# S5E44 Geoff Gaw | Nitinol, R&D, and How to Learn About New Technologies

- Show: [Being an Engineer](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer)
- Published: 2024-11-01
- Length: 47m
- Episode: 44
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2024-11-01-s5e44-geoff-gaw-nitinol-r-d-and-how-to-learn-about-new-technologies

## Summary

Geoff Gaw, a Senior Principal Engineer at Edwards Lifesciences with prior leadership roles at Medtronic and Applied Medical, discusses the unique challenges of working with Nitinol and managing teams in highly regulated medical device environments. He explains how he aligns product development with process development by waiting for clinical viability signals before committing to mass production strategies, and details his approach to scaling engineering teams by leveraging high performers rather than micromanaging. Gaw also shares his perspective on staying current with emerging technologies through job mobility and predicts the integration of AI in medical procedures, noting the associated risks of opacity in decision-making.

## Chapters

- [0:03](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2024-11-01-s5e44-geoff-gaw-nitinol-r-d-and-how-to-learn-about-new-technologies#t=3) Introduction: Geoff Gaw and career origins
- [6:32](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2024-11-01-s5e44-geoff-gaw-nitinol-r-d-and-how-to-learn-about-new-technologies#t=392) Nitinol properties and shape setting processes
- [12:35](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2024-11-01-s5e44-geoff-gaw-nitinol-r-d-and-how-to-learn-about-new-technologies#t=755) Managing teams and documentation in regulated environments
- [16:03](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2024-11-01-s5e44-geoff-gaw-nitinol-r-d-and-how-to-learn-about-new-technologies#t=963) Scaling teams at Medtronic and leadership strategies
- [20:39](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2024-11-01-s5e44-geoff-gaw-nitinol-r-d-and-how-to-learn-about-new-technologies#t=1239) Aligning product development with process development
- [28:24](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2024-11-01-s5e44-geoff-gaw-nitinol-r-d-and-how-to-learn-about-new-technologies#t=1704) R&D experimentation versus mass production constraints
- [36:58](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2024-11-01-s5e44-geoff-gaw-nitinol-r-d-and-how-to-learn-about-new-technologies#t=2218) Staying updated on technologies and industry trends
- [40:32](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2024-11-01-s5e44-geoff-gaw-nitinol-r-d-and-how-to-learn-about-new-technologies#t=2432) Future of medical devices and AI integration

## Topics

- [Materials & manufacturing processes](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/materials-and-processes)
- [Leadership, teams & culture](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/leadership-and-culture)
- [Design for manufacturing & NPI](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/design-for-manufacturing)
- [AI & machine learning](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/ai-and-machine-learning)
- [Scaling production](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/scaling-production)

## Most relevant to

large enterprises

## Mentioned

- Edwards Lifesciences (company)
- Medtronic (company)
- Applied Medical (company)
- Nitinol (material)
- Cal Poly Pomona (other)
- Pipeline Design & Engineering (company)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [#337: Moving MedTech Forward - The Past, Present & Future of Greenlight Guru](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/global-medical-device-podcast/2023-09-21-337-moving-medtech-forward-the-past-present-future-of-greenlight-guru) (Global Medical Device Podcast)
- [When Production Overtakes Prototyping: Materialise’s Next Phase of AM](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/additive-snack/2026-10-13-when-production-overtakes-prototyping-materialises-next-phase-of-am) (Additive Snack)
- [#415: Neurotech: Accelerating Innovation in a Complex Medical Device Vertical](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/global-medical-device-podcast/2025-07-14-415-neurotech-accelerating-innovation-in-a-complex-medical-device-vertical) (Global Medical Device Podcast)
- [S3 E5: AI in Hardware: The Future of Design, Manufacturing, and Innovation with Kristen Edwards](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-builder-circle/2025-11-25-s3-e5-ai-in-hardware-the-future-of-design-manufacturing-and-innovation-with-kris) (The Builder Circle)
- [126 - Combination Products Collaboration, Turnover on MedTech/Pharma Project Teams, and Lessons from working with Intel's CEO with Mat Stratton, Founder of Coalition Ltd](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/lets-combinate/2024-03-06-126-combination-products-collaboration-turnover-on-medtech-pharma-project-teams) (Let's Combinate)

## Citing this page

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