Wednesday, October 10, 2018
Well over 700 healthcare leaders gathered today at the Suntec International Convention and Exhibition Centre in Singapore for the fourth annual Asia Pacific MedTech Forum, organised by the Asia Pacific Medical Technology Association (APACMed). APACMed is the regional trade association for the medical devices and in vitro diagnostics industry.
This year’s Forum was the largest and most diverse to date, bringing together global and regional leaders of medical device manufacturers along with senior hospital executives, policy-makers, regulators, government representatives and clinicians to exchange learnings and solutions to advance the sector for the benefits of patients in Asia.
In recognition of the evolving MedTech ecosystem, this year’s Forum focused on the convergence of healthcare with technology and how the industry can deliver more effective, technology-enabled care for the benefit of all patients across Asia Pacific. APACMed, as the regional industry platform, convene established healthcare leaders along with newer players in the MedTech space, including technology companies, payers, start-ups, SMEs, innovators and investors.
Global leaders from companies including IBM, Huawei, McLaren Applied Technologies; member organisations – Becton Dickinson, Johnson & Johnson, Medtronic, Stryker and NGO Médecins Sans Frontières shared insights on emerging technologies and healthcare delivery models which can leverage innovation to empower patients. Experts also shared their insights on how innovation can accelerate growth and market access for small businesses, aiming to equip the next generation of medical technology innovators.
A highlight of this year’s Forum was the announcement of MedTech Innovator Asia, a programme which aims to accelerate the growth of promising medical device, digital health and diagnostic start-ups in the region. MedTech Innovator is a non-profit accelerator that identifies start-ups through annual competitions and supports them through mentorship and funding. Competitions have been held in the US and Europe for the past six years, with leading healthcare companies including Baxter, Becton Dickinson, Johnson & Johnson, as application reviewers, mentors, and judges. Connected with the same vision, APACMed will partner with MedTech Innovator to launch the first competition in Asia in 2019, combining the rich expertise of both platforms and expanding the network to connect more disrupters with investors.
Fredrik Nyberg, Chief Executive Officer, APACMed said “At a time when the burdens on Asia’s healthcare systems are increasing, and affordability for healthcare remains a challenge, we look to innovative technologies with confidence to improve patient outcomes as well as bring overall healthcare costs down. The many discussions in the Forum for the past two days delivered a clear message that disruptive forces and technologies continue to shape the way we think, we operate, and we care. As a unique platform bringing together the various MedTech industry stakeholders, we are also excited to have launched the first MedTech Innovator Competition in Asia. The accelerator programme will help elevate exciting innovations emerging from Asian MedTech start-ups and transform patients’ lives for better.”
About the Asia Pacific Medical Technology Association:
Founded in 2014, the Asia Pacific Medical Technology Association is the first and only regional association to provide a unified voice for the medical technology industry in Asia Pacific. APACMed works proactively with bilateral, regional and local government bodies to shape policies, demonstrate the value of innovation and promote regulatory harmonisation. APACMed engages with medical device associations and companies in Asia Pacific to jointly advance regional issues, code of ethics and share best practices.
Learn more about the association at www.apacmed.org
For further information, please contact:
Emilie Rapley Mills
Asia Pacific Medical Technology Association
+65 6816 3180
erapley@apacmed.org
Tianning He / Clarinda Ng / Lucia Goh
Spurwing Communications
+65 6340 7287
apacmed@spurwingcomms.com
