Medtronic Turns Türkiye Into a Healthcare Training Hub

Medtronic, which operates with the mission of relieving pain, restoring health and extending life by developing innovative solutions to improve and enhance health, is expanding the educational infrastructure of the Istanbul Medtronic Innovation Centre, one of the largest-scale investments in medical education in Turkey, through a second-phase additional investment made on the occasion of Turkey's centenary. At the centre, which was established in 2014 and has reached a total investment value of USD 65 million, the expansion investment doubles the training capacity in robotic surgery, neuroscience, otorhinolaryngology and virtual reality, cardiac and surgical disciplines.

10 October 2024, Istanbul - The Istanbul Innovation Centre, a Medtronic facility that aims to inspire the next generation of healthcare professionals through education, collaboration and the use of cutting-edge technologies to continuously improve patient care, has doubled its training capacity through a second-phase additional investment. With the expansion achieved through the investment realised on the occasion of Turkey's centenary, the opening of the centre's units equipped with the latest technology took place with the participation of Health Minister Prof. Dr. Kemal Memişoğlu, Vice Minister of Industry and Technology Zekeriya Coştu, Vice President of the Presidential Investment Office Bekir Polat, Medtronic Eurasia Regional President and Executive Board Member Majid Kaddoumi, sector representatives and protocol members.

"We aim to improve patient outcomes and increase access to advanced-level training" 

Ayhan Öztürk, Regional President of Medtronic Turkey, Russia, Middle East and Central Asia (TURMECA), stated that they have decided to significantly expand the Istanbul Medtronic Innovation Centre on the occasion of Turkey's centenary, noting that they will continue their investments in Turkey. "In 2014, we founded our centre and added robotic-assisted surgical capabilities, high-tech simulation and mixed reality technologies. In this way, we enabled our training programmes to reach higher levels. With these state-of-the-art resources, we aim to improve patient outcomes and increase access to advanced-level training by enabling healthcare professionals to develop their skills in innovative and interactive environments. This opportunity will establish the highest standard of care by enabling healthcare professionals to build confidence and develop expertise before performing live procedures," he said.

Öztürk continued: "This year, we are proud to celebrate the tenth anniversary of our unwavering commitment to advancing medical education in Turkey. Over the years, we have taken significant steps by investing more than USD 65 million, including operating costs, to develop our programmes and add value to Turkey's healthcare ecosystem. Turkey and our organisation here plays a critical role in our success. Today, 40 per cent of the healthcare professionals we host at our centre and 50 per cent of our valued trainers come from Turkey. This picture underscores Turkey's significant contribution to shaping the future of medical education in the region. As Medtronic, we are committed to investing in transformative educational infrastructure to achieve better health outcomes today and in the future."

Centre has the capacity to host 10,000 healthcare professionals annually

At the Medtronic Innovation Centre, established in Istanbul in 2014, doctors and healthcare professionals from Turkey and other countries in the region are provided with state-of-the-art training opportunities. The Medtronic Innovation Centre has the capacity to host 300 healthcare professionals daily and 10,000 annually. The centre is equipped with 12 operating theatres, an intensive care laboratory, catheterisation laboratories and simulation laboratories, a 125-person auditorium, a research and development laboratory and meeting rooms. Operating over an area of more than 5,000 square metres, the Medtronic Innovation Centre supports the development of healthcare professionals in 50 countries, including Turkey, Central and Eastern Europe, Africa, the Middle East and Russia.