A question every innovator has had to ask at least once in his lifetime is how to get his innovation from the domain of pure science into the market.

To help students in their quest of making their products reach market, University of Massachusetts- Lowell is partnering with University of Ulster in Northern Ireland to help entrepreneurs quickly move medical device products from concept to marketplace.

"The agreement these two leading institutions have signed is the result of shared goals and a desire to capitalize on research advancements each has made in the areas of medical device technologies and innovation," said Massachusetts State Senate President Therese Murray.

The two parties will collaborate to use Massachusetts Medical Device Development Center at UMass Lowell, better known as M2D2 operates a business incubator for startups on the UMass Lowell campus.

It will provide expertise in plastics engineering, medical testing and business management from faculty members and the M2D2 advisory board to entrepreneurs.

On the same note, the University of Ulster's Multi-Disciplinary Technology Centre for Healthcare also has similar goals which will be accessible to UMass.

Together, the partners will work with successful medical device companies to create a system of best practices to help speed the process of getting new products from the idea stage to the market.

The idea of collaboration was initially sparked during an international health panel discussion hosted by Senator Murray last year at the State House. Immediately after that, members of UMass Lowell and the University of Ulster recognized an opportunity to develop a working relationship that would cross international lines, build on individual achievements and open new doors.

"This agreement between UMass Lowell and the University of Ulster represents a tremendous step forward for the global medical device industry, bringing experts on both sides of the Atlantic together to benefit both the United States and Northern Ireland," said UMass Lowell Chancellor Marty Meehan.

The partnership deal was signed by UMass Lowell Chancellor Marty Meehan, Michael Brennan, a senior lecturer in strategic management at U. of Ulster, and UML professor Stephen McCarthy, the co-director of M2D2.

UML has been partnering with various Irish universities for the past few years. In 2009 the U.S./Ireland Emerging Technologies Conference was held in Lowell and will be held there again in 2013.