Healthcare Translation and Entrepreneurial Training in and for Egypt—Case Study and Potential Impact Analysis

Demographic issue and dedicated local healthcare related problems (e.g. infections, sterility issues, healthcare politics, distribution of wealth, availability and quality of healthcare services) cause different disease patterns in Northern Africa, than in the developed world. Most medical technology equipment is developed in the first world however with the first world in mind. African nations need to develop medical technology products and services that solve the local problems, and are robust, easy to use, and inexpensive. Motivation for the development of dedicated products and services that address local healthcare problems starts during the university education. Students need to be stimulated to be open to healthcare innovation and entrepreneurship. This could eventually lead to products developed in Africa for Africa, which potentially also have a market in the cost conscious healthcare systems of the developed world. This paper presents a case study of a dedicated “healthcare innovation generation” lecture, adapted to Northern Africa, using interactive teaching tools combined with the Biodesign Process. The goal was to introduce new innovation teaching to identify current healthcare problems and subsequently work on creating innovative solutions with a multidisciplinary student team. Initially only 7% of the participants were serious about starting their own venture or working for a startup-company. This number increased to 62%. An increase in entrepreneurial spirit and activities stimulated by university-offered lecture programs could positively change healthcare delivery in Africa and provide products and services that could also be used in the cost-constrained developed world.