Medical Devices

A range of medical devices have been designed and manufactured in Georgia including contact lenses, cyrobanks, imaging equipment, sutures, implants, and imaging devices.

Georgia’s workforce of 5.3 million people is the second-largest in the Southeast, and more than 75,000 are directly employed by life sciences organizations. Georgia is invested in preparing talent, and top training assets like the University System of Georgia, the Technical College System of Georgia, and Georgia Quick Start are available to help your company meet its workforce needs. 

The Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech) and Emory University offer a joint biomedical engineering program, ranked second in the nation (U.S. News and World Report, 2022). More than 150,000 degrees are earned each year through Georgia’s public and private higher education institutions, and graduates in life science-related disciplines has increased by 14% over the last five years. Our universities also produce a pipeline of graduates with a range of technology skills including software development, cybersecurity, and data analytics. 

The Technical College System of Georgia (TCSG) has Associate degrees in nanotechnology, biosciences, and other related programs. The HOPE Career Grant pays tuition for TCSG’s programs in precision manufacturing, as well as other high demand career areas. 

Georgia Quick Start, the No. 1 ranked workforce development program, provides customized training for qualified companies. Quick Start also runs the Georgia Bioscience Training Center, and has experience in many areas that relate to life sciences. 

Georgia’s low corporate tax rate of 5.75% is based on one factor: your sales inside Georgia. To support the growing life sciences industry, Georgia added a Life Science Manufacturing Tax Credit Bonus. This new legislation is a bonus to the existing Job Tax Credit, an incentive offered to new or expanding companies creating jobs in Georgia. This credit applies to jobs that manufacture pharmaceuticals, medicines, and medical equipment and supplies in Georgia. Click here to read more about Georgia’s competitive business environment.  

Georgia’s robust infrastructure connects you to 80% of U.S. markets within a two-day drive or two-hour flight. Hartsfield Jackson Atlanta International Airport is the busiest and most efficient airport in the world and offers direct flights to 150 U.S. cities. Georgia’s ports ensure the continuous flow of goods to and from global destinations. Providing a range of cargo diversity, these gateways are also equipped to handle refrigerated cargo. Learn more about our infrastructure here.  

Global Center for Medical Innovation Atlanta (GCMI): Utilizing in-house resources, local core-lab resources and third-party service providers located around the world, GCMI works every day to commercialize innovative medical products that improve quality based outcomes and delivery of healthcare for patients. 

The image featured at the top of the page is a 3D printed Airway Support Device. Research was done by Professor Scott Hollister at Georgia Tech with developmental assistance from GCMI.

Southeastern Life Sciences (SLS), formerly Southeastern Medical Devices, supports and promotes medical device companies in the Southeast by providing access to funding, education and networking opportunities. SLS is headquartered in Georgia. 

Georgia Research Alliance seeds startup companies around inventions and discoveries made in university research studies. 

Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI) examines the interactions between medical devices and security and logistical systems, as well as multiple devices used by one patient, such as an implanted pacemaker and an external bone healing system. 

Biomechanics Labs 

• The Biomechanics and Motor Control Laboratory in the Department of Physical Therapy at Georgia State University is a 3000 sq. ft. facility dedicated to the investigation of human movements associated with neuromuscular injuries and disorders with the goal of developing effective interventions and improving quality of life for patient populations, including individuals with cerebral palsy, ACL injury, knee osteoarthritis, or other lower extremity disorders. Our laboratory collaborates with Emory University, Georgia Institute of Technology, and Children’s Health Care of Atlanta.  

• Georgia Southern University offers two biomechanics labs housed in the newly renovated Kinesiology Research Laboratory with 1894 and 1451 square-feet spaces. The laboratories include instrumentation for the assessment of kinematics, kinetics, electromyography, postural stability and muscle performance.