Medical innovation workers and anyone interested in lifescience product development will benefit from a new University of Utah program to help navigate and develop products in the lifescience field.

The University of Utah David Eccles School of Business Executive Education and the Center for Medical Innovation at the University of Utah Health Sciences have partnered to offer the new BioVentures program. The two-semester program provides a detailed guide to the lifescience product development process, from conception to commercialization.

“We’re thrilled to offer students the real-world knowledge they need in order to make innovative improvements in healthcare delivery,” said Brad Vierig, associate dean of MBA programs and executive education. “This program will provide participants with a singular learning experience that will differentiate them in the marketplace.”

The program is designed to teach lifescience industry executives and startups the unique aspects of working to create new products in the bio-design space. The board that created the program included C-level executives from Bard, BD, Edwards and Stryker, and many believe this course is an essential part of employee development and a future pre-requisite for hiring new talent.

Both the Eccles School and School of Medicine are accredited in their respective fields and lectures will be taught by award-winning faculty.

The program includes real-world case study analysis and seminars by leaders in the field. Over the course of 16 six-hour blocks, given every other Saturday over two semesters, participants will engage with real-world examples, understand how to create and market new products and hear from leaders in the bio-design field.

“Employers in this space specifically want to hire those who have been through this type of training; it requires a substantially different skill set than any other venture,” said Dr. John Langell, vice dean of innovation and executive director of the Center for Medical Innovation. “We are offering something unique that isn’t being done anywhere else.”

The program will help create a substantial, acutely trained talent pipeline to help local industry leaders grow their business, Langell noted. The program will benefit those already in the field by helping them add value to their firms, and the program is attractive to new entrepreneurs in the field who want to offer new perspectives to clients, Langell said.

The program costs $9,000 per attendee per semester, and those interested in registering or learning more can visit UtahBioVentures.com or call the Executive Education office at 801-587-7273.