University of Maryland, Baltimore and Axis Research & Technologies announce joint venture to build nation’s first AI-powered smart surgical performance center. The 36,000 SF facility will integrate OMNIMED SmartOR technology for real-time surgical training analytics. Construction begins 2026.
University of Maryland, Baltimore has formed a joint venture with Axis Research & Technologies to develop the nation’s first AI-powered smart surgical performance center, establishing a 36,000 SF facility integrating advanced training, research, and real-time performance analytics. The Surgical Performance Center will deploy OMNIMED SmartOR technology, an AI-enabled platform capturing and analyzing data across classroom, simulation, and operating room environments to create what partners characterize as a comprehensive ecosystem for surgical education and innovation.
The facility unites University of Maryland School of Medicine’s legacy dating to its 1807 charter with Axis’s national network of surgical training operations spanning Irvine, Columbia, Nashville, and Houston. Construction is anticipated to begin in 2026 following groundbreaking ceremonies planned for later this year, with the completed center positioned as a collaborative destination for medical device companies and health systems seeking integration with academic research platforms.
Program elements include cadaveric and model-based training, immersive simulation suites, and AI-powered telemetry systems designed to provide students, clinicians, and engineers with data-driven insights advancing surgical practice and patient care protocols. OMNIMED SmartOR technology enables real-time performance monitoring and analytics integration across multiple training and clinical environments.
Dr. Mark Gladwin, dean of the University of Maryland School of Medicine, emphasized convergence of clinical faculty expertise, shock-trauma capabilities, specialty surgery programs, and computational technologies as foundational to medical education evolution and surgical device development. Dr. William Regine, president of UM-Faculty Physicians, highlighted partnerships with biotech organizations as accelerating clinical innovation throughout the institution’s third century of operation.
Axis CEO Jill Goodwin described the partnership as expanding the company’s platform vision into a connected, data-rich training ecosystem shaping surgical practice futures. The University of Maryland School of Medicine ranks among top public institutions for research expenditures, with nearly $500 million in total research funding and partnerships extending across 33 countries globally.