With a Euro 17 billion medical devices industry, Italy’s focus is innovative technology at Arab Health

IP John

DUBAI- (Press Release) Exports of Italian medical and pharmaceutical products to the UAE reached Euro 48 million in September last year, reinforcing the UAE’s reliance on Italian expertise for the country’s medical sector, which has remained resilient over the last few years. The 4,400 companies that represent the medical device sector in Italy employ nearly 94,000 professionals, with a turnover of 16.7 billion Euros out of which 5.7  billion exported in 2020 (with a growth rate of 7.9% compared to the previous year).

The Italian Trade Agency, in collaboration with the Embassy of Italy in the UAE and the Consulate General in Dubai, is hosting 18 SMEs at Arab Health until the 27 January 2022, at the Dubai World Trade Center. A wide range of products will be exhibited including medical devices, ICT solutions for healthcare biotechnology, 3D printing, robotics, advanced materials, ICT, photonics and nanotechnologies.

In the medical devices sector in Italy small companies coexist with large organisations: micro, small, medium-sized enterprises and start-ups represent 95% of the total, the remaining 5% are large companies, with a turnover exceeding Euro 50 million. The majority (53%) are manufacturing companies, while the remaining are into trade.

It is a very diversified industry, highly innovative and specialised, whose main sectors are: biomedical (44%), instrumental biomedical (18%), borderline (based on substances) (11%), technical equipment (10%), in vitro diagnostics (6%), services and software (6%), electro-medical diagnostics (5%).

Amedeo Scarpa, Italian Trade Commissioner to the UAE, said “Italy’s expertise and the advanced technologies are globally recognised. It is this proven reputation and ability to be a leading supplier in strict and controlled global markets, that has allowed our manufactures to thrive in the UAE.

 50% of Italy’s export of medical and pharmaceutical products to this country is represented by medicaments (eg. antibiotics, penicellins, antimalarials and provitamins). There is also an increasing  interest for diagnostic equipments (including machinery for radiotheraphy) that have more than tripled exports to the country (+ 159%, Euro 2.5 mln) and for orthopedics devices ( + 60%, Euro 2 mln).

Our strong and reliable trade relationship with the UAE in the medical sector is one of our most enduring with the country. The trust that this contry put in the Italian expertise was confirmed also during the pandemic when  the import of equipments intended for intensive care and help-breathing from Italy jumped up by 440% .”

Italy’s Pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai will host an Innovation Talk on 26 January discussing Artificial intelligence applied to medicine: Italian excellence in telemedicine and telesurgery. Guest speakers invited by the Italian Trad Agency will share updates on recent Italian innovations in the field of strategic management of health data, artificial intelligence in diagnostics and analysis of algorithms applied to public health.