Medical technology
Medtech is one of the fastest-growing and most innovative sectors of the Swiss economy. One of the reasons for its success is the availability of highly skilled staff with professional know-how acquired in related fields.
The industry has its roots in watchmaking and the machine engineering and manufacturing industries. Medtech requires similar technologies for its products; the availability in Switzerland of highly specialised staff with precision engineering skills and the rapid and efficient transfer of know-how from one sector to another have helped the industry flourish.
Many companies focus on the manufacture of surgical implants, but the sector also includes high-tech products such as imaging equipment and technical aids for hospitals. Activity extends from research and development to manufacturing and product distribution.
The Swiss medical technology industry encompasses about 1,600 companies with more than 50,000 employees. On average, these firms invest 13% of turnover in R&D and sell 90% of products abroad, accounting for more than 5% of Swiss exports.
All about the Business Destination Switzerland
Speakers
- Leading medtech specialists are available to conference organisers as speakers to provide insights into the latest developments in the field, analyse the market and discuss promising new avenues for research and development.
Switzerland is world leader
- Switzerland probably has the greatest concentration of med tech companies in Europe. About 10% of people active in the field in Europe work in Switzerland.
- The sector is innovative, highly competitive and strongly export-oriented. Switzerland is a world leader in fields such as implants and hearing devices.
- Swiss companies register more than 1,200 patents every year in Switzerland and abroad.
Clusters
- There are important clusters in the Basel area, around Lake Geneva Region, in the St Gallen Lake Constance area and around Bern.
- More information: Switzerland Global Enterprise