SOUTHERN MEDICAL ALLIANCE AND ITS MEMBERS HERALD
MEDICA 2003 A SUCCESS
16th December 2003
Ambitious medical devices companies from South East England made the
most of the opportunity to promote their products and services on the
Southern Medical Alliance (SMa) stand at Medica 2003, held in Dusseldorf,
earlier this month. Fourteen companies and associated organisations enjoyed
international exposure with SMa at the event.
The stand, sponsored by the South East England Development Agency (SEEDA)
and UK Trade & Investment was specifically designed to showcase small
and medium-sized enterprises from the region. The four-day tradeshow attracted
over 130,000 professional visitors from the healthcare industry all over
the world. Over 3,900 exhibitors featured products and services related
to all aspects of in hospital and out patient care.
The SMa stand promoting companies from South East England was situated
in Hall 14 in the UK Pavilion, close to the Association of British Healthcare
Industries (ABHI) stand. During the course of the show, companies on the
SMa stand were able to meet the UK Consul General based in Dusseldorf,
a delegation of Chinese businessmen and representatives from the UK Department
of Health. Representatives from US, Australian and European companies
and trade associations attended a SEEDA international business networking
reception which also took place on the stand.
Companies exhibiting on the SMa stand were selected because of their
innovative products and services and their suitability to take advantage
of exporting opportunities. The companies were ACE Intermed Ltd, BMM Weston,
Docobo, Microgen Bioproducts Ltd, Novascan Ltd, ScanTrack Healthcare Systems
(UK).
ACE Intermed Ltd, represented by Business Development Director Wayne
Hine, manufacture and supply human milk pasteurisers, which are currently
being sold to Guys & St Thomas Hospitals in London. The company is
six months into the UK Trade & Investment's 'Passport to Export'
programme, so it was delighted to exhibit with SMa at Medica.
Kent-based, BMM Weston is the UK leader in manufacturing sterilizers
and is the main supplier of sterilizers to the NHS. With a strong customer
base in the UK, the company is now looking to increase its exporting capacity.
It successfully exports laundry and foundry equipment but used its opportunity
at Medica 2003 to explore the need for sterilizers in other markets.
Surrey-based, Docobo, is developing a new remote, home care monitoring
system. With project partners in Estonia, Latvia and the UK, Docobo has
completed most of the research into its new product and is ready to export
the Doc@HOME service which provides a low cost, home-based chronic disease
management solution. Adrian Flowerday, Managing Director of the UK partner
Docobo UK, commented: "Chronic disease management is a huge global
market, and Docobo's share of that market is dependant on establishing
suitable distribution channels. Being a global event, Medica 2003 puts
us in contact with distributors from all over the world and, as such,
it is vital that we have a presence. Several distribution discussions
are underway as a result of contacts made at the show."
Dan Deery who promoted Microgen Bioproducts Ltd, at Medica said: "Attending
Medica provided a valuable opportunity to meet with both current international
distributors and source other potential distributors particularly in the
Asia Pacific region. As a result of meetings held, at least one new major
distributor will be appointed."
New spin out company, Novascan Ltd, from Sussex University, exhibited
for the first time on the SMa stand. Terry Clark and Chris Harland were
at the show to explain the concept of a new technology, which will revolutionise
the measurement, and imaging of body electro physiology. They have developed
an Electric Potential Sensor (EPS) for measuring electrophysiological
signals from the human body. They used Medica 2003 to make contacts with
companies with whom they hope to work to develop the concept further.
A great deal of interest was show in the products of ScanTrack UK Ltd.
The company put together Instrument Management Systems for hospitals and
health centres. The system marks and tracks, via a user-friendly scanner,
instruments and equipment with a small 2mm square mark.
Also attending were representatives from DiagnOx, Oxford Bioscience,
Craig Medical and JBOL. Mitzi Swanson, the International Trade Adviser
for the South East focused on Healthcare Technology and funded by SEEDA
and UK Trade & Investment, was available on the SMa stand to offer
advice and on going help to assist UK South East companies in starting
or improving their export performance.
 If you would like more details about how your South East England Medical
Devices company can be involved with the SMa stand at Medica 2004, or
would like to learn more about the services SMa offers its members, please
call Andrew Gibson on +44 (0)1793 428353.
Photo caption: - (Second
from right) Andrew Gibson, Head of Southern Medical Alliance (SMa) meets
a delegation
of Chinese business
people on the Southern Medical Alliance stand at Medica 2003, D üsseldorf.
|
