Some innovations begin not in a laboratory but rather in everyday situations.
For me, this moment came when my grandmother needed care. She was having trouble keeping track of which medications she had taken and when. This meant that my mother, who visited every day to check that my grandmother had taken her pills, was unable to continue working. The situation raised a simple question: how many families face this or similar challenges? And could technology help to ensure safe medication intake – even remotely?
This was the starting point for the idea of a smart medication dispenser. The device, later named Dimedser, is designed to store medication safely, dispense it at the correct time and provide confirmation that the medication has been taken. Such solutions could become increasingly important in caring for older adults living with dementia or chronic illnesses.
The reality of a start-up
Bringing a medical device to market is a complex process even for established researchers. Development alone is not enough: clinical validation, regulatory compliance and industrial partnerships are also required.
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Turning a student idea into a functioning start-up took far longer than we initially expected. Obstacles in technical development, prototype testing, funding and regulatory requirements repeatedly left us feeling stuck. However, each small step forward reinforced our belief in the project’s value.
Along the way, the project received several awards, including a joint industrial innovation prize from Bosch and Richter, which helped us build important industry connections and unlocked further development opportunities. These allowed the idea to evolve into a start-up that is now working to bring the technology to market.
Why supporting student innovation matters
This story raises another question: what would have happened if, as a student, I had not been given the opportunity to develop this idea?
Students often try to solve problems that they encounter personally. When universities provide mentoring, training and space for experimentation, these ideas can evolve into research projects, technological developments or even start-ups.
For me, this opportunity came through the Hungarian Startup University Program (HSUP), which focuses on developing students’ entrepreneurial and innovation skills. It was within this programme that I first outlined the concept of a smart medication dispenser in a short proposal. A multidisciplinary team was formed with students from different universities, and with the guidance of our mentor, we began actively developing the idea. After three months of intensive work, we advanced into the top 20 student start-up teams in the country.
What I learned about the path of student innovation
Several factors played a key role in reaching this stage.
1. Mentorship programmes are essential
Innovation courses and mentorship programmes are often the first step for student projects. In my experience, mentors are valuable not only for their technical expertise but also because they help students to set realistic goals, build professional connections and avoid common development dead ends. A strong mentor can become one of the most important drivers of a project’s progress.
2. Interdisciplinary teams are essential
Healthcare innovations rarely emerge within the boundaries of a single discipline, and projects often stall because the right people do not meet at the right time. For this reason, universities should create platforms that facilitate collaboration and bring together young researchers from diverse fields.
Effective innovation platforms can enable students to join open projects, help those interested in start-ups connect across universities, and create opportunities for mentors and professionals to become involved in the early stages of ideas. Such environments ensure that promising ideas do not remain isolated initiatives but instead develop into collaborative projects.
3. Students need a sense of ownership
A key challenge in innovation ecosystems is how to support students’ projects while maintaining their motivation. In my experience, students need to feel that their ideas are valued, that they have a genuine role in the project, and that the university supports development as a true partner. This partnership should also extend to intellectual property, as transparent and fair frameworks help to ensure that students feel their ideas remain their own while universities provide guidance, infrastructure and expertise. When young innovators feel that their work is protected and respected, they are far more willing to invest the energy needed to turn ideas into real innovations.
A project still in progress
The story of Dimedser is far from finished. The technology is at the prototype stage, and the next steps focus on validation and preparation for market entry. The journey so far has involved numerous challenges, adjustments and valuable lessons, highlighting that innovation rarely stems from a single breakthrough, but rather from overcoming many small obstacles along the way.
Marianna Matányi is a PhD student at the János Szentágothai neurosciences division of the Doctoral College of Semmelweis University, Hungary. She is also a medical researcher and CEO of Dimedser Health Technologies.
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