div > < /div > In the most effective partnerships, the manufacturer and outside firm begin with research (see the second column in this series for why this is so). But by the time the partners reach the design phase, they need to be able to define more than just the product concept. < /div > < p > < a href="http://medicaldesign.com/blog/effective-design-partne..."> < div > < /div > In the most effective partnerships, the manufacturer and outside firm begin with research (see the second column in this series for why this is so). But by the time the partners reach the design phase, they need to be able to define more than just the product concept. < /div > < p > < a href="http://medicaldesign.com/blog/effective-design-partne..." /> < div > < /div > In the most effective partnerships, the manufacturer and outside firm begin with research (see the second column in this series for why this is so). But by the time the partners reach the design phase, they need to be able to define more than just the product concept. < /div > < p > < a href="http://medicaldesign.com/blog/effective-design-partne..." />