The healthcare business and the medical technology sector are moving forward with vigor, driven by ever-new technical developments. Innovative, digital, and connected – this is how the sector persists against challenging frameworks and market conditions. And keeping pace with the industry, MEDICA and COMPAMED are also holding their own as a combination of globally unique platforms for business and information serving the entire added value chain of medical-technical systems and products – including manufacture and development. The number of registrations for both trade fairs this year puts expectations at a total of more than 6,000 companies from 70 countries exhibiting in Düsseldorf from 11–14 November 2024.
“With a volume of approximately 140 billion euros, the market for medical technology in Europe is extremely important for many of our exhibitors. Regardless of healthcare policy debates, this is equally true for the German market, which alone accounts for 40 billion euros”, says Christian Grosser, Director of Health & Medical Technologies at Messe Düsseldorf, explaining why exhibiting companies benefit. With a view to the professional audience traveling to the events, Grosser also regards the date in 2024 as set: “To be fit for tomorrow’s healthcare, it is critical to remain up-to-date by way of networking, knowledge transfer and innovations at the highest level. MEDICA in Düsseldorf has been providing excellent opportunities to do this for the better part of half a century.”
At MEDICA 2024, there are five worlds of experience promising a comprehensive range of innovations for the treatment of outpatients and clinical use. For a first glimpse, see the database of companies and products at the MEDICA.de hub, which currently lists more than 12,700 products and services. The corresponding worlds of experience at the professional trade fair are: Lab Technology and Diagnostics, Medical Technology and Electromedicine, Commodities and Consumables, Physiotherapy and Orthopedic Technology as well as IT Systems and IT Solutions.
Held in parallel to MEDICA as always, COMPAMED can look back on more than thirty years of success and has become an absolute hotspot for complex high-tech solutions. About 750 exhibiting companies will present their specialized knowledge as manufacturers and suppliers at COMPAMED 2024, also in five worlds of experience: 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).
All trending topics of the year “live on stage”
Dominating market trends are currently causing a huge demand for information and plenty of issues for debate. MEDICA 2024 and COMPAMED 2024 will provide a corresponding superb stage program with accompanying forums and conferences that bridge the content gap to exhibitors’ presentations and topic-driven special shows, for example, the ‘Wearable Technologies Show’, the ‘Hospital of the Future’ or the MEDICA SPORTS HUB.
This year, the hot topics at MEDICA include the most recent examples of AI application and robots and assistive systems in day-to-day medical practice. Another focus is on the increasing connectivity in healthcare provision, specifically on innovations for the point of care, which means diagnostics and treatment in the immediate vicinity of patients (usually outpatients). This includes telemedical applications with the aim of providing optimised cooperation across all sectors by all persons involved in the treatment process.
Another top issue at this year’s MEDICA is the human factor. The urgent lack of skilled professionals also affects almost all companies active in healthcare, leading them to search for solutions. These topics will be discussed in individual forums and at conferences which are appropriate to each target group.
The key facts and figures of MEDICA and COMPAMED at a glance (© Messe Düsseldorf).
Fresh ideas for the digital healthcare transformation
Some examples are the MEDICA HEALTH IT FORUM (for IT topics like big data, artificial intelligence or cybersecurity), the MEDICA TECH FORUM (trends and topics from science, politics and business with relevance for the medical technology industry) or the new MEDICA INNOVATION FORUM. This forum will replace the former MEDICA CONNECTED HEALTHCARE FORUM. Because digital innovations are not limited to optimised connections between all healthcare players, the MEDICA INNOVATION FORUM will focus on the digital transformation of the healthcare industry in its entirety. The popular start-up competitions remain part of the programme and will shine a spotlight on fresh ideas and product solutions by the young start-up scene on the forum stage.
COMPAMED, too, promises excitement, information and open discussions. The agendas at the COMPAMED HIGH-TECH FORUM and COMPAMED SUPPLIERS FORUM reflect the top issues of the supply sector such as AI, robotics and automation, new trends in microtechnology and innovations in materials. And last but not least, there will be contributions and discussions about the best practices of international market cultivation. Supply chain management, questions of product approval and patent law are some of the relevant aspects.
Last year, MEDICA and COMPAMED recorded a total of 83,000 visiting professionals from more than 160 countries.
