MEDICA 2024 and COMPAMED 2024 Showcase Latest Healthcare Trends with Exciting Innovations and Program Formats

Last year, MEDICA and COMPAMED recorded a total of 83,000 visiting professionals from more than 160 countries. This year, 5,800 exhibitors from 72 countries are filling the entire hall space on the trade fair grounds. Their innovations highlight both events as globally unique information and business platforms serving the entire medical equipment supply chain – including manufacture and development.

An important new development this year is the themed hall selections in the MEDICA Med Tech & Devices and Digital Health areas, known as “spheres”, with the accompanying German Hospital Conference being held at a new location. To date, the flagship event for top managers of German hospitals was held at the Congress Center Düsseldorf; now it has been moved to the center of the trade fair in Hall 12. To get proceedings started, the North Rhine-Westphalian Minister of Health Karl-Josef Laumann is speaking to the delegates, focusing in particular on the changes in the German hospital landscape stemming from upcoming hospital reform. All around the event space, exhibiting organizations that fit the theme are grouped together, showcasing innovative developments for hospital equipment and operating theatres.

The world of experience Digital Health in Hall 13 also has some political relevance, for instance, the MEDICA ECON FORUM (health policy and economics in the context of digital transformation in healthcare. In addition, all the latest IT trends and digital innovations are hot topics for discussion. This is reflected in the program of events at the MEDICA HEALTH IT FORUM, the MEDICA INNOVATION FORUM as well as the Hospital of the Future special presentation (innovations around digital infrastructure in hospitals and data use, as demonstrated by the example of intensive care), the Wearable Technologies Show (high-tech products worn on the body) and the MEDICA START-UP PARK (a central hub for networking with the digitally powered start-up scene).

The MEDICA INNOVATION FORUM is also spotlighting high-flying women in the sector. The panel discussion titled “Together we thrive” features women who have been highly successful in the healthcare industry in various management positions, whether in large organizations or the dynamic start-up sector, making them ideal discussion partners with a wealth of experience. Among the panelists are Hadas Bitran, Partner General Manager, Health AI (Microsoft Health and Life Sciences), Ayelén Fernández, Global Orthotics & Prosthetics Segment Manager (HP), Audrey A. Sherman, Division Scientist (Solventum; previously 3M Healthcare) and Nina Wöss, Managing Partner (Female Founders).

The additional hot topics on stage at MEDICA 2024’s accompanying forums and conferences include current examples of applications for AI and robotics as well as assistance systems in day-to-day medical practice. Another area of focus is the increasing connectivity in healthcare provision, specifically on innovations for the point of care: diagnostics and treatment in the immediate vicinity of patients (usually outpatients). This includes telemedicine applications aimed at providing the best possible collaboration across sectors by all those involved in the treatment process. Another top issue at this year’s MEDICA is the urgent skills shortage. This is impacting almost all organizations in the healthcare sector, leading them to search for solutions. These solutions are being discussed in a focused manner at the individual forums and conferences – for example, from the particular perspective of laboratory medicine at the MEDICA LABMED FORUM (in Hall 1).

At MEDICA 2024, there are five spheres promising a wide variety of innovations for the treatment of outpatients and clinical use. These include robotic applications to support highly complex neurosurgical brain interventions as well as orthopedic operations (including hip implants), plus a novel drive system that can be fitted into most hospital beds. The drive system works like that of an e-bike and significantly eases the workload for staff at healthcare facilities during patient transport. Another new solution on show is a medically certified smartwatch for easy measurement of wrist blood pressure. The spheres at the trade fair are: Lab & Diagnostics, Med Tech & Devices, Disposables, Physio Tech and Digital Health.

This year at MEDICA, the Automotive Health special exhibition area has been created as a pop-up novelty. Nowadays, a number of sensors and functions can be built into cars to enable safe and healthy driving. Fatigue detection systems, which are already commonplace, are just one example. And there is a whole host of other possible features to examine health-relevant data measured from motorists and identify risk factors that could result in emergencies and potentially serious accidents. At the special exhibition area in Hall 12, the Innovation Institute is demonstrating its proven expertise in the field, exhibiting vehicles such as the VW ID.4, the VW Tiguan and a vintage Melkus sports car as well as a racing simulator. The institute’s key customers include Audi, Mercedes, Porsche and Volkswagen.

Halls 8a and 8b is also offering specialist knowledge in development. At COMPAMED 2024, 750 supplier organizations are exhibiting across five world spheres: Manufacturing & Devices (e.g., components, parts, manufacturing processes), Services & Advice (e.g., research, development, services), Materials (e.g., plastics, glass, ceramics, metals, composite materials, adhesives, packaging), Micro Tech (such as microcomponents and microfluidics) as well as IT in Tech (software development and maintenance for medical technology). Offering a specialized program of accompanying events, the COMPAMED HIGH-TECH FORUM and COMPAMED SUPPLIERS FORUM reflect leading topics within the supplier sector such as AI, robotics and automation, microtechnology developments, and material innovations.

It is not only in the exhibition halls that new developments are being highlighted in greater detail. Messe Düsseldorf’s new Trade Talk Today video podcast, which can be viewed on the home pages of the industry portals MEDICA.de and COMPAMED.de, is sharing important updates on innovations and event highlights, allowing visitors to start every day of the trade fair on schedule. Movers and shakers are offering their insights as well as contextualizing industry trends. In the run-up to the events, the new MEDICA AI Buddy is already hard at work. The virtual assistant is on hand to help all potential and registered visitors plan a particularly impactful trade fair visit. Attendees wishing to benefit from its support can find the AI Buddy on the home page of the MEDICA online portal as well as integrated into the MEDICA app.

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