British Surgical Robots should move around the world


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There is a good view of Ely Cathedral in fields from outside Cambridgeshire factory in the leading company of Surgical Robotics in the UK. Inside the spotless buildings, 13,000 parts gather each versomius system used by surgeons for the keyhole operation and the 3D-festival console.

This is an exciting time with surgical robotics. Technology is widely used in the US and spread around the world as surgeons and hospitals see medical and financial benefits. The National Health Service announced this past week it facilitates the use of the robotic systems, with 9 of the technology-helped technologies within 10 years.

It was also promised for CMR surgery, a start of life sciences around Cambridge in 2014, and poured nearly $ 1b to invest in Softbank in a $ 3bn valuation. CMR removed the dominant Da Vinci Robotic Systems produced by US Company intuitive surgery in Versius.

So I am disappointed to know that CMR has counselors and can Sell ​​oneself In a strategic deductible, rather than press the intuitive independent of a market for surgical robots to reach $ 14bn next year, according to consultantlivery wyman. This is another sale of a promising technology company in the UK, following Oxford Ionics and Spectris.

I went to Ely to investigate and know that there is hope yet CMR Remain independent, but that competition in operating robotics has wider lessons. It shows that a UK company seeks to beat an incumbent business in the largest, most of the world’s sophisticated health market facing a large challenge.

Surgeons use systems such as Da Vinci, Versius and others made by companies including Medtronic and Asensus to be motivated to operate their patients. Robot Used by keyhole operations in which rods with surgical instruments are entered by small incisions. The surgeons manipulate these robot arms away while sitting on electronic consoles nearby.

The idea that begins with a US Department project in the US to explore if surgeons can move far from fields in the fields, and Silddiica is built in Silicon Valley. About 10,000 da Vinci Systems are shown in Globaly Assunitidals invest in robots to reduce complications from surgery and withdrawing patients faster.

That’s a frightening number, because fewer than 200 versius systems have been installed at the end of last year. Intuitive also has a large lead of other companies, which gives this advantage that many surgeons train the robots of Da Vinci in prostate cancer. Although the systems are expensive, sold for an average of $ 1.6mmmmy last year, they are familiar.

But five CMR founations have seen a clever way to take advantage of the weak point of Da Vinci bulky. Versius Robotic Arms Modulars, instead of Da Vinci’s inocratic units, allowing them to be distracted between operating theaters or within a hospital. The system is less advanced than the latest Da Vinci 5 model, but offers a Veratatile alternative.

The UK company is now on the difficult scaling stage from a promised start of a global business. There are beats: Its income falls last year because smaller units are sold as senior management is shaken. Massimiliano Colella, the new chief executive, tells me that while it becomes a loss of £ 130mn in 2024, it has a clearly “a clear profit, not far”.

Her investors can have “all options”: if proceed to the company, which float in public or sell it. Meanwhile, it faced another question: How much commitment to violating the US market, which Versius got approval for Gallbladder operation. That’s a great opportunity but it takes a heavy investment to roll someone in the thousands of US hospitals.

My fear is that, given the choice of receiving immediate reward or take a risk of changing success, they settled for the past. This is reasonable: is CMR to achieve whispering price of $ 4bn, it’s a very good result for a Cambridge Start-up. This can also be a careful choice: take the victory and don’t argue with hubres.

But this is another case of British technology imaginative that does not match the business ambition. Easy to start a US company first and overcome the rest of the world later than the repetition. But if UK companies don’t believe themselves, who else?

John.gapper@ft.com



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