This month, I will join a large group of representatives from Wales' life sciences sector at MEDICA in Dusseldorf, the international trade fair for medical technology and healthcare, writes Rebecca Evans MS, Welsh Government Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Energy and Planning.
MEDICA is one of the biggest overseas events in the Welsh Government’s overseas trade events calendar, both in terms of exhibitor and visitor numbers.
With over 5,300 exhibitors from almost 70 countries and 83,000 visitors, it is one of the largest medical B2B trade fairs in the world.
This will be my first overseas visit in my new role as Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Energy and Planning, and it is a vitally important one.
The Welsh life sciences industry employs more than 13,300 people in over 300 business sites and has an approximate turnover of £2.85bn, much of which is export-focused.
The industry is scaling at pace and is rightfully earning its reputation as one of Wales’ most exciting and dynamic growth sectors.
With this in mind, I am delighted to support representatives from over 30 emerging and leading Welsh companies and organisations as part of our Welsh Government pavilion at MEDICA.
The visit will allow businesses from Wales to take up their positions next to key players within the global medical industry.
All of whom will be assembling in one place to discuss medtech and devices, digital health, lab and diagnostics, physio tech, and disposables - the five core spheres of MEDICA.
Wales on the global stage
The Welsh Government has been leading delegations to MEDICA for many years, and since 2011, nearly 200 Welsh life sciences-related businesses have been supported to attend.
This has raised their profile on the international stage and secured millions of pounds worth of new export business in the process.
When Wales assumes its role on the global stage, we can deliver the ambitions set out in our International Strategy and Export Action Plan for Wales.
This was designed to support businesses in developing new and existing overseas markets for their products and services, driving the overall growth of Welsh exports in the longer term.
Wales is demonstrating a strong competitive advantage in medtech, diagnostics, wound healing, regenerative medicine and cell therapy and is creating a world-leading regenerative medicine ecosystem, which includes academics, the NHS, Government and centres of excellence.
Businesses in Wales are supplying their products and services to markets worldwide, to virtually all global territories, and we want to see that continue and develop further.
Success stories
Many of these companies have been supported in their export journeys by Welsh Government International Trade Advisors and export support programmes, including those involved in our MedTech and Diagnostics Export Cluster.
This brings together like-minded businesses, from relatively new and up-and-coming exporters to highly experienced and successful exporters, to focus on their export growth.
The delegation from Wales at MEDICA this year includes many examples of companies doing impressive work internationally and which are seeking to build on that.
For example, Newtown-based CellPath, established over 30 years ago, specialises in manufacturing and supplying equipment and services used in cancer diagnostics.
CellPath has recently doubled its export turnover in the Middle East and South Asia, resulting from a strategic expansion programme.
Another example is a relatively young business, the Cardiff-based, female-founded health brand, Health & Her, that retails a range of supplements to help women as they experience hormonal changes.
The company has recently entered the lucrative US and Chinese markets and is a fantastic example of the importance of attending global events like MEDICA.
Earlier this year, as part of a Welsh Government trade mission, Health & Her exhibited on the Cymru/Wales Pavilion at Arab Health in Dubai which, alongside MEDICA, is one of the world’s largest healthcare trade shows.
Their presence resulted in interest from three major retailers and three distributors in the region, and as a direct result the company is set to launch into the UAE imminently.
Success stories like these speak for themselves, literally personifying the targeted objectives of the Welsh Government’s International Strategy and Export Action Plan.
They also deliver on a key objective that our new First Minister, Eluned Morgan, outlined when she took office - delivering green jobs and growth.
Companies like CellPath and Health & Her, and many others across Wales, that perform on the international stage and export to global markets demonstrate ambition and endeavour that have led to real-world success.
I am very much looking forward to seeing this firsthand at MEDICA.
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