Curam

What Curam does

CÚRAM Research Ireland Centre for Medical Devices is a publicly funded national research centre hosted at the University of Galway, established in 2015 with an initial €64.8 million government investment through Science Foundation Ireland (now Research Ireland). It develops clinic-ready, patient-focused medical devices targeting chronic diseases including cardiovascular disease, diabetes, Parkinson's disease, inflammatory bowel disease, multiple sclerosis, and cancer. The centre operates from Galway, Ireland, coordinates 87 academic leads across 11 partner Irish institutions, and currently employs 303 researchers, with over 1,000 researchers having been trained across its facilities.

The centre's research spans tissue engineering and regenerative medicine, biomaterials and drug delivery, biomechanics and mechanobiology, organoids and computational modelling. Notable platform technologies include the RoboGullet soft-robotic model of human swallowing developed with MIT and Harvard Medical School, a CO2-emitting foam drug delivery platform targeting the colon, organ-on-a-chip and organoid validation pipelines, and SIMETRIC eye-tracking-based vascular-access training tools developed with B. Braun. Filed patents cover tissue-mimetic manufacturing platforms for regenerative biologics and glycan-focused therapeutic devices for Parkinson's disease. Research output totals 1,357+ original data publications, 397 review articles, and 256 refereed conference publications.

CÚRAM operates a non-commercial model funded by three streams: government core funding from Research Ireland, EU grants (over €80 million cumulative including Horizon Europe), and industry collaboration income from 47+ medtech companies (€225.7 million combined industry and EU investment). Its 10-year economic impact report attributes €756 million in total value to the Irish economy and a 12-fold return on government investment, with 2,547 jobs supported. Public engagement programmes including Science on Screen documentaries and the SUPERHUMAN exhibition reach 2 million+ global audience.

Name

Curam

Legal name

CÚRAM Research Ireland Centre for Medical Devices

Website

https://curamdevices.ie

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

CÚRAM is Ireland's national research centre for medical devices, hosted at University of Galway, developing clinic-ready devices for chronic diseases through a network of 11 partner universities and 47 industry collaborators, funded by Research Ireland, EU grants, and industry partnerships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Medical Device Research

NAICS

Scientific Research and Development Services (5417), Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (54171), Surgical and Medical Instrument Manufacturing (339112)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731), Surgical & Medical Instruments & Apparatus (3841)

akta.pro primary industry

Clinical CROs (Phase I–IV) (HLAGAAAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Patient Recruitment, Site Feasibility & Trial Enablement CROs (HLAGAAAI), Medical Writing & Regulatory Submission Support CROs (HLAGAAAG), Clinical Research Support (CRC/CTA) (EDAOAJAO)

Keywords

• Medical device research
• Tissue engineering
• Regenerative medicine
• Drug delivery
• Biomaterials research

Headquarters

HQ city

Galway

HQ country

Ireland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Government Funding (SFI/Research Ireland): Core funding from Science Foundation Ireland/Research Ireland for research operations, with initial commitment of €64.8 million through SFI established in 2015
2. EU Grant Funding: Over €80 million of EU grant funding committed to research projects at CÚRAM, including Horizon Europe grants
3. Industry Collaboration Funding: Collaborative research projects with 47 innovative companies in the medtech sector, with over €225.7 million attracted from industry and EU sources
4. Direct Economic Contribution: Direct spending of €210 million in the Irish economy with generation of further €546 million in economic activity, totalling €756 million economic value

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

CÚRAM is Ireland's national research centre for medical devices, hosted at University of Galway. It conducts academic and translational research to create clinic-ready, patient-focused medical devices for chronic diseases, while partnering with medtech industry and training a skilled research workforce.

Product overview

CÚRAM is a national research centre hosted at University of Galway, specializing in medical device research and translation. It is not a product company; it conducts academic research to develop clinic-ready, patient-focused medical devices that improve quality of life for patients with chronic diseases. The centre's activities include research across various medical device domains, industry partnerships, public engagement programmes, and training networks.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Science on Screen: A public engagement programme partnership between CÚRAM and Ardán that facilitates science storytelling through film and animation.

Products and services

• Industry Research Collaboration Collaborative research partnerships with medtech companies, ranging from project-based engagements to multi-year, multi-site research programmes, providing access to research expertise, clinical insights and a talent pipeline for medical device innovation.
• MedDevDoc Doctoral Training Programme An enhanced Marie Skłodowska-Curie Action doctoral training programme in medical device research, creating 25 doctoral fellowship opportunities over 60 months to develop future leaders in medtech research.
• Translational Support Services Support for translating laboratory research into clinic-ready medical devices, including device design, regulatory-compliant development, and clinical validation support for medtech partners.
• Science on Screen Public Engagement Programme A public engagement programme produced in partnership with Ardán that facilitates science storytelling through documentaries and animations about medical research, reaching nearly 2 million people globally.
• Teachers in Residence Programme A professional development programme for teachers, accredited with 10 ECTS credits, that has reached 400+ teachers across Ireland to build STEM education capacity.

Quantifiable outcome

• 12-fold return on government investment in 10 years
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

17 partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• B. BrauncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025SIMETRIC project collaboration deploying cutting-edge simulation technologies for vascular access training, combining B. Braun's medical device expertise with University of Galway's clinical simulation research
• University College DublincoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2015Academic partner institution contributing to medical device research, with specific collaborations including RoboGullet project and vascular access research with B. Braun
• University College CorkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner institute in CÚRAM network focusing on medical device research and development
• Royal College of Surgeons in IrelandcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner institute in CÚRAM network contributing to medical device research
• Trinity College DublincoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner institute with significant contributions including ERC Consolidator Grant research by Prof Michael Monaghan
• University of LimerickcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner institute in CÚRAM network for medical device research
• Dublin City UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner institute in CÚRAM network
• Massachusetts Institute of TechnologycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated on RoboGullet project - development of first robotic model of human esophagus for swallowing disorder research
• Harvard Medical SchoolcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on RoboGullet project with gastroenterology expertise from Dr Giovanni Trasverso
• ArdáncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for Science on Screen programme producing documentaries about medical research, reaching nearly 2 million globally with 13 TV broadcasts
• University of SevillesupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational partner in NO-CANCER-NET Horizon Europe project for triple-negative breast cancer therapeutics
• University of LuxemburgsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in NO-CANCER-NET project consortium
• Houston Methodist HospitalsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerClinical collaboration partner in NO-CANCER-NET project with Dr Jenny Chang leading clinical trial of NOS inhibitors for TNBC treatment
• Irish MedTechsupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerIndustry association partner supporting medtech sector development and workforce training initiatives
• Galway City MuseumsupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerPartner for SUPERHUMAN exhibition showcasing medtech research, the only exhibit in Ireland exploring medical technology
• Ballybane LibrarysupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerCommunity partner for STEAM Learning Ecologies project 'Intertwined - Mosaics of the Community Brain'
• Galway Community CollegesupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerEducation partner for STEAM Learning Ecologies project with transition year students participating in science-art workshops

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Tyndall National Institute: Ireland's other national research centre (ICT-focused) hosted at University College Cork with similar SFI/Research Ireland funding model and academic-industry collaboration structure. Most directly comparable as a peer Irish SFI research centre.
• BioInnovate Ireland: Ireland-based medical device innovation programme affiliated with University of Galway and other partner institutions, focused on needs-led medical device development. Highly comparable given shared focus on medical device innovation and translation in the Irish ecosystem.
• Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering: Harvard-affiliated research institute focused on bioinspired medical device innovation, biomaterials, and translational research with industry partnerships. Comparable in mission to translate medical device research from lab to clinical application with industry collaboration.
• Stanford Byers Center for Biodesign: Stanford's medical device innovation centre focused on training, translational research, and industry collaboration for medical device development. Closely comparable in combining medical device R&D with talent pipeline and industry partnership models.
• MIT Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research: MIT's cancer-focused research institute combining bioengineering, medical devices, and translational research with industry partnerships. Directly comparable in hosting MIT-affiliated researchers collaborating with CÚRAM on RoboGullet.
• Fraunhofer Institute for Biomedical Engineering (IBMT): German applied research institute focused on biomedical engineering, medical devices, and translational research with industry collaboration. Comparable in structure as a national/regional applied research centre serving the medtech industry.
• Houston Methodist Research Institute: US clinical research institute partnering with CÚRAM on the NO-CANCER-NET project for triple-negative breast cancer therapeutics. Directly comparable through active clinical collaboration on medical device and therapeutic development.

Broad incumbents

• Karolinska Institutet: Major European medical university with extensive medical device and biomedical engineering research portfolio, broader than CÚRAM but operating in a comparable European academic-medical research context with industry collaboration.
• Trinity College Dublin (CRANN, AMBER): CÚRAM partner institution through Trinity's CRANN and AMBER research centres with overlapping biomedical and materials science focus. Comparable in hosting ERC-funded research (e.g., Prof Michael Monaghan) and industry collaboration structures.

Others

• National University of Ireland Galway: CÚRAM's host university and parent entity, providing clinical and academic infrastructure including access to University Hospital Galway. Relevant as the institutional framework within which CÚRAM operates.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/CURAMdevices

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Curam