MEDICA 2022, the leading international meeting for the medical community, is ready to open its doors in Düsseldorf and host the best EIC medtech innovators that will exhibit their outstanding solutions at the EIC Pavilion. A month before the kickoff of the famous tradeshow, we sat down with Martin Koch, Senior Manager MarCom - Press & PR and Press Spokesman of MEDICA.
MEDICA constitutes a flagship event for healthcare and medical professionals from all over the world. What should the attendees expect this year? Do you have a “must visit” area you would recommend?
MEDICA basically focuses on innovations for the complete outpatient and inpatient workflow of patient treatment. This means that everything needed in a doctor's practice or clinic will be the subject of exhibitor presentations in mid-November and will also be the topic of discussion in the integrated specialist forums and accompanying conferences - apart from medicines, because MEDICA is not a pharmaceutical trade fair.
The spectrum of innovations ranges from laboratory diagnostics, electromedical procedures such as imaging, IT for practices and clinics to physiotherapy and orthopaedic technology. In view of the pandemic, mobile health applications (for telemedical treatments) and innovations in laboratory medicine for so-called point-of-care diagnostics are currently in particularly high demand. A "perennial" topic, however, is the use of artificial intelligence in medicine, for example. It can support doctors in diagnosis by means of integration into medical imaging, in treatment, for example, in relation to computer-assisted surgery, and is also used in relation to the billing of services.
Special highlights are the finals of the "14th Healthcare Innovation Worldcup" (HWC) and the "10th MEDICA Start-up COMPETITION" on the programme stage at the MEDICA CONNECTED HEALTHCARE FORUM (in Hall 12). These are competitions in which start-ups pitch for victory with presentations on their new developments. While the HWC is specifically about developments for the Internet of Medical Things (IoMT), the MEDICA Start-up COMPETITION is more broadly about digital health innovations. One focus here is on health apps and mobile health solutions.
What added value will the European Innovation Council’s (EIC) Pavilion bring to the tradeshow?
MEDICA visitors come from all areas of the healthcare industry and from many nations. They appreciate the variety of products and the high degree of innovation of the products on display and the new services on show. In this respect, they will certainly be offered a lot of interesting things in the stand area of the EIC Pavilion and receive important impulses for the development of their business.
From your personal standpoint, what are the real benefits and opportunities that European entrepreneurs can gain by attending MEDICA?
In addition to the already mentioned diversity of offerings (from several thousand exhibitors), the high degree of internationality of the event offers advantages and opportunities. Exhibitors from almost 70 nations are represented and visitors come from around 150 nations every year. More than 70 percent of visitors are international. Companies can therefore make contacts all over the world by taking part in MEDICA & meeting visitors from all areas of the healthcare industry. Medical users are just as many among them as representatives from the ranks of hospital management.
The international medical trade is also strongly represented. Not to be underestimated, of course, is the importance of contacts with other exhibitors & suppliers (e.g. to enter sales or manufacturing partnerships) as well as to suppliers. These will be presented at the parallel COMPAMED trade fair.
In a nutshell: MEDICA in combination with COMPAMED is the definitive platform for the medical technology business. Incidentally, this also attracts investors who want to generate an overview of the innovations and market developments and who are of course particularly interested in start-ups.
Any piece of advice that you would like to share with the European innovators, who will exhibit their groundbreaking solutions at the event?
Not only is participation in the trade fair very important, but also the targeted preparation and follow-up of the trade fair participation and here especially the communication of the trade fair participation. In this regard, we inform all exhibitors about suitable communication tools as well as networking options for matchmaking with relevant target groups using our strong industry internet portal for the event (MEDICA.de).
For more than 40 years, MEDICA has been firmly established on every expert’s calendar, as it attracts more than 45.000 exhibitors from more than 50 countries. The trade fair combines world premieres and live demonstrations of products spanning the entire value chain with exciting business partnerships. Together with COMPAMED, it encompasses all stages of medical technological development, creating an unmatched business platform for the industry.
Do not miss the opportunity to visit the EIC Pavilion at Messe Düsseldorf (Hall 15 – Booths 15C02 & 15D02) on 14-17 November 2022 and get ready to be impressed with the latest medical advancements!
Find out more on the EIC Overseas Trade Fairs Programme 2.0 website and check the official delegation of SMEs to attend MEDICA 2022 here.
