Julio Maset is director of development of CINFA and has recently given a session to the students of the Master in Biomedical Engineering at Tecnun.

What would you highlight about the Master's programme in Biomedical Engineering at Tecnun?
I think the most important thing is that we finally have a bridge between two worlds. Between the world of engineering and the world of medicine, which traditionally have not understood each other very well. The students on this master's degree come out of it very well prepared and are capable of acting as such a bridge. They know that the needs that arise in the world of health have solutions in the world of engineering. 

Do you think that there are valuable synergies for students between Tecnun, the Clínica Universidad de Navarra or the Center for Biomedical Engineering?
Without any doubt. Having a Biomedical Engineering Degree that is isolated from everything else would not make sense. And the advantage of the students at Tecnun is that they interact with CIMA, with the Clinic, etc. And they can see if that project they have in mind is going to meet a need or not. Also, the whole environment of the Clinic and the University can count on Tecnun to serve them.

What does the profile of our students bring to the business and research world?
Perhaps the most important thing is that they act as a bridge and stop needs. Today we have highly evolved technology but the healthcare world is still a bit reluctant to accept new solutions. The advantage that these students have is that they have an open mind 360 Degrees and the moment they detect a need they are able to look for a solution. And they also come up with solutions with thoughts that were not usual in the sector. Therefore, I believe that they will provide solutions to many of the needs that arise.

What did you talk to the students about?
I wanted to open their minds to what the healthcare panorama is like. I wanted them to understand that what they are going to do, whether in data processing or development systems, has a place in a world that is very special, which is the world of healthcare. In this world, the end customer is the one who uses the solution, but he is not the prescriber or the payer. Therefore, what I have tried to convey to them is that they should see the complexity of the healthcare world and understand that there are many agents and that they have to take all of them into account. 

Why would you recommend studying the Master in Biomedical Engineering?
If I were to go back in time, I would still study the Degree in Biomedical Engineering instead of having studied medicine and then moving on to the world of laboratories. I think it is a master's degree for the future because it is impossible to keep healthcare on the fringes of new technologies, technology and science. I think we are in an important window of opportunity. In 10-20 years' time, I think there will be many companies that will start to provide solutions for healthcare, but today we are still at a very early stage. In addition, a small company, with employees like the students in this master's program, can have the same capacity as a large multinational providing solutions to a small niche.