The "MEDICA 2017" exhibition, the world's largest medical equipment trade fair, took place from November 13th to 16th in Dusseldorf, Germany. This event, held for over 40 years, serves as a gateway to expand into the European medical equipment market and is an excellent platform for engaging with global medical equipment industry buyers. The Taiwan External Trade Development Council (TAITRA) organized a group of 75 manufacturers to exhibit and set up a "Taiwan Excellence in Innovative Medical Materials" zone. Additionally, many Taiwanese companies participated independently, with a total of 220 Taiwanese exhibitors present.
This year, MEDICA and its accompanying exhibition "COMPAMED" for medical materials and components featured 6,876 professional medical equipment manufacturers from 69 countries worldwide.
The Bureau of Foreign Trade (BOFT) integrated efforts from various departments, assisting the Taiwan Medical and Biotech Device Industry Association in advertising. It also collaborated with the Ministry of Economic Affairs' Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Industries Promotion Office to host the "2017 MEDICA Taiwan Excellence and Taiwan Biotech Innovation Medical Materials Presentation" on the first day of the exhibition. The event highlighted Taiwan's innovative surgical techniques, drawing the participation of over 20 media outlets from Germany, the United States, Hungary, and more, as well as over 60 global medical media and buyers.
During the press conference, the most impressive product was the world's first surgical head-mounted display presented by SURGLASSES This device utilizes MR mixed reality technology to display X-ray images in real-time before the eyes of the surgeon, significantly reducing surgery time by over 30%.
Exhibitors at the Taiwan Pavilion, organized by the Taiwan External Trade Development Council (TAITRA), showcased various medical instruments and equipment. Thanks to their excellent quality and product stability, they garnered the attention of buyers from various countries. Particularly noteworthy was the integration of Taiwan's other advantageous industries, including ICT, semiconductors, displays, precision metal processing, and data computing, to develop highly promising advanced imaging products, testing and care equipment, and systems.
For example, Taiwan Bone King's smart medical eyeglasses, making their debut at the exhibition, combine mixed reality (MR) 3D X-ray imaging. This innovation allows intraoperative images to be overlaid onto the glasses, eliminating the need for surgeons to look up at X-ray images before proceeding with surgery. This advancement enables more precise surgeries, reduces surgical time effectively, minimizes the risk of patient blood loss, and has already been applied in cooperation with Show Chwan Memorial Hospital across various surgeries. Another example is Sonic Power Technology's ultrasound probes, which are compatible with specifications from multiple brands, with their developed probe testing equipment being indispensable for major brands.
MedicalTek Co. Ltd. and EPED INC. are both "Taiwan Excellence" manufacturers. The former converts 2D endoscopic images into 3D through its computing equipment, while the latter combines optical guidance technology with computed tomography to develop surgical navigation systems. These advancements enhance the precision of surgeries. Moreover, the surgical navigation system from 醫百科技 can be widely applied in minimally invasive surgeries across various disciplines such as dentistry, neurosurgery, craniofacial surgery, otolaryngology, plastic surgery, and medical aesthetics.
Furthermore, companies like LI-XIN TECHNOLOGY CORPORATIONmarket skin and beauty analyzers under the "LIFETRONS" brand, establishing themselves as renowned brands in the field of beauty appliances. Other examples include industrial computer giant IEI Integration actively developing peripheral equipment for medical information systems, and PVC pipe manufacturer JIEH-MING PLASTICS MFG. CO., LTD. producing various medical catheters, exemplifying the upgrading of traditional industries.
The widespread use of big data and AI, combined with digital medicine, mobile devices, and integrated systems, has become a major trend in the medical equipment industry. Nearly half of this year's exhibitors at MEDICA are such entities. Additionally, the rising global trend of sports has made sports medical technology one of the themes this year.
During the exhibition, numerous forums and seminars were organized focusing on these two themes. This year, the organizers also introduced the "MEDICA START-UP PARK," a dedicated area for showcasing and matching investment opportunities for startups in smart healthcare.
According to the organizers, apart from the host country Germany (with 1,224 exhibitors), the top 10 overseas exhibitor countries in order were China, the United States, Italy, France, the United Kingdom, South Korea, Taiwan, Japan, Switzerland, and Turkey. This year's MEDICA exhibition is scheduled to run until the 16th and is expected to attract over 120,000 buyers from more than 130 countries worldwide.
To assist Taiwanese medical equipment manufacturers in expanding into overseas markets, the Taiwan External Trade Development Council (TAITRA) not only continues to organize groups to participate in this exhibition but also plans to participate in the "Medical Japan Exhibition" in February, the "Medical Design & Manufacturing (MD&M) West" in Orlando, USA in July, and the "Vietnam Medi-Pharm Expo" in Ho Chi Minh City in September next year. Interested companies are welcome to register, and further details can be found at http://mk.taiwantrade.com.tw.
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