An audience of medical professionals from all over the world and from all areas of the healthcare economy will meet again in Düsseldorf from Monday to Thursday (13 – 16 November). This is when the internationally leading medical trade fair MEDICA 2023 will kick off with an unprecedented number of participants including more than 5,300 companies from just under 70 countries. At COMPAMED 2023, held in parallel, which is the international leading trade fair for suppliers within the medical technology industry, approximately 730 companies from 39 countries are participating. “With these numbers, we are up on the previous year. And what makes us especially happy: There are again many hundreds of start-ups among the participants. Our central meeting point for the innovative founders’ scene alone, the MEDICA START-UP PARK, counts almost 50 start-ups this year – more than ever before”, says Christian Grosser, Director Health & Medical Technologies at Messe Düsseldorf, and is happy about the strong, cross-border interest in both events in the face of an overall challenging market environment (e.g., due to rising prices for many goods, energy, raw materials and services as well as limited national health budgets).
The largest bookings of floor space, after those of German companies, came from China, Italy, Turkey, South Korea, the USA and other European nations like France, Spain, the United Kingdom and Poland. At COMPAMED, the USA, Italy and Switzerland hold the top ranks behind Germany.
In the halls of the trade fair grounds, exhibitors will present a comprehensive range of medical products, devices and instruments for outpatient and clinical treatment which includes all phases of development, production and marketing. MEDICA determines its focus areas in its five worlds of experience. These cover the enormous 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.
Exciting programme featuring VIPs and numerous highlights
The highlights of each MEDICA, in addition to the numerous innovations, traditionally also include the multi-faceted accompanying programme with celebrity visits and presentations. In the coming week, for example, special attention will be paid to the Federal Minister of Health Karl Lauterbach (via video link) and NRW Minister of Health Karl-Josef Laumann at the kick-off event for the accompanying 46th German Hospital Day (CCD. Süd, on 13 November). NRW Premier Hendrik Wüst will also visit MEDICA 2023 and, on the coming Wednesday, will take a tour with information on telemedical models of care which will include the special exhibition ‘Hospital of the future’ in Hall 12. The focus is on practicable solutions for telemedical networks within clinical practice as well as at the interface with the outpatient care sector. The special exhibition is organised by the German telemedical society “Deutsche Gesellschaft für Telemedizin” and the Aachen University.
The keynote speakers expected to particularly spice up the specialist topics include Bart de Witte at the MEDICA HEALTH IT FORUM (in Hall 12, on 15 November) as one of the leading specialists worldwide for the use of AI and digital transformation in the healthcare sector, as well as the two athletes Timur Oruz (hockey world champion) and Daniel Engelbrecht (former professional football player). Both have interesting contributions to make to the MEDICA MEDICINE + SPORTS CONFERENCE (in CCD Sued, on 15 November). Oruz will report on how to reconcile being a high-performance athlete with type 1 diabetes. Engelbrecht has even played professional football with an implanted defibrillator (e.g. for the club VfL Bochum). He will share his experience and important conclusions for team doctors involved in care and coaching staff with the participants at the conference.
The on-stage programme of the accompanying conferences and the professional forums integrated into the worlds of experience offer many other highlights. Among these are, for example, the finals of two start-up competitions on the stage of the MEDICA CONNECTED HEALTHCARE FORUM (Hall 12).
At the 12th MEDICA Start-up COMPETITION on Tuesday afternoon (14 November), the focus is on the entire spectrum of innovations for the healthcare sector: from artificial intelligence (AI) to health apps, solutions for laboratory diagnostics and medical robotics. For the first time this year, “sustainability” features as a novel category. The 15th “Healthcare Innovation Worldcup” on Monday afternoon (13 November), by contrast, focuses on intelligent “Internet of Medical Things” (IoMT) solutions such as digital biomarkers, smart bandages and network-connectible wearables.
From increased outpatient treatment to AI to sustainability
Whether it’s at a professional trade fair, conference or professional forum: The important trends currently shaping the market and its dynamics are bound to provide food for discussion. One example is the growing trend of “outpatientisation”. 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 procedures based on artificial intelligence (AI) and supporting systems, for example robotic systems or VR/AR (virtual reality/augmented reality) applications, as well as solutions for the implementation of more sustainable processes along the supply and added value chain.
Supply sector in “high performance mode”
If you want to see for yourself 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 also present (five) worlds of experience including a wide 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 important industry and technological trends and offer practical information concerning new procedures, products and relevant aspects of work on international markets.
In the year before, MEDICA and COMPAMED recorded a total of 81,000 visitors. (2021: 46,000) with an international share of 75 percent.
The industry portals MEDICA and COMPAMED offer a complete overview of the programme, a multitude of digital services as well as comprehensive reporting over the duration of the trade fair event. Tickets to the trade fairs as well as the Düsseldorf ticket for the Rheinbahn light rail network can be purchased in the ticket shops of both portals.
