Phase 2 of Johnson & Johnson's aggressive investment in Houston healthcare has begun with the creation of the Center for Device Innovation at TMC. The endeavor is a collaboration between JJI and TMC that aims to accelerate end-to-end development of breakthrough medical devices. The maker space will be in the TMC Institute, in the same building as JLABS @ TMC, and will occupy 26k SF.

The effort will be led by internationally renowned cardiac surgeon Dr. Billy Cohn of the Baylor College of Medicine and the Texas Heart Institute.

The move falls in line with recent efforts from TMC officials and medical professionals in Houston to leverage the enormous amount of healthcare expertise to tap into the rapidly expanding biomedical sector. "By creating a nexus for innovation, where scientists and engineers of the Johnson & Johnson family of companies can collaborate with academicians, expert clinicians and external entrepreneurs to leverage the unique size, scope and capabilities of TMC’s member institutions, we are confident that we can dramatically enhance healthcare around the world,” said Paul Stoffels, chief scientific officer of Johnson & Johnson.