The medical technology market is in worldwide motion and the signs ahead of MEDICA 2023 and COMPAMED 2023 in Düsseldorf as the internationally leading trade fairs for the medical technology industry and related suppliers could hardly be more exciting.
The prices for energy, raw materials, services, and many goods are rising. At the same time, healthcare budgets especially in the publicly financed health sectors of many countries continue to be strongly limited. And yet, investments in new procedures, for example within the field of Artificial Intelligence, seem lucrative due to in part remarkable leaps in technology.
Christian Grosser, director of health & dedical technologies at Messe Düsseldorf, said: “In the face of these limiting conditions, business relations are being reconsidered and negotiated anew. Therefore, it is important for everyone with something to say or decide in the health business to keep current. MEDICA and COMPAMED will once again offer the best options for professional dialogue, good business, and increased networking.”
In mid-November, a total of more than 5,000 exhibiting companies (700 of whom at COMPAMED) will showcase the entire value chain of medical and medical technological products with their innovations – including all steps from product development, manufacture and after sales services.
From increased out-patient treatment to AI to sustainability
Visitors from all sectors of the health business have ample subjects for discussion, based on the defining trends which currently characterise the market and its dynamics. One example is the growing “out-patientisation” of care. This sets the focus on products and services for the so-called “point-of-care”, that is on patient-oriented diagnostics and treatment, but also on telemedical applications for optimal, cross-sector networking among all people involved in the care process. Also trending right now are solutions based on AI and supporting systems, for example robotic systems or VR/AR applications (Virtual Reality / Augmented Reality). The implementation of sustainable processes is a goal that has become one of the highest priorities in companies and institutions across all sectors of industry—including the health sector. This includes a holistic view of economic processes to maintain a lasting ability to compete, without a negative social or environmental impact. All parts of the supply and value chain are evaluated closely for their potential for optimisation.
“True to their leading motif ‘Where healthcare is going’, MEDICA and COMPAMED will incorporate these dominating developments on the market and provide thematically appropriate points of focus in their programmes and in the many presentations by our exhibiting customers. Valuable contributions to this goal will be made by the numerous professional forums and accompanying conferences while the trade fair is happening, and through the talk format MEDICA Deep Dive during the time before the event,” Grosser adds.
Five worlds of experience
MEDICA determines its areas of focus through five worlds of experience. These cover the range of more than 10,000 company innovations concerning: Lab technology and diagnostics, medical technology and electromedicine, commodities and consumables, physiotherapy, and orthopaedic technology as well as IT systems and IT solutions.
The forums integrated into the worlds of experience add a varied programme on stage to the happenings at the trade fair, and picture a diverse agenda featuring short lectures, discussions, pitches, and best practices relevant to the use of products.
Suppliers area in “high performance mode”
If you want to see what medical technology industry suppliers are capable of, the best option is COMPAMED 2023 in the trade fair Halls 8a and 8b. The exhibiting companies there will present (also five) worlds of experience including a range of high tech and service solutions. The five worlds of experience are: Manufacturing & Devices (e.g., components, parts, manufacturing processes), Services & Advice (e.g., research, development, services), Materials (e.g., plastics, glass, ceramics, metals, composite materials, adhesives, packaging), Micro Tech (such as micro components, microfluidics) as well as IT in Tech (software development and maintenance for medical technology).
In their programme sessions, the COMPAMED High-Tech Forum by IVAM and the COMPAMED Suppliers Forum follow industry and technological trends and offer practical information concerning new procedures, products and relevant aspects of work on international markets. The future handling of PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) should be among the hottest topics for debate – also at the MEDICA Tech Forum. The reason for this is that possible restrictions, not to mention a ban of PFAS at EU level, would have definite consequences for the development, manufacture, and applications of medical technology products. PFAS are being used in these areas, for example, in coatings or in components for electrical surgery.
COMPAMED and MEDICA takes place on 13-16 November at Messe Düsseldorf.
This article was originally published on med-technews