A NOTE FROM THE EDITOR
Innovation Has the Floor at MEDTEC
In today's highly competitive marketplace, innovation can be a condition of survival. According to industry estimates, a novel medical device retained a dominant share of the marketplace for an average of just three years in the 1990s. As the pace of technology continues to accelerate, that figure will almost certainly shrink in the decade ahead. Now more than ever, device OEMs cannot afford to neglect developments in materials and components, evolving manufacturing options, and changing regulatory guidelines that will have an impact on product design, manufacture, and distribution.
Which brings me—and I hope you—to MEDTEC. The Medical Equipment Design & Technology Exhibition & Conference returns for a third year to Amsterdam's RAI International Exhibition and Congress Centre on 21–23 September.
The event has grown–more than 200 exhibitors will be on the show floor and dozens of industry experts will share insights on topics ranging from medical-grade materials to risk management during the two-day conference—but its purpose remains unchanged. Show producer Canon Communications LLC, which publishes EMDM, has maintained its commitment to the organization of an event where device OEMs operating within the single market can acquire the tools and information that they need to succeed. Many of Europe's principal trade associations for medical device manufacturers, from the UK Association of British Health-Care Industries to Belgium's UNAMEC, have endorsed MEDTEC as a valuable industry resource. Philippe Rouard of the French association Accessoires, Pansements, Petit Appareillage à Usage Medical summed it up nicely: "We support MEDTEC's aim of becoming a forum for all of Europe's medical manufacturers to meet suppliers, evaluate new materials, and learn about innovation."
You will find plenty of other, more-specific reasons to attend MEDTEC in this month's edition of EMDM. This issue's MEDTEC Preview includes a sampling of the hundreds of industry-specific products and services that will be presented at the show; information on the subcontracting, electronics, and injection moulding and plastics processing pavilions; updates on some of the special activities that are planned (including an opportunity to win tickets to the EURO 2000 finals!); and details on several conference sessions.
I also invite you to visit the show's dedicated Web site, http://www.medtecshow.com, for comprehensive up-to-the-minute show-related news and exhibitor information. The contents can be viewed in English, French, and German, and online registration is available.
While you're at the show, don't forget to stop by the Canon publications stand and pick up an entry form for the Medical Design Excellence Awards. Since its inception in 1998, the programme has recognized innovations in the design and engineering of finished medical devices and packaging. The entry deadline for the 2000 MDEA competition, which is open to all products that are commercially available, is 20 December. The awards will be distributed during the Medical Design & Manufacturing Conference & Exposition in New York City on 6–8 June 2000. For more information about this programme, ask a member of the Canon staff at the stand, visit http://www.MDEAwards.com, phone +1 310 4454200, or fax +1 310 4454299.
See you in Amsterdam!
Norbert Sparrow
