50% of the world’s medical technologies purchasing power in Ireland today for Med in Ireland conference – Minister Bruton

Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Richard Bruton, T.D. today (Wednesday) opened the Enterprise Ireland Med in Ireland Conference 2013.

The attendees include 340 buyers from medical technology companies, including the global top 10 who represent 50% of the world’s med tech purchasing power today at the Convention Centre, Dublin.

Opening the conference Minister Bruton said: “Medical technologies is a sector targeted as part of the Government’s Action Plan for Jobs, and it is crucial that we not only pursue further multinational investment in this sector but also provide support for the growing number of Irish companies in this area. Irish life-sciences companies employ 6,700 people, up 42% since 2006, and through our plan we are putting in place measures to grow this further”.

“Today Enterprise Ireland has brought many of the world’s leading medical technologies buyers, including companies representing over 50% of the world’s purchasing power in this sector, to Ireland to see the quality of the products and services offered by Irish companies. I am quite sure that our high-performing companies will be well placed to take full advantage of this opportunity, and wish them every success with their efforts.

Speaking to the 800+ international guests attending the event, Julie Sinnamon, CEO Designate Enterprise Ireland pointed out that sales in the Irish life-sciences sector now exceed €1BN.

“As a small country, Ireland has been able to bring together highly innovative indigenous companies, large well-established FDI multinationals, a continually developing world-class research base and strong links with the clinical community to create this rich and convergent landscape with world-class expertise across key sectors such as biopharma, medtech and ICT”, she said.

“This ‘cohesiveness’ is now a key competitive strength internationally and Enterprise Ireland has organised Med in Ireland 2013 to capitalise on this and facilitate new strategic partnerships between Irish and international companies” said Sinnamon.
Minister Bruton also officially opened the technology exhibition where the majority of the business will take place. 81 Irish companies are showcasing their products and services to international buyers and engaging in 1,200 one-to-one partnership meetings scheduled by Enterprise Ireland with a view to doing business.

These meetings are building on progress made during 150 site visits to Irish med tech companies which took place in recent days.

Global challenges facing the healthcare sector will be discussed by speakers including Michael Mussallem, Chairman and CEO, Edwards Lifesciences; John Dineen, President and CEO, GE Healthcare; Wolfgang Hofmann, Senior Vice President, Fresenius Medical Care; and Dr Ibtesam Albastaki, Health Operations Director, Dubai Health Authority.
A clinical seminar with speakers from the renowned Cleveland Clinic in the United States and their peers from Irish hospitals will explore how medical innovations are changing the practice of healthcare and improving patient quality of life.

The afternoon session will focus on global trends in medical technology. Speakers include Ian Purdy, Vice President, Global Medical Device Regulatory and Quality Compliance at Thermo Fisher Scientific; Benjamin Sarda, Head of Marketing of Orange Healthcare in France; and Marie K. O’Malley, Senior Director of Supply Management, Medtronic CardioVascular, in the United States.

Minister Bruton is due to present the Enterprise Ireland, Cleveland Clinic Clinical Innovation Award at 10a.m.

The 2013 finalists are:
Dermot Kenny, Professor of Cardiovascular Biology, Beaumont Hospital and Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland.
Selected as a finalist for his work to develop a diagnostic for Cardiovascular disease using platelet ‘stickiness’.

Julia O’Rourke, Speech and Language Therapist, Adelaide and Meath Hospital in association with Dublin City University.
Selected as a finalist for developing a reminiscence therapy for Alzheimer’s sufferers.

Mr. Sherif Sultan, Consultant Vascular and Endovascular Surgeon, University Hospital Galway, NUI Galway, the Galway Clinic and the RCSI.
Selected as a finalist for his work on stem cell treatment of vascular disease.

The Clinical Innovation Award was jointly initiated by Enterprise Ireland and Cleveland Clinic, USA to recognise the importance of clinical innovation in Ireland. The purpose of the award is to tap in to Ireland’s clinical community with a view to developing new healthcare products and services that will improve patient care and benefit both the health care system and Ireland’s medical technologies sector.