinica. "We are more and more trying to enable companies to move up the product value chain, with a view to improving competitiveness," she added. The forum also discussed developments in training. IMDA's competency-based assessment programme, currently in its final pilot phase, has been "very well received by the industry at large, and is being taken up by diagnostics companies as well," said Ms Higgins. IMDA has decided to make the meeting a regular biannual event.