There’s no shortage of events focussed on the medtech market, says Lu Rahman, but the Med-Tech Innovation Expo is highly focussed on creating business within the UK and Irish markets.

It’s hardly surprising that medtech sector is so well-served. Medical technology spans an immense product range. At one end we have longstanding and well-known devices such as glucose and pregnancy testing kits, syringes and dressings. But as the healthcare sector demands products with increased functionality, even simple solutions are being developed to offer greater accuracy and to provide higher protection for users. With the advent of digital devices, manufacturers are seeking innovative cost-effective solutions that offer tangible benefits to society and to clinicians. Connected devices are coming to the fore like never before. Healthcare professionals are increasingly pushing prevention techniques as well as cure, resulting in growth areas for a range of monitoring and diagnostic devices. Alongside this we have the continued development of high-end medical technology – scanners, pacemakers, diagnostic machines, for example – that are continually fine-tuned to ensure accuracy and results possible. As an industry the stakes are high as manufacturers push the boundaries of technology to improve and extend life.

Of course, in order to do this, medtech companies need the right conditions – insight and intelligence to address the devices of the future, design and manufacturing excellence, and the opportunity to forge lasting business relationships.

The Med-Tech Innovation Expo combines these elements giving visitors and exhibitors the opportunity to grow and develop their businesses. We know that not all events are created equally and manufacturers can spend too much time trawling through expos that don’t cut the mustard and are targeted at too-broad an audience. This is why the Med-Tech Innovation Expo works – it is designed for companies targeting the UK and Irish medtech markets. The UK life science sector is worth £73.8bn, according to the Office of Life Sciences. To put this into some sort of context – the ADS, the organisation for the UK aerospace, defence, security and space sectors says that the turnover for these industries in 2017 was £74bn. Medtech is a significant market that boasts 3,700 UK medtech companies while nine out of ten of the world’s top medtech companies have a base in Ireland.

Insight and Intelligence

The medtech sector is all about breakthrough technology and the products and devices of tomorrow. While regulation is a key issue within the sector, it is crucial that medtech manufacturers stay on top of the latest technology, materials and product trends that healthcare professionals value.

The expo offers two days of presentations from medical device OEMs highlighting how the latest and futuristic medical devices were developed – from ideation to commercialisation. Attendees will have the opportunity to learn about the clinical trials process, regulatory hurdles, usability testing, materials compliance from experienced designers and CEOs.

The event also features the Healthtech stage, which more or less speaks for itself – presentations focussed on digital health and drug delivery technology.

Design and manufacturing excellence

Not only does the Med-Tech Innovation Expo offer live demonstrations of the latest machines, technology, products and services, it is also allows designers, engineers, innovators and manufacturers from the medical and healthcare sectors to network and hear the latest thought-leadership coming out of the medtech, medical plastics, digital health, healthtech and pharmaceutical manufacturing technologies.

Networking opportunities

Designing and manufacturing medical technology is not a simple process. Market knowledge, awareness of regulations, specialist technology, materials, software and components is required along with intelligence on the healthcare sector and what it requires for present and future treatment. Medical technology improves and saves lives. As such, the design and manufacture of medical devices is complex. Making the right connections is crucial for sharing best practice, market knowledge and innovating. The Med-Tech Innovation Expo provides the perfect platform to meets peers, designers, engineers and innovators that will inspire and grow your medtech business.

The expo takes place on 1-2 April 2020 at the NEC, Birmingham