There was high foot traffic at Extel’s booth in the Bing Crosby Hall, and the opening question would often be about current supply chain challenges (read our latest update on this here). The shortage of parts and components has led to more redesign projects than ever before. In some cases, engineers have been forced to secure parts and components first, then design, engineer, and build a product. This has turned the traditional product development process on its head.

There is a shortage of skilled engineers in the defense and medical device industry due in part to the large companies snatching up all the graduates. A common theme was wearable devices, a subject that came up frequently. Due to advances in miniaturized parts and components, computing capability, and Artificial Intelligence, companies have been able to envision products and devices that are portable, in a smaller form factor, and can be powered on the go.

One of our customers, Sommetrics, spent some time on our booth demonstrating their Aersleep device, which was extremely popular, since so many people suffer from sleep apnea and are CPAP users. For non-compliant users, Sommetrics offers a CPAP alternative. The user feedback was insightful and provided Sommetrics with some key insights. You can see more about this life-changing device here.

Many discussions revolved around taking a functional prototype and productizing it for market introduction. This was a recurring theme among smaller companies, as many were in need of the skills, resources, or bandwidth needed to progress. Over the two days, we had a number of interesting discussions, and we are eager to continue the conversations to support the design and development of these products, so they can be introduced into the marketplace.

It was a pleasure to reconnect with the local technology community and we look forward to returning to DMEMS in 2023.