MedTech in Germany
With the coming COMPAMED 2023 coming in less than a month, Germany is once again showing its reputation as one of the largest medical technology hubs in Europe and all over the world.
Healthcare and Medical Technology in Germany
Germany is the largest MedTech market in Europe, surpassing France by twofold and Italy, the UK, and Spain by threefold. It ranks as the third-largest globally, after the US and Japan. The German medical device industry is one of the most profitable in the world, generating approximately USD 35.8 billion annually, accounting for 25.6% of the European market(International Trade Administration).
Germany has a strong healthcare system, with excellent hospital infrastructure, extensive facilities, and highly skilled personnel. The healthcare sector employs one in six people, contributing EUR 678.2 billion (USD 798 billion), around 12% of the country’s GDP. With approximately 1,200 manufacturers employing 130,500 people, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) dominate the German MedTech market, with 93% of companies employing fewer than 250 people. These MedTech clusters support SMEs by providing access to networks that promote growth, collaboration, and R&D sharing, driving innovation and encouraging new business formation.
The healthcare and life sciences sector accounts for 8.3% of Germany’s total exports, generating EUR 131.2 billion (USD 154.4 billion) in sales abroad (BMWK). Fitch Solutions projects the German medical equipment market will grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 5.1% in euro terms and 6.8% in USD terms between 2020 and 2025. Due to its central location, Germany is well-positioned for export, with 41% of medical technology exports directed to EU countries and 10% to other European nations. Additionally, 18% of exports are sent to Asia and North America.
Germany’s advanced research facilities have significantly enhanced the scope and quality of MedTech innovation. The country supports this further through substantial state-backed R&D funding, including grants, interest-free loans, and specialised cooperation programmes. Key growth drivers include the digitisation of healthcare and the Hospital Future Act, which allocates funding to address the significant investment backlog in the hospital market. This law, introduced in October 2020, provided EUR 3 billion (USD 3.5 billion) in federal funding and an additional EUR 1.3 billion (USD 1.5 billion) in state funding to modernise and digitise the hospital system. In addition to government research grants, medical device companies can access funding from the Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau (KfW). Germany also promotes innovation through clustering initiatives like the go-cluster and European Cluster Excellence Initiative, encouraging businesses to integrate into over 100 innovation clusters nationwide.
Photo: Micro Systems team at COMPAMED 2022.
Innovation in Medical Technology in Germany
One of the main drivers for the growth of MedTech in Germany is innovation. Germany has about 1,400 patent applications, which is more than twofold over the 2nd most innovative country in the EU, making Germany the leading MedTech patent applications at the European Patent Office (EPO) in 2021. Within all German industries, MedTech is the most innovative sector, with 15,321 patent applications at the EPO (Germany Trade and Invest).
As the number of Germans aged 65 and over is projected to reach 24 million by 2035, representing one-third of the population, with those aged over 50 making up at least half, digital health startups in Germany are increasingly focusing on the “silver economy.” These startups are developing medical devices aimed at improving the quality of life for the ageing population. Geriatric medicine is practised in nearly 400 departments and institutions across Germany, and since 2003, pre-graduate medical education has mandated instruction on ageing and elderly care. Much of the geriatric medical technology developed today centres on devices designed to alert caregivers when elderly patients require assistance.
COMPAMED 2023
Micro Systems is once again bringing its latest technology and experts in medical moulds and injection moulding to exhibit at Compamed 2023!
COMPAMED is one of the biggest international trade shows for the medical technology supply industry, held in Düsseldorf. For medical businesses, the trade show provides a wide array of premium medical technology parts, services, and manufacturing equipment. About 800 exhibitors showcase the most recent advancements in the following fields in the exhibition halls: components, modules, OEM equipment, electrical and electronic components, microtechnology, raw materials, materials and adhesives, manufacturing of components, manufacturing of finished products, services, and manufacturing equipment.
We will see you at Booth F35.3, MESSE, Düsseldorf, Germany on 13 – 16th November, 2023! Contact us to schedule a meeting or to get to know more about how we can help your medical mould and injection moulding projects!
Get your COMPAMED 2023 ticket today!
