MedTecLIVE 2023, one of the most important trade fairs for the German medical technology industry, took place from 23 - 25 May 2023 in Nuremberg, one of the most important medical technology industrial districts in Northern Bavaria. The manufacturers located here are brought together by the Medical Valley organisation, which I will talk about separately below. The exhibition is being held in parallel with the Eltec electronics and energy exhibition at the Nürnberg Messe.
The organisers have put together a wide range of programme elements for the event. There were professional conferences in German and English, podium discussions broadcast online, start-up presentations - investor competition, B2B discussions coordinated by Enterprise Europe Network and Bayern Innovative, a World Cafe venue, thematic guided tours of the exhibition area, production presentations and around 360 exhibitors enriched the 3-day programme. The list of exhibitors was quite mixed. In addition to a large number of small and large medical device manufacturers, there were representatives from industries serving the field (e.g. component manufacturers, machine builders, laboratories, certifiers), as well as a good number of knowledge sharing, consulting and online solutions providers.
Ireland was a special guest at the fair, where one of Europe's most important medical technology industrial centres has developed over the last 20 years, with the establishment of manufacturing and R&D facilities of several multinational companies. In addition to a few Irish exhibitors, the vast majority of exhibitors were German companies, but the presence of Dutch and especially Swiss manufacturers was also clearly visible. The presence of many companies was facilitated by trade associations, bringing together under one umbrella, for example, the tool and mould manufacturers (VDWF) or the medical technology manufacturers of Baden-Württemberg. During the days I spent there, I had the opportunity to talk with nearly 50 companies. I met with manufacturers, but also with companies developing new solutions and offering consultancy services, which could become important cooperation partners for QTICS medical. The reception was positive and open. The diversity of our medical division's services was appreciated. There were several start-up companies who were pleased that we could offer complex support in obtaining CE marking through a one-stop-shop solution. For the exhibiting companies, the geographical location of QTICS Group was less important than the references we have and the timeframe and quality of service we can provide. Many commented that the distance between Nuremberg and Budapest is not significant anyway, which I think can be a symbolic, message value for other manufacturing or service companies. The Bavarian industry also has very significant contacts in Hungary, and this could have a beneficial effect in the future on the medical technology industry, which has a long tradition in both countries. Unfortunately, I only met one Hungarian exhibitor. This company is also there more to serve the medical device industry by providing automated translation support for industrial use. I can only recommend the event in Stuttgart next June to anyone who wants to enter the German market as a medical device manufacturer in the future.
For QTICS medical, but perhaps also for the domestic medical device industry, my discussions with the ecosystem building organisations, which in many cases bring together hundreds of medical device manufacturers and provide a variety of services to help industry organisations meet and develop their business. Among these, I would like to highlight the coordination with Medical Valley (Bavaria), Medical Mountain (Baden-Württemberg) and Bayern Innovative, professional organisations providing complex services based on close cooperation. Although they were set up with a significant contribution from state or provincial subsidies, they are now operating in a professionally autonomous and largely financially independent way. In the case of Medical Valley, for example, the most important income comes from various development funds (Provincial, Federal, European), with a smaller but still significant share from service and membership fees.
I was also very pleased to have a personal meeting with Mr. Gergely Janzsó, the Munich Attaché for Foreign Trade, who has been of great help to us on several occasions in exploring business opportunities in Bavaria. For QTICS medical, the event ended with a better than expected result. I am confident that a very high percentage of the discussions initiated there will result in concrete cooperation or orders and that we will look back on this event as an important first step in our expansion into the DACH region. If I can, I will certainly be at the event next year, where I am sure I will be able to make contacts with new manufacturers and industry players.