Live Brief 2026: Solving the Sustainability Challenge in MedTech

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7 min read

Article Summary

Students at ARU Peterborough tackled a real-world MedTech challenge, exploring how to transition medical devices from single-use to reusable in line with the UK’s sustainability goals. Through research, critical thinking, and industry-style presentations, they developed practical, microbiologically sound solutions that reflect the future of medical device design.

Article Contents

Student Live Brief 2026

We were excited to kick off the fourth-year Live Brief session with students all the way back in January! This is always an exciting time for us, as we get to see a fresh cohort of first-year biomedical science students ready to take the challenge. It was fantastic to hear the thoughts and novel ideas in the final presentations they gave last week.

What is The Live Brief?

The Live Brief is an opportunity for students to apply their academic learning to real-world industry challenges set by businesses for students. It’s not just a theoretical exercise, it’s about developing critical thinking, research skills, and solutions that could have real-world impact. Students get the chance to bridge the gap between academia and industry, developing crucial skills for their careers in biomedical sciences, healthcare technology, and medical device innovation.

At ARU Peterborough, this initiative plays a significant role in preparing their graduate scientists and engineers for careers outside academia. The university has been developing strong ties with industry to ensure students gain valuable hands-on experience, making them work-ready graduates in rapidly evolving fields such as medical technology and healthcare innovation.

Previous Live Brief Topics

Over the past three years, we’ve explored medical device instructions for use, antimicrobial coatings, and microbial & biocompatibility Considerations in Medical Devices – all critical areas in ensuring device safety and performance. These projects allowed students to engage with real-world challenges, from improving user guidance to understanding material cytotoxicity.

NHSs “Design for Life Roadmap”

2026 Live Brief Topic: Improving the Sustainability of Medical Devices

The UK’s “Design for Life Roadmap” mandates a transformative shift in the medical technology (MedTech) sector, aiming to eliminate all avoidable single-use medical devices by 2045 and support a circular economy. To meet national sustainability and resilience goals, MedTech companies must urgently transition toward designing and supplying reusable, repairable, and re-manufacturable products.

Students were tasked with exploring the microbiological and practical implications of transitioning medical devices from single-use to reusable formats. They critically assessed existing medical products, proposed viable solutions for reusability, identified microbiological standards relevant to their devices and proposed disinfection protocols for reprocessing.

From Concept to Solution: Student Ideas in Action

As always, the students were divided into five groups, each focusing on a specific medical device category. Each group was given 12 minutes to present their device, solutions and sell us on their approach, followed by 3 minutes of questioning from our expert panel. Just like any stakeholder in industry, we listened, considered and then used our questions to delve deeper into the information the students presented.

There were some great ideas and on questioning the students showed they had a well thought through idea and an ability to critically assess problems on the spot. One group in particular decided on an alternative approach, presenting an existing re-usable device but considering how they could improve the design to make it easier to implement within the NHS.

Since first introducing them to Test Labs back in January to watching the students present their final ideas, it’s great to see how the students have progressed in understanding the real-world medical device industry. These projects are more than just academic exercises. They provide students with a glimpse into industry challenges and help shape the future of medical device safety. Furthermore, students are exposed to cross industry skills, such as identifying standards to take into account and working to regulatory requirements.

Reflecting on the impact of the Live Brief, Managing Director Tautvydas Karitonas shared: “I’m proud to support our local university and initiatives like the Live Brief, because they show exactly what can happen when industry and academia work together with purpose. It gives students exposure to real-world challenges, helps develop the kind of thinking the sector needs, and strengthens the connection between education, innovation, and industry. For us, it is also a chance to contribute locally while helping shape the next generation of talent coming into medical technology.”

Our expert panel had an inspiring day out at ARU and thoroughly enjoyed the final presentations given. Bring on 2027, Live Brief!

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Chris Gilbert profile image

Chris Gilbert

Laboratory Team Leader

As a Healthcare Scientist, Christopher has been working in healthcare laboratories for over a decade including NHS pathology, large CRO’s, and Start-up Biotech. He graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree with Honors in Bioscience from Anglia Ruskin University followed by a master’s degree in Cancer and Molecular and Cellular Biology from Queen Mary University of London.

His BSc project involved testing immunohistochemistry diluents from different manufactures and in-house produced for bacterial growth to determine suitable expiry after opening and the effects of continual use within a working lab. For his MSc project, he used overlap extension PCR cloning with bacterial protein expression and purification to produce and test novel proteins for interactions in lateral flow device signal amplification.

His career began at Addenbrookes Hospital in Gynae cytology working within the lab to process hundreds of samples per week from receipt in the lab through to Papanicolaou stained slides for screening under UKAS Clinical Pathology Accreditation (CPA). He then moved into the Histopathology department as they prepared to transition to the ISO 15189 standard working in all areas preparing samples, processing, embedding, sectioning, and staining. His time in the NHS concluded at Papworth Hospital working in the combined Histopathology, Immunohistochemistry, and Cytology Laboratories.

While working in the NHS Christopher was involved in brining in numerous new technology’s to the laboratories such as HPV screening, HER2 immunohistochemistry, and semi-automated slide preparation. This experience drove his choice to move to a large CRO to be part of developing and validating novel technology for use in healthcare. He worked as a Study Director conducting pre-clinical testing under GLP requirements, and was responsible Scientist on clinical studies under GCP. In this role he was able to gain expert knowledge of testing to meet the requirements for regulatory submission to various authorising bodies, such as FDA, EPA, MHRA. He was heavily involved in method development and validation, and had a keen interest in bringing innovative testing procedures to meet client needs. To name some of these; developing and validating in-house conjugation of proteins, introduction of vertical staining practices, introduction and validation of RNAscope, and development and validation of novel automated immunohistochemistry.

During the height of the pandemic, he worked for a small start-up developing lateral flow devices for Covid amongst other targets such as prostate specific antigen (PSA) and Mycoplasma. This work included a novel approach to signal amplification that could be used in immunohistochemistry, blotting techniques, lateral flow, or ELISA, and a technique allowing direct DNA testing on a lateral flow device.

Here at Test Labs, he acts as the Laboratory Team Leader overseeing the daily operation of Medical Device testing spanning from microbiology, chemistry and product testing.

He strives for excellence in both clinical evaluations and technical assessments, ensuring the team are aligned in their approach to achieve the highest quality and integrity for the work produced.

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