With its largest edition to date, the concurrent staging of MEDICAL FAIR ASIA and MEDICAL MANUFACTURING ASIA 2018 in Singapore was a resounding success: more than  14,000 trade visitors from 72 countries took part in MEDICAL FAIR ASIA  - a 16 percent increase compared to 2016, while  MEDICAL MANUFACTURING ASIA 2018 registered some 6,000 visitors from 56 nations – a 12 percent growth from two years ago.

While 40 percent of the visitors came from outside Singapore, the majority were from Asia with neighboring ASEAN countries particularly well represented.

A total of 1,220 exhibitors from 62 countries showcased their innovations.

MEDICAL FAIR ASIA and MEDICAL MANUFACTURING ASIA are part of Messe Düsseldorf’s  MEDICAlliance network of medical trade fairs organized worldwide, including the No. 1 international event for the medical sector – MEDICA, held annually in Düsseldorf, Germany.

Confirming its position as the region’s leading business platform for the healthcare and medical sector, MEDICAL FAIR ASIA 2018 featured 23 national pavilions and country group exhibits – more than ever before.

The Shvabe Group was part of the Russian Pavilion and according to its Managing Director and Chairman, John T.C. McGough, the company was very pleased with their participation and made many useful contacts with potential distributors.

He said, “Asia is the future and this is where growth will be in the next decade. Singapore, with its strategic locale, is the gateway to the region and we will definitely be back in 2020 with a bigger booth.”

The Russian Pavilion was among the nine new country pavilions at MEDICAL FAIR ASIA 2018.

The positive market outlook for the medical and MedTech sectors was well-reflected by the number of high-quality visitors seeking cutting-edge solutions among the more than 10,000 products showcased at the exhibition, ranging from medical manufacturing processes and machinery to finished products and components. 

According to Huang Tinlan, FREE Bionics Group’s Head of Business Development, the new Community Care zone was the perfect location for their first time participation at MEDICAL FAIR ASIA: “At this exhibition, we made new contacts, including doctors and therapists from rehabilitation centers as well as neurological departments from Mount Elizabeth Hospital, Tan Tock Seng and Sengkang General Hospitals. The event was a good platform to present our products and we will definitely be back in 2020.”

New technology and digital health solutions were big draws at both exhibitions, with the new Start-up Park gaining much interest as a dedicated showcase for young companies to present themselves to top decision makers and seek potential investors.

For Dr. Anand Govindaluri, Founder and Managing Director of Govin Capital Pte Ltd, the Start-Up Park was an ideal setting to listen to new product pitches and see digital health solutions up close: “This is my first visit to MEDICAL FAIR ASIA and I am particularly impressed by the Start-Up Park concept and Future for Health (FTR4H) digital health lounge.”  

At MEDICAL MANUFACTURING ASIA 2018, companies with new innovation approaches also took center stage, which was underlined in the opening speech by Dr. Koh Poh Koon, Senior Minister of State for Trade and Industry. He emphasized the growing trend of medical technology companies moving up the value chain and the need for new a methods and greater collaboration.

Long-time exhibitor AMT Pte Ltd, experienced the development of MEDICAL MANUFACTURING ASIA  over the years: “The exhibition has been improving over the years and visitor traffic is much better now than before with even more quality visitors who are knowledgeable about the products on the show floor,” said  Marketing Director Mr. Zulkefli Zainal.

Strengthening their positions as sourcing and procurement platforms, both exhibitions welcomed visiting delegations and VIP buyers from Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, and Vietnam. Dr. Prapa Wongphaet, Director, S. Medical Enterprise Co Ltd, who led the Thai Medical and Wellness Tourism Association delegation, was impressed by the isolation tank from a UK-based company: “This is the first time we have seen something like this and it is exactly what we need. We can now use this tank to isolate patients in case of an epidemic. Visiting the exhibition with my team gave us a lot of information and I am excited to bring these best practices back to our hospital.”. 

“The exhibition was vibrant with a lot of interaction between exhibitors and visitors on the show floors. It is trade fairs like these that benefit the industry as they pave the way for people to meet and discuss business,” added Mr Christophe Marque, Chairman of the Association of Malaysian Medical Industries.

For Swiss machining solutions manufacturer Willemin-Macodel SA, MEDICAL MANUFACTURING ASIA 2018 proved to be the ideal gateway to introduce their manufacturing solutions to the Southeast Asian market. “Although this is our first time here, the response has been very good and we have been busy with many requests looking for medical manufacturing solutions in Malaysia, Indonesia and even high-precision manufacturing parts from Singapore,” commented Mr Philippe Zürcher, Head of Business Development.

Ancillary program complements the exhibitions

Complementing MEDICAL FAIR ASIA and MEDICAL MANUFACTURING ASIA 2018 were a series of industry-focused conferences, seminars and workshops covering a wide array of topics such as sports medicine, wearable technologies, robotic surgery, community care and MedTech. These events attracted 700 international attendees.

   The next concurrent staging of MEDICAL FAIR ASIA and MEDICAL MANUFACTURING ASIA will take place from September 9 – 11, 2020 at the Marina Bay Sands in Singapore.