For years, almost no other industry has been shaped so much by sustainable growth as the medical technology industry and its suppliers. Furthermore, there are practically no other industries in which it is so imperative to remain at the cutting edge of progress and gain information on new products, trends and technology, which are presented at the MEDICA trade fair in particular, a world-leading industry platform in this area. The structure of the market is changing constantly. Even within specific regions of the world, the market situation can be radically different, depending on the nation and the approval processes for medical technology systems and products can also differ from each other dramatically.

Taking a look at Europe proves this remarkably well. In Spain, Ireland and Romania, the sales curve for medical technology is on the up, thanks to widespread economic recovery and a need for investment that built up during the years of the credit crunch. Demand is also high in the Netherlands, Austria and Switzerland. However, in Germany, Italy and France, progress is slower than it could be - the key word here is “investment slowdown”. While austerity is creating obstacles within the healthcare systems here, the current political developments and subsequent currency deprecations in some places put the brakes on access to the market and businesses in Turkey and Russia. The upcoming Brexit also produces more obvious limitations.

One challenge that is faced across regions is increasingly strict regulation for product approval. This equally concerns both manufacturers and their suppliers, although smaller and middle-sized companies also have to put up a good fight against the obligation to fill out increasingly complex and comprehensive documents and create reports, which results from a multitude of EU directives and guidelines, for example the Medical Device Regulation or the REACH (Registration Evaluation, Authorization and Restriction of Chemicals).

A market-influencing factor such as this bring up many questions for visitors and exhibitors at our internationally organized MEDICAlliance specialist trade fairs. They need to know how to set their own businesses on the right track internationally and come together with the right partners. Messe Düsseldorf offers the communication and information platforms that have been tailored to meet specific needs.

In addition, the innovation cycle demands that we consistently remain up to date. For medical technology and products, this cycle is incredibly short. To give an example of its effects, German manufacturers gain a third of their turnover from products that are less than three years old. This means that MEDICA in Düsseldorf is a hotspot for the latest products and developments for service providers every year, all within the scope of current trends.

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