2nd Virtual Edition MedtecLIVE & SUMMIT comes to an end after three days of dialogue, special highlights and high-calibre guests

Drei Tage Networking pur: Christopher Boss, Dr. Jörg Traub und Moderatorin Petra Bindl im MedtecLIVE XR-Studio. / Three days of networking at its finest: Christopher Boss, Dr Jörg Traub and moderator Petra Bindl in the MedtecLIVE XR studio.

Over the last three days, the spotlight was on intensive networking and high-quality content at MedtecLIVE & SUMMIT 2021. Exhibitors and visitors were impressed by the high quality of the presentations and the contacts they made as well as by the exclusive format: The live studio moderation and an attractive supporting programme with DJ, short exercise breaks and an evening function created an authentic event atmosphere, even if only in virtual form again this year. Around 2,000 participants networked with one another and with the around 150 exhibitors and partners at the paying event. Expert input was provided by the more than 80 high-calibre international speakers at the scientific congress MedtecSUMMIT and another 80 or so presenters at the MedtecLIVE programme, which focused on technical and practical aspects. Representatives from the political sphere included Federal Minister Jens Spahn in his capacity as patron of MedtecLIVE as well as Bavarian ministers Aiwanger and Holetschek. Registered participants can continue to access all lectures and presentations online.

“The best virtual event we have ever taken part in” – “Very well done on the organisation; not every trade fair gets this so right” – “Fantastic team and great support” – “Awesome event, professionally run”: The concept for MedtecLIVE & SUMMIT 2021 impressed participants and set new benchmarks for digital events in respect of quality and the experience factor. Live moderation, a supporting programme with quiz night, and a well-structured and intuitive networking tool ensured the best conditions for dialogue and knowledge-sharing within the entire medical technology sector. And to top it all, the community enjoyed TV-quality event moderation live from an impressive LED-XR studio for the first time.

Alongside the high-calibre programme in the trade fair and congress, all participants benefited from interdisciplinary networking among their peers. Leading medical technology experts from the fields of R&D and practical applications, and numerous policymakers, also took part in MedtecLIVE & SUMMIT.

“I am thankful to have had so much support from the industry and am extremely pleased about the high calibre of the participants and the lively discussions that resulted. The effort we put into producing this second virtual round of MedtecLIVE & SUMMIT was very much appreciated by all players,” stresses Christopher Boss, Director MedtecLIVE at NürnbergMesse. “At MedtecLIVE, the movers and shakers of the medical technology sector meet up in a genuinely exclusive setting. The event gathered the people who are driving medical technology forward in Germany and the rest of Europe, whether they are suppliers, manufacturers, clinicians or politicians. Together they had a great many discussions, underpinning the innovative capacity of the sector in the process.”

MedtecLIVE Startup Contest

One of the highlights of every MedtecLIVE is the Startup Contest in collaboration with EIT Health. This year too, highly promising young companies delivered their pitches to win the approval of the prestigious jury and professional audience. As well as attractive monetary rewards, participants could also win coaching sessions, prizes, and vouchers for an individual “company roadshow” presented by Medical Valley, as well as the opportunity to participate in MedtecLIVE 2022. In 2021, eight start-ups faced up to the challenge and presented their business ideas in the virtual space in the form of five-minute pitches. The third prize went to the start-up Kumovis, while MethinksAI came in second place and the first prize of €15,000 was won by the prosthetics start-up Amparo. The “People’s Choice Award”, which all MedtecLIVE participants are eligible to vote for, went to Visseiro.

MedtecLIVE Young Talent Award

For the first time this year, the Young Talent Award was presented at MedtecLIVE. Organised in collaboration with various partners, this award is designed for students and young professionals and acknowledges outstanding bachelor’s or master’s theses. The 2021 jury included Rainer Birkenbach (Brainlab AG), Professor Wolfgang Böcker (Medical Director Department of General, Trauma and Reconstructive Surgery at the University Hospital of Munich), Dr Filipa Campos-Viola (FSQ Experts GmbH), Professor Björn Eskofier (Friedrich Alexander University Erlangen-Nuremberg, Department of Artificial Intelligence in Biomedical Engineering) and Dr Christian Münzenmayer (Fraunhofer Institute for Integrated Circuits IIS). The jury pre-selected five papers from the around 20 submissions. The five authors were given the opportunity to present their work to the trade fair audience and jury in brief presentations. There were prizes to be won as well as individual business meetings with exhibitors and the publication of extracts of their work in a trade journal. Charlotte Pradel won the jury over with her work and her presentation of it to become the recipient of the first MedtecLIVE Young Talent Award.

MedtecLIVE programme: focs on knowledge for practical application

As well as participating in the virtual exhibition, a large proportion of exhibitors also got involved in the programme, giving participants access to a wide range of presentations, talks and pitches with specific practical application. The topics included interoperability in hospitals, laboratory automation, digital health applications, MDR compliance, international market access and many more. The round table discussions on additive manufacturing on the second day of the event put the spotlight on 3D printing in medicine. This session was developed in collaboration with the Augsburg trade fair Experience Additive Manufacturing. The third day of the fair featured a slot with presentations on the topical issue of wearables in medical technology. Exhibitors were able to give a high-speed demonstration of their expertise in 90-second elevator pitches delivered from 1 pm every day. Registered participants can continue to access all lectures and presentations online.

MedtecSUMMIT: Say yes to innovation!

The theme of this year’s MedtecSUMMIT was: Innovative – Interactive – Inspiring. In nine sessions in total, more than 80 high-calibre international speakers and partner organisations delivered sound practical input on the latest megatrends and challenges in the medical technology and health sectors. Clinical applications were also given optimal coverage for the first time thanks to collaboration with the DGOU (German Society for Orthopaedics and Trauma Surgery). Dr Jörg Traub, Director of the MedtecSUMMIT, was extremely impressed: “Thanks to the tireless dedication of all those involved, especially the event team and the speakers and moderators, trans-disciplinary knowledge-sharing and high-quality networking within the sector were possible even in the virtual format.”

The tenor of the session “Regulation: don’t hesitate, innovate” was to see the MDR not as a challenge but above all as an opportunity to thrive in the market in future. In this context, transparent communication within the company and with external partners is crucial.

In the lecture series “Innovation in Orthopaedic and Trauma Surgery”, experts from the medical, industrial and research communities presented a wide range of innovations, e.g., from the fields of intra-operative medical imaging, musculoskeletal research or virtual facial reconstruction. In this context, everyone is talking about trends like bioprinting, VR/AR, robotics. The consensus in the community is that only systematic collaboration between hospitals and the medical technology industry will drive medical innovations forward, and that ultimately, this always benefits patients. Clinical robotic systems, some of which have already made inroads into clinical practice, continue to drive innovation. The session “Clinical Robotics – Status Quo and Future Perspective” impressed the audience with manifold possibilities, from research and industry to clinical applications. Professor Thomas A. Schildhauer, Chairman of Forum MedTech Pharma, summed it up thus: “To drive the digitalisation process forward and strengthen and unite the MedTech ecosystem at a time when personal meetings are not always possible is exactly what the medical technology sector needs. In the last three days I personally made several very promising new contacts who had specific project inquiries.”

On-demand option and save the date 2022

Anyone unable to attend MedtecLIVE 2021 has the option of purchasing a reduced-price streaming ticket from the MedtecLIVE & SUMMIT ticket shop using the code STREAMMTLV21 to access all trade fair and congress presentations on demand. The next MedtecLIVE & SUMMIT is planned for 3 to 5 May 2022 at Exhibition Centre Nuremberg and will take the form of an on-site event accompanied by digital tools and features.

About MedtecLIVE & SUMMIT

The MedtecLIVE trade fair and MedtecSUMMIT Congress & Partnering event is a leading networking platform for the international medical technology scene and puts the spotlight on innovative products, solutions and services from the entire medical technology supply chain. Companies, associations and institutions come together at MedtecLIVE to make contacts, share ideas and create new innovations. At the renowned MedtecSUMMIT, manufacturers, end-users and researchers hold interdisciplinary discussions on the future developments in the sector. The congress is hosted by the Bavarian Ministry of Economic Affairs, Regional Development and Energy and is designed and executed by Bayern Innovativ GmbH. The MedTech Pharma Forum is the institutional sponsor of MedtecLIVE and MedtecSUMMIT.