MEDICA and COMPAMED – medical trade fairs provide key impetus for the sector

At Messe Düsseldorf the month of November is all about health and medical technology.
14 to 17 November 2022 will see MEDICA and COMPAMED kick off in parallel. While MEDICA as the world’s leading medical trade fair unites the whole bandwidth of medical device technology, COMPAMED presents the latest technology solutions from the upstream suppliers to the medical industry.

At this year’s MEDICA a total of well over 4,200 companies from 70 nations are expected – meaning a marked rise in attendance over last year. COMPAMED will be fully booked up: with Halls 8a and 8b hosting nearly 700 firms from 36 countries.
“The impulse generated by COMPAMED in combination with MEDICA is of huge importance for the sector. Participants from all areas of the health business especially now need orientation and a comprehensive overview of reliable and readily available supply options and alternative business partners,” explains Christian Grosser, Director Health & Medical Technologies at Messe Düsseldorf as well as Director of MEDICA.

Exciting forums to complement the trade fair programme

At COMPAMED international speakers and leading experts will present their latest trends and innovations as part of three technical forums. The COMPAMED HIGH-TECH FORUM by IVAM deals with current and new trends as well as products from the areas of novel materials, manufacturing technologies, nano-technologies and micro-system technology. At the COMPAMED SUPPLIERS FORUM by DeviceMed speakers from leading international enterprises and organisations will share current developments along the entire process chain. In addition, at the COMPAMED Innovation Forum topical medical-technology related topics will be addressed by leading experts and discussed with participants to highlight challenges and solutions and prepare the ground for the corresponding themes at COMPAMED.

The special highlights that visitors can expect to find at this year’s MEDICA are shared by Christian Grosser in the following exclusive interview:

Editor: What innovations are we in for?

Christian Grosser (CG): “Basically, MEDICA highlights innovations for the entire in and out-patient treatment workflow. This means everything needed in doctors’ surgeries or hospitals is covered by exhibitors’ displays while providing “food for talk” at the integrated Expert Forums and accompanying Conferences – with the exception of medical drugs because MEDICA is not a pharmaceutical trade fair. The spectrum of novel products ranges from lab diagnostics and such electro-medical processes as imaging, IT for doctors’ surgeries and clinics to physiotherapy or even orthopaedic technology. In particularly high demand at present in view of the pandemic are mobile health applications (for tele-medicine treatments) and laboratory-medicine innovations for so-called point-of-care diagnostics. One long-running topic, however, is also sure to feature – the use of Artificial Intelligence in Medicine. This can assist physicians in diagnosis through integration in medical imaging and in treatment such as computer-assisted surgery but is also used for billing medical services.”

What new formats are available for networking and information?

CG: “In exhibition hall 4 the MEDICA SPORTS HUB will celebrate its debut on an activity area surrounded by the physiotherapy and orthopaedic technology segments; on all days of the trade fair visitors are invited here to train and enter into dialogue with some of the most successful sportspeople in German history: Sven Hannawald (Olympic and multiple ski-jumping World Champion), Lars Riedel (Olympic and multiple discus throwing World Champion), Heike Henkel (Olympic Champion, World Champion and World Record Holder in High Jumping), Florian Mennigen (Olympic Champion and multiple World Champion in Rowing Eights) as well as Jörg Roßkopf (Olympic Silver and Bronze Medal Winner as well as World and European Champion in Table Tennis) are the protagonists of the high-calibre programme. Every half hour keynote speeches, roundtables and physical join-in exercises are planned to alternate between 11.00 am and 4.00 pm on every day of the trade fair. Themes covered range from mental health and nutrition to team success and fitness in old age or aspects of corporate health promotion. With our MEDICA SPORTS HUB we are showing why face-to-face trade fairs are so special. Only those coming to Düsseldorf will have the opportunity to meet and pose their questions to top stars from the world of sports live and direct.”

In line with our hybrid event concept, we have also launched another new format: MEDICA DEEP DIVE – digital, moderated roundtable discussions in English. In the run-up to the trade fair, they will pick up on and enhance relevant trending topics with expert knowledge in compact 45-minute sessions on different focal themes on three days. We regard this format as a foretaste and “warm-up” in the run-up to the trade fair and the trade fair visit proper.

Why is Düsseldorf a top location for start-ups from the medical industry?

CG: “With the MEDICA START-UP PARK MEDICA – long before its international competitors – has given starts-up a stage which again saw more than 40 teams of developers from all over the world participate this year despite the very challenging circumstances for start-ups (issues like the pandemic, supply chain issues and the energy crisis). With the MEDICA Start-up COMPETITION and the Healthcare Innovation World Cup there is not one but two “unofficial world championships” for start-ups, held in the form of Elevator Pitches on the programme stage of the MEDICA CONNECTED HEALTHCARE FORUM (in Hall 12). Furthermore, start-ups are also to be found on many international group stands – adding up to several hundred at MEDICA. MEDICA in Düsseldorf is the place to meet potential investors, initiate cooperations for production or distribution with bigger suppliers as well as obtain valuable input for the further development of your product ideas from medical expert users.”

So if we have made you curious about the varied and innovative programme of MEDICA and COMPAMED you can still secure Tickets for both trade fairs here.