Finland launches pioneering medical device pilot line to accelerate patient-friendly innovations
A state-of-the-art pilot line environment established by VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland aims to bridge the critical gap between medical technology research and market-ready products, potentially reducing development timelines for non-invasive diagnostic and monitoring devices.
Advanced facility tackles longstanding industry bottleneck
The journey from laboratory breakthrough to patient bedside has long been hampered by regulatory and manufacturing challenges for innovative medical technologies. Now, a significant development in Finland may offer a solution to this persistent industry obstacle.
VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland has unveiled a €3.4 million pilot line environment in Oulu specifically designed to accelerate the transition of medical device innovations from research and development to market-ready products. The facility, which began operations in early 2025, represents a unique resource within Europe, focusing particularly on photonics-based medical technologies.
“Potentially life-saving breakthroughs are constantly made in research labs around the world, and many of them have the potential to make unpleasant health monitoring, medical examinations and procedures more patient-friendly. However, bringing these products to market has been a major pain point for the industry for decades due to challenges in scaling pilots and long certification processes,” explains Jussi Hiltunen, Research Professor of Sensing Solutions at VTT.
Manufacturing capabilities address critical development phase
The new pilot environment offers specialised cleanroom facilities and manufacturing equipment capable of producing small to mid-sized prototype series. These prototypes incorporate cutting-edge electronic, photonic, microelectronic and microfluidic component technologies – all manufactured to meet stringent industrial quality standards and regulatory requirements.
This capability addresses a critical pain point in medical device development. Innovative startups frequently collaborate with research centres to develop novel medical technologies but encounter significant obstacles when attempting to transition to regulated manufacturing environments. The high cost of establishing pilot production lines presents a substantial barrier, particularly as small prototype batches are rarely cost-effective for large-scale manufacturers.
By providing an environment where development-phase prototypes can be manufactured according to medical device requirements, VTT’s facility enables the production of test devices that follow industry standards and regulations. Crucially, the pilot line can produce batches large enough for validation requirements, potentially accelerating the CE certification process in Europe and FDA approval in the United States.
Priority focus on cardiovascular and cancer technologies
The facility prioritises several key medical areas, including preventive monitoring of cardiovascular diseases, metabolic syndromes, and both early cancer detection and recurrence monitoring.
These technologies include comfortable, wearable sensors for continuous cardiovascular monitoring and microfluidic biochemical sensors for ultra-sensitive cancer diagnostics. For patients with conditions requiring daily monitoring, the pilot line could help bring to market devices that are significantly less intrusive than current options.
“Future health technologies will resemble thin, almost undetectable devices – almost like invisible tattoos. For patients whose condition requires daily monitoring or who are undergoing a monitoring process as part of their care, it provides a comfortable alternative to having to wear a clunky medical device that can catch on door handles and be bothersome in the shower, for instance,” says Kari Rönkä, Vice President of Sensing Solutions at VTT.
Point-of-care diagnostics and future aspirations
Another significant focus area for the pilot line is rapid diagnostics. The facility aims to advance technologies that enable immediate, reliable testing at the point of care, rather than requiring samples to be sent to centralised laboratories. This approach could reduce diagnostic time and costs while expediting appropriate treatment pathways.
VTT has also identified a more ambitious goal: bringing to market innovations that enable continuous, non-invasive measurement of parameters currently only accessible through blood tests. Such technology would eliminate the need for laboratory visits and venepuncture, representing a significant advancement in patient comfort and healthcare efficiency.
European collaboration and broader context
The pilot line represents part of a larger European initiative in advanced medical device manufacturing. VTT coordinates the PhotonMed-pilot manufacturing project within the EU ChipsAct programme, involving 39 organisations and a budget of €32 million. This programme aims to establish medical device compliant production capabilities for the latest photonics technologies.
VTT will collaborate with medical device companies, manufacturers, universities, and healthcare organisations to maximise the impact of this new facility on the European medical technology landscape.
For an industry often challenged by lengthy development timelines and regulatory hurdles, this pilot environment represents a significant step toward more efficient translation of promising medical technologies into clinical practice.
