MEDICA and ComPaMED 2006: World's Largest Trade Fair for Medicine Fit as a Fiddle in Düsseldorf

4,600 exhibitors from 65 nations

MEDICA, the world’s largest trade fair for medicine and ComPaMED, the leading international trade fair for the supplier market of the medical manufacturing sector, present themselves in excellent health during the events next week in Düsseldorf. Registrations for MEDICA, the 38th World Forum for Medicine – International Trade Fair and Congress (15 to 18 November 2006, ComPaMED: 15 to 17 November 2006), have slightly improved the top results of previous year’s event with more than 4,200 exhibitors from 65 nations. This trend also applies to ComPaMED, with approximately 320 exhibitors from 25 countries. The front-runner position of the two events is also confirmed by the high level of international participation. Two thirds of all exhibitors at MEDICA and ComPaMED are not from Germany. “After Germany, the largest space reservations come from Italy and Great Britain, followed by China and the USA,” Horst Giesen, Project Director for MEDICA and ComPaMED, emphasised the even geographic distribution of exhibitor demand at a press conference.

In particular the German suppliers of medical technology and products are looking forward to MEDICA with anticipation and hope for smooth sailing as far as their business is concerned. They are sure to benefit also from the high numbers of international visitors to MEDICA. In 2005, approximately 40 percent of the 137,122 trade visitors came from abroad.
All in all, the industry’s assessment is mainly optimistic, according to current information supplied by the industry associations SPECTARIS and ZVEI. For 2006, additional sales of 11 percent, adding up to € 16.3 billion, are expected, while domestic business – because of the parameters of the healthcare policy - is posting disproportionately slower growth (plus 3 percent / € 5.7 billion) than the strong international business (plus 16 percent /€ 10.6 billion). According to the Federal Statistical Office, the number of employees in the medical technology sector is currently 111,000. In the current fall survey conducted by the Bundesverband Medizintechnologie BVMed [Federal Association for Medical Technology], 46 percent of the 118 surveyed companies reported to have increased the number of jobs as compared to the previous year.
Overall Offer Range – Clear and Compact Structure
MEDICA will present the complete offer range for in-patent and out-patient care: from laboratory technology and diagnostics, physiotherapy products and single-use products, electromedical equipment and medical technology, as well as information and communication technology for health care organisations to furnishing and the topic of facility management.
In addition to the products and services offered by the exhibitors and at the special exhibitions, e.g. MEDICA MEDIA (telemedicine), MEDICA meet.IT (IT systems) or the Physiotherapy Forum, the attractive focus areas at MEDICA also include the MEDCIA Congress. The Congress offers approximately 200 seminars and courses and spans across topics from prevention to rehabilitation, from natural healing methods to high-tech medicine, from modern diagnostics to targeted treatment approaches. The German Hospital Conference, a further module of MEDICA, is held this year under the heading, “Competition and Performance Orientation – the Future of Hospitals.” 
“MEDICA focuses on the results of top-level research as contributions to efficient and effective medical care,” points out Project Director Horst Giesen and brings the broad topic range of MEDICA into context with the current healthcare debates about financing of care services.
MEDICA Opening: Schavan honours German Researchers
As early as the MEDCIA opening ceremony on 14 November at the Congress Center Düsseldorf, participants will learn about the capabilities of the German research sector. On occasion of the MEDCIA opening, Dr. Annette Schavan, Federal Minister for Education and Research, will present and honour this year’s winners of the innovation competition to advance medical technology. The special show MEDICA VISION in hall 3 provides information on the award winners and their projects during MEDICA 2006.
Medical experts are also looking forward to ComPaMED, held concurrently with MEDICA in hall 8a (duration: 15. to 17 November). As far as the offers of the suppliers for the medical manufacturing sector are concerned, the trend towards miniaturisation of the components and system components for use in medical technology continues unabatedly. The Fachverband Mikrotechnik IVAM [Micro-technology Association] picks up the topic under the heading “Hightech for Medical Devices” and – based on the positive visitor response from the previous years - has again coordinated a forum in connection with ComPaMED on the possibilities of nano-technology and micro-system technology. This is supplemented by a shared stand of the IVAM members, who will display their products and services.