Medica 2012

Each year, the medical deice industry comes together in Dusseldorf at Medica.  It’s a gigantic trade show, the biggest I know, where device manufacturers from around the world meet distributors, hospitals, and agency representatives. It’s raw capitalism: no science, no instructional seminars, no market research. Just 17+ gigantic exhibit halls filled with backslapping deal-making.

And good German bratwurst.

For us, this as a chance to talk with companies sourcing products that we could improve; companies that might distribute the result.  There were luncheon discussions of business models and partnerships, afternoons exploring new monitors and interfaces.  The country-sponsored booths were delightful: it’s great to see smaller companies being brought forward with their new ideas.  There was the occasional delight of finding  a vendor with a really good insight. There was also the disappointment of one who asked for a meeting and then drifted, or of who thought they had a unique idea that was, in fact, replicated a hundred times over among the endless aisles.

It’s a vibrant and delightful industry: this show is all about the energy and creativity that it’s participants bring  to patient care.

Even if it gets a bit goofy sometimes.