Held in Singapore, the physical components of the two co-located trade exhibitions for the medical, healthcare and MedTech sectors, were a resounding success. This year, the 14th edition of MEDICAL FAIR ASIA and 5th edition of MEDICAL MANUFACTURING ASIA saw a return to the physical, large-scale format after the digital-only edition in 2020. Visitors and exhibitors were also able to engage with each other through its AI-powered business-matching system for up to seven days after the physical events had concluded, and by closing time on September 9, 36,400 online engagements were registered on the digital platform.
Gernot Ringling, Managing Director, Messe Düsseldorf Asia (MDA) - the organizer of both exhibitions, said, “The exhibitors’ and visitors’ excitement was evident on the first day of the exhibition, and the energy and activity levels stayed high for all three days. Our exhibitors and delegates were very pleased to be able to return to conducting business face to face, demonstrating that in-person interactions are at the very heart of the MICE industry and vital for the sector’s continued success. However, during the pandemic, we have learned to offer more value to our exhibitors and visitors by extending the duration of the exhibition digitally, which has attracted a significant global audience.”
More than 37% of all visitors came from outside Singapore and Southeast Asian countries were well represented. The majority of the visitors came from Malaysia, Indonesia, India, Thailand and Vietnam.
Florian Degenhardt, International Sales Manager, from WAS, a German specialist vehicles and ambulances manufacturer (exhibiting under T&K Worldwide Commerce Pte Ltd), stated: “We’ve met people from all over Asia: from India to Japan. We even had delegations from Laos and Cambodia; countries I don’t recall having strong representation at previous shows.”
Reaffirming its position as the region’s leading business-promoting platform for the healthcare and medical sector, MEDICAL FAIR ASIA 2022 hosted 19 national pavilions and country groups, including two new national pavilions from Indonesia and Latvia. According to Jadviga Neimane, Senior Project Manager, Investment and Development Agency of Latvia (LIAA) - the organizer of the Latvian pavilion: “MEDICAL FAIR ASIA has proven to be a good platform to introduce Latvian manufacturers to the Asian market and we hope to return in 2024 with a bigger booth.”
Mangasi Pasraoran Siahaan, Coordinator of Program and Evaluation, Ministry of Industry of the Republic of Indonesia, commented: “Indonesian companies have been coming to MEDICAL FAIR ASIA for many years but 2022 is the first year the Ministry of Industry has organized a pavilion to support local companies in showcasing world-class and sophisticated high-tech equipment to the rest of the region and beyond. The event has been a success and we hope to return.”
Making a successful comeback after a 4-year hiatus due to the pandemic, MEDICAL MANUFACTURING ASIA hosted 100 MedTech companies from 18 countries and regions, including national and group pavilions from Singapore, Austria, Germany, Japan and the U.S.. For many of the exhibitors, it was their first time at MEDICAL MANUFACTURING ASIA. Almost half of the 23 local MedTech companies exhibiting at the Singapore Pavilion were first-time participants.
Jointly organized by MDA and long-time partner Singapore Precision Engineering & Technology Association (SPETA), the specialist trade fair offered regional and international companies the platform to showcase their innovative next-generation products and solutions to one of the fastest growing markets in the world. The number and quality of visitors to the exhibition demonstrated the pent-up demand for manufacturing technology in the region, as local companies looked beyond the pandemic and adapting their operations to meet future requirements of the healthcare sector.
For Simon Foo, Director, Medi SG Pte Ltd, the exhibition has been “a fantastic exhibition after a hiatus of 4 years with the quality of visitors being excellent. The number of leads we have collected has exceeded our expectations.”
Gernot Ringling added, “Singapore has secured its position as a leader in the field of high-value MedTech manufacturing in the region but in more recent years we have seen some of our neighbors climbing higher up the value chain, and their manufacturers producing more sophisticated MedTech products. This growth and development in the sector make MEDICAL MANUFACTURING ASIA an ideal platform for international companies looking to enter the Asia-Pacific and ASEAN markets, as well as for regional companies wanting to expand globally.”
As the organizer of the IVAM Microtechnology Network pavilion, Dr Thomas R Dietrich, Chief Executive Officer, IVAM, said that the exhibition was a great platform for European companies to network and build contacts in Singapore: “Singapore is a good hub to do business and with the ASEAN region. We have been very surprised at how many visitors we have received and the very promising leads. We will definitely be back in 2024.”
Highlights at MEDICAL FAIR ASIA and MEDICAL MANUFACTURING ASIA 2022
Community Care Pavilion
The Community Care Pavilion, a signature showcase at MEDICAL FAIR ASIA for the last three editions, features products and solutions for non-hospital settings such as elder care facilities, nursing homes and rehabilitation centers. Since being introduced, the Community Care Pavilion has been gaining momentum and reflects the shift in recent years as Singapore puts focus on preventive and chronic care to communities. Solutions for remote monitoring, telemedicine, preventive care and the management of chronic diseases were well-represented.
The Start-Up Park
A highlight at MEDICAL FAIR ASIA was again the Start-Up Park. Southeast Asia’s openness to innovative new companies has produced a thriving start-up environment estimated to be worth US$13 Billion in 2022 and the Start-Up Park provided some of the best next-gen start-ups from the regional healthcare sector an opportunity to meet potential investors, buyers, and industry influencers.
Dr Jose Rene de Grano, President of the Private Hospital Association of the Philippines shared: “I’ve been impressed with the vibrancy of the exhibition and the (Start-Up Park) podium; I was not sure what to expect but it has turned out to be very busy. Something that stood out for me this year has been the technology, particularly the artificial intelligence (AI) and big data solutions on show.”
IVAM Marketing Prize Asia
For the first time this year, the IVAM Marketing Prize Asia was awarded at MEDICAL MANUFACTURING ASIA. The award celebrates creative and outstanding achievements in medical technology marketing by small and medium-sized companies. Six local companies were shortlisted for the prize which was awarded at the IVAM Forum.
Extensive ancillary program
The exhibits at MEDICAL FAIR ASIA and MEDICAL MANUFACTURING ASIA were complemented by a comprehensive series of industry-focused conferences, seminars, forums and workshops covering topics ranging from Sports Medicine, Wearable Technologies and Medical Devices to Community Care, Pandemic Management.
Returning for the third time was the CME (Continuing Medical Education) accredited program at MEDICAL FAIR ASIA MEDICINE+SPORTS CONFERENCE attracting healthcare professional participants from many disciplines. While the majority of speakers were onsite, this year’s conference also offered a virtual segment to enable speakers from Hong Kong to join leading international speakers from a diverse range of sports-related specialties to exchange insights on innovative approaches in prevention, training, regeneration and rehabilitation.
MEDICAL FAIR ASIA also featured the Wearable Technologies Conference for the second time to inform about the latest advances in developing and emerging technologies in the fast-moving wearable tech industry.
Kenneth Cheng, Director of Sales Asia Pacific, Nuralogix Corporation, remarked: “I had only intended to attend a couple of the presentations at the Wearable Technologies Conference, but it was so good I ended up staying until the end.”
The Paradigm Shifts in Healthcare Symposium returned for its second time with the theme of Prehabilitation & Pandemic Management in Community Health. Experts from Singapore General Hospital and Sengkang General Hospital shared their experience of the COVID-19 pandemic and their insights into some of the innovations and solutions which developed during the pandemic.
The IVAM Forum: High-Tech for Medical Devices brought together leading companies in the specialized fields of the micro- and nanotechnology sectors. Topics included modules and components for medical technology, lab-on-a-chip technology, inspection equipment and testing services as well as assembly, automation, production and process technology.
The next staging of MEDICAL FAIR ASIA and MEDICAL MANUFACTURING ASIA is scheduled from September 11 – 13, 2024 in Singapore. For further information on visiting or exhibiting at MEDICAL FAIR ASIA and MEDICAL MANUFACTURING ASIA 2024, contact Messe Düsseldorf North America; Telephone: (312) 781-5180; E-mail: info@mdna.com; Visit www.medicalfair-asia.com and www.medmanufacturing-asia.com and www.mdna.com; Follow us on twitter at http://twitter.com/mdnachicago
:
September 2022
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Press Contact:
Anne Meerboth-Maltz
Tel. (312)781-5185
Fax (312) 781-5188
E-mail: ameerboth@mdna.com
Messe Düsseldorf North America
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