The return of innovation
AUA Innovation Nexus is back for a second year of new ideas and exciting technology.
AUA Innovation Nexus made its debut in 2023 as the first incubator of its kind, bringing new product ideas to the world of urology and demonstrating how those ideas could be developed and brought to market.
This year, the AUA Innovation Nexus Conference returns and promises to be even better, with new sessions and new technology to create a more interactive experience. Steven A. Kaplan, MD, FACS, chair of the Research Council at AUA, said this year’s event—which takes place all day on May 2 in Hemisfair Ballroom 1 of the Henry B. González Convention Center—will include a look back at some innovators from last year’s inaugural conference.
“We will have a ‘where are they now’ video highlighting three companies that participated in the showcase last year and the success they have had since that time,” he said.
That won’t be the only new addition this year. An Emerging Concepts session will introduce three very early-stage innovators and their nascent ideas, which were workshopped at the AUA Innovation Nexus Boot Camp in fall 2023.
The conference will also feature plenty of returning favorites from last year, including the Reverse Pitch session, where sponsors and industry partners will share their passion for research and innovation, the real-world problems they are trying to solve and the unanswered questions they are interested in exploring.
“This unique format gives industry the opportunity to pitch the real-world business challenges they would like to see enthusiastic innovators address and the kinds of problems they are interested in collaborating on to solve,” Dr. Kaplan said.
Christine Riordan, PhD, LCSW-C, director of the Office of Research at AUA, said last year’s TED Talk-style sessions will return along with moderated panels on a variety of topics related to urology innovation.
“Attendees can expect to learn about urology innovation from a wide variety of perspectives from all stakeholder categories involved in the innovation process,” she said.
Some of those topics include:
- Urology Innovation – The Investor View: A panel of urology investors will describe what they look for in making decisions about investing in urology innovations.
- Urology Innovation – The Government View: Several representatives from the Food and Drug Administration will discuss regulatory requirements and their experiences with medical innovation.
- Urology Innovation – Industry View: Industry representatives from large companies associated with urological innovation will discuss their perspectives and experiences.
Another returning component will be the Shark Tank-style presentations from inventors offered in the Innovation Showcase. Riordan said 10 new companies from around the globe will pitch their innovations, introducing devices, artificial intelligence platforms and diagnostic tests aimed at a variety of urological issues including prostate and bladder cancer, kidney injuries, fertility testing, overactive bladder and more.
The innovation conversations will continue through the end of the day with opportunities to share ideas even after the event.
“We will also have multiple networking opportunities throughout the day, culminating in an end-of-day reception where attendees can network with available speakers, the 10 showcase companies, industry representatives and potential investors,” Riordan said.
