Technology domains
Plain-language priorities that connect AI, biosensors, digital twins, and hard-tech tools to musculoskeletal needs and applications.
Our Work
Building the Future of Movement
IMPACT connects Indiana's musculoskeletal technology priorities, regional strengths, research, translation, and workforce development into one coordinated ecosystem.
Focus Areas
Technology, region, and a pathway from need to deployment.
IMPACT focuses on musculoskeletal health challenges where Indiana can connect clinical insight, engineering, manufacturing, data science, and industry experience. The Engine's work begins with real needs and moves toward practical solutions through coordinated research, translation, and workforce activity.
Technology focus areas include artificial intelligence and machine learning applications, biosensor development, digital twin technology, and other hard-tech approaches that can support prevention, diagnosis, treatment, rehabilitation, manufacturing, and adoption in musculoskeletal health.
Regional Platform
Indiana's clinical, research, manufacturing, workforce, and industry assets help turn focus areas into coordinated projects.
See Why Indiana
Regional coordination
A practical platform for connecting academic, clinical, industry, community, and public-sector partners across Indiana.
Innovation value chain
A shared pathway for moving from unmet needs and use-inspired ideas toward validation, implementation, and market relevance.
Innovation Value Chain
How focus areas become projects.
The Innovation Value Chain connects stakeholders and entrepreneurs with key drivers in the IMPACT ecosystem to lead change through innovation. Connecting the musculoskeletal community in north-central Indiana is the first step in understanding and responding to industry needs.
Through strategically placed Navigators, the ecosystem offers trusted intermediaries within communities to facilitate communication, align goals, connect stakeholders with key resources, streamline processes, and foster trust and collaboration. Navigators begin by engaging patients, providers, communities, and industry partners to identify unmet needs around specific MSK disorders, injuries, technologies, and processes.
Research & Development
Build use-inspired solutions around real musculoskeletal needs.
IMPACT brings clinicians, engineers, researchers, industry partners, and communities together to identify problems worth solving and shape projects with a clearer path toward use.
- Connect unmet clinical, community, and industry needs with research and engineering expertise.
- Advance AI and machine learning, biosensors, digital twins, and other hard-tech approaches in musculoskeletal health.
- Shape projects that can move beyond discovery toward validation, adoption, and regional value.
Translation
Move promising ideas toward validation, commercialization, and adoption.
Translation is the bridge between promising musculoskeletal ideas and practical use. IMPACT supports that bridge by aligning the right expertise, partners, infrastructure, and implementation pathways around each opportunity.
- Use Navigator-supported stakeholder alignment to clarify needs, resources, and next steps.
- Support clinical and real-world validation, commercialization pathways, and startup or employer connections.
- Coordinate access to testbeds, shared infrastructure, and ecosystem partners when they are needed to move solutions forward.
Workforce Development
Grow the talent pipeline for Indiana's musculoskeletal innovation economy.
Workforce development connects students, workers, educators, employers, and community partners to the skills and experiences needed for musculoskeletal innovation, manufacturing, clinical translation, and ecosystem growth.
- Build K-12 STEM, student, internship, and work-based learning pathways tied to regional technology priorities.
- Align employer and educator partnerships around the capabilities needed by the musculoskeletal sector.
- Support training, reskilling, upskilling, and credentialing pathways that help the region sustain long-term innovation.