Providers worldwide are
adapting to the increasing challenges in markets of medical technology and
medical products by introducing innovations for modern and cost-efficient
medical care. This trend was reflected at MEDICA, the world’s largest medical
trade fair, and COMPAMED, the leading trade fair for the medical technology
manufacturing supplier market. The events, with the slogan ‘Be Part of the No. 1,’ took place in
Düsseldorf on 18–21 November 2019.
A new record in participation has been set this year with some
5,500 exhibitors at MEDICA and nearly 800 at COMPAMED while of 121,000 visitors,
more than 90% had decision-making authority and two-thirds came from abroad,
representing some 170 countries.
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According to Wolfram Diener, Managing Director of Messe
Düsseldorf, “MEDICA and COMPAMED are the no. 1 market platforms for
international business. Through their exhibitor and visitor numbers, they have
confirmed their role as growth drivers for exports.”
The German industry association SPECTARIS together with Germany’s Association for Electromedical Technology (ZVEI), organised the MEDICA TECH FORUM dedicated to the issues of international market access and regulatory requirements for medical technology, particularly in China and Russia. In the meantime, more than 10,000 guests visited the MEDICA HEALTH IT FORUM and the MEDICA CONNECTED HEALTHCARE FORUM, according to Horst Giesen, Global Portfolio Director for Health & Medical Technologies at Messe Düsseldorf.
Robotics, mHealth and AI
One focal point at MEDICA 2019 was medical
robotics applications. Companies such as KUKA, Medisana, Aktormed, intelligent
motion, Stryker and others showcased their work and its potential applications.
Medical robotics is now one of the exhibitor product categories of MEDICA, so
the visitors are now able to easily identify companies with relevant expertise.
Another rapidly advancing field is compact solutions for
better networking in the healthcare sector, ie for communication between doctors
and between doctor and patient. As one could see at the MEDICA START-UP PARK,
the ‘Disrupt’ sessions at the MEDICA CONNECTED HEALTHCARE FORUM and the MEDICA
App COMPETITION, there are many ‘mHealth’
(mobile health) applications that accelerate and facilitate care, from medically
certified wearables to virtual reality applications.
For the 8th
MEDICA App COMPETITION, an international jury selected 15
finalists from more than 100 entries, to present their app-based solutions.
The “SynPhNe” team (Singapore) won the competition with the product, which trains
both the brain and the muscles in mobilisation therapy helping to increase the
functional independence of people with disabilities.
For all the above to progress, however, artificial intelligence (AI), deep learning and big data are essential. These topics were highlighted at the expert forums, such as the MEDICA LABMED FORUM where the practical use of AI in digital pathology was discussed.
Conference highlights
Numerous lectures and discussions at the accompanying
congresses and conferences provided a deeper look into the dominant topics of
the healthcare industry and individual medical specialist interest areas. Among
those were the 42nd German Hospital Day that attracted over 2000 clinic
management executives to discuss structural, financing and digitalisation issues;
the MEDICA PHYSIO CONFERENCE; and the MEDICA
MEDICINE & SPORTS CONFERENCE that welcomed Sebastian Kienle, one of the
world’s best triathletes, as a celebrity guest and an avid user of the latest
technologies for his training.
COMPAMED
In this leading international platform for suppliers to the
medical technology industry, nearly 800 companies from 41 countries participated.
The driver in the industry is currently the demand for increasingly powerful, miniaturised
components and digitalised solutions for diagnostics, therapy and laboratory
equipment.
Two specialist forums integrated into COMPAMED also reflected this trend, offering a comprehensive overview of all aspects of the development, manufacture and approval of medical products.
More information:
Find out more about MEDICA and COMPAMED 2020 here.
Source: MEDICA
Image credit: MEDICA
