MEDICA & COMPAMED 2018: Service providers & their suppliers show up on top form at their trade fairs

Over the coming weeks, the most prominent date for decision-makers from all sections of the international healthcare industry approaches once more. They have had it marked indelibly in their diaries and have been looking forward to travelling to it for the entire year. They’re coming to the world’s biggest medical trade fairs, MEDICA and COMPAMED, the leading international trade fair for suppliers from the medical technology industry. These trade fairs will take place in Düsseldorf from Monday to Thursday (12 - 15 November 2018). At MEDICA 2018, we will draw over 5,000 exhibitors once again (5,273 will attend from 66 nations) and COMPAMED will also attain the peak attendance that it experienced last year. COMPAMED is more international than ever, with 783 exhibitors from 40 countries. The halls of Messe Düsseldorf are therefore completely booked out. 

No other event in the world offers such a comprehensive overview of the latest medical products, services and developments for modern treatment in doctors’ practices and hospitals as MEDICA does. From laboratory technology, physiotherapy and orthopaedic technology, commodities and consumables to high-tech medicine (electrotherapy and medical technology) and healthcare IT, MEDICA has it all. 

“The visitors are spoilt for choice here, and can make the most of around 1,000 speeches and discussions with top speakers on offer in the accompanying conferences and forums. These, along with the exhibitor innovations showcased here, focus on the latest trends,” enthuses Horst Giesen, Global Portfolio Director for Health & Medical Technologies at Messe Düsseldorf, which forms a central pillar of MEDICA and COMPAMED. He is also keeping a close eye on a trend that will shape almost all sectors, conferences and forums this year: “The digital transformation is evidently the topic of the day; it is shaping the healthcare industry worldwide and will change both processes and business models forever.”  

Located in Hall 15, the MEDICA HEALTH IT FORUM (on topics such as big data, artificial intelligence and cyber security), the MEDICA CONNECTED HEALTHCARE FORUM with the MEDICA App COMPETITION (hardware and software solutions for networked and mobile medical care) and the English-language MEDICA MEDICINE & SPORTS CONFERENCE (in the CCD Süd), which tackles the usage of applications used in proximity to the body and wearables for monitoring of vital signs, all count among the program highlights of MEDICA, which take on the dominating development of digitalisation and create their content to appeal to the various target groups in the healthcare industry. The 41st German Hospital Conference (held in the CCD Ost) also dedicates itself to digitalisation. This is the leading event for German clinic management. Clinic managers find out which strategies are best to apply on the path to the digital era and how doctors and patients can be integrated into these strategies optimally from the experts themselves. 

The huge potential that digitalisation of the healthcare industry proffers is confirmed by a study presented at MEDICA 2018, which was commissioned by Messe Düsseldorf and the industry association SPECTARIS and carried out by Roland Berger. According to this study, up to 10,000 jobs could be created by German medical technology manufacturers alone. These would be required to manufacture innovative applications and products in the networking, sensor, big data, artificial intelligence and other sectors, as well as applications and products related to electronic healthcare cards and more efficient company and clinical processes. In addition, turnover of up to 15 billion Euro could be produced by new digital products and services over the next ten years. This equates to over 30% of the expected total turnover for the German medical technology industry. 

The study “Healthcare 4.0: Why Germany needs to become the leading market for the digital healthcare industry and medical technology and what we need to do to get there”, also clarifies that Germany urgently needs to take action and catch up in terms of digitalisation. According to the study, less than a third of the medical technology providers and hospitals are investing over 2.5% of their turnover in digitalisation projects. Two-thirds of the surveyed population believed that the level of digitalisation within the German healthcare industry is fairly low and almost all of them wish that there was more political engagement with this issue. Decision makers from over 200 companies of all sizes, heralding from healthcare and politics, among other sectors, were surveyed for this study. 

Many innovative young companies aren’t frozen in the headlights; instead, they’re taking the fast track to success by supporting the digitalisation of the healthcare sector. Many of them will be present at MEDICA, for example at the MEDICA START-UP PARK (in Hall 15). Among the product innovations that will be discussed and presented are a smartphone ophthalmoscope to examine retinas and eyes, which consists of a camera adapter and an app; a novel procedure for diagnosing skin cancer (which also consists of a smartphone app) and a compact digital stethoscope. Designed to work without earphones, this was developed to be used by concerned parents rather than doctors. The compact stethoscope head allows them to carry out a primary check-up of their child’s airway and transmit the data to a doctor. Depending on the result, this allows them to spare themselves time-intensive visits to the doctor’s. 

Further highlights of MEDICA’s supporting programme include the international DiMiMED conference for specialists from the military and catastrophe medicine sector, the MEDICA PHYSIO CONFERENCE and the MEDICA ACADEMY, a further education event which offers much hands-on practical learning for doctors and medical specialists. 

This year, COMPAMED will be taking place in parallel with MEDICA for the 27th time. It will house almost 800 exhibitors in Halls 8a and 8b. The scope of products, solutions and services presented and addressed at COMPAMED and in two specialist forums ranges from parts and components such as sensors, chips, wireless modules, energy and data storage to coating technology, packaging solutions and even complete made-to-order production. 

Over the previous years, MEDICA and COMPAMED have regularly received between 120,000 and 130,000 visitors between them annually, with around 60% of these visitors coming from outside Germany. This year, the German Federal Minister of Health, Jens Spahn, will be among the visitors. On November 12, he will open MEDICA 2018 and the 41st German Hospital Conference, which takes place in parallel.