Collaboration crucial for Sweden’s medical devices industry

Collaboration between hospitals, academia and industry, plus a dose of early stage funding, are crucial for the future of Swedish medical technology, according to a new report.

Action MedTech – key measures for growing the medical device industry in Sweden, outlines measures to ensure Sweden’s medical device sector does not fall behind its global and European competitors, in what is now a $200 billion industry. It was commissioned by the Royal Institute of Technology (KTH), the Karolinska Institutet and Karolinska University Hospital.

“Being a small country we have to be smart as we don’t have so much muscle strength.” said Bo Norrman, senior lecturer at Karolinska Institutet and member of the report’s steering group. “The US is important, but in terms of benchmarks, comparing publications and patenting in this area, we are losing ground to Switzerland, the Netherlands, Denmark and the UK.”

In an industry which employs 800,000 worldwide, Sweden is a significant player with 10,000 employees. It is dwarfed by the US, but well placed among its European counterparts.  The sector is worth SEK 60 billion per annum, representing 1 per cent of the global market, and is represented by two of the world’s top-50 companies, Gambro and Getinge.

But healthy as the industry appears, Sweden is at risk of losing its competitive edge.  The country ranked second in Europe in the number of medical technology patents filed in the early 90s, but has since fallen back; continuing the current trend would mean slipping further behind.

According to Norrman, throwing money at the sector is not the only solution, “There is of course a financial need, but we looked at the obstacles beyond that.  We found that in the case of medical technology, ideas are inspired by clinical practice, but hospital physicians face too many constraints to be able to develop their ideas through into new technologies.”

Incentive systems are required that benefit both physicians and hospitals.  “The focus should not only be on reducing hospital waiting times, but encouraging efficient approaches to developing new technologies,” said Norrman.

The report identifies active industry collaboration and networks, and adequate funding for research and early commercialisation, as areas where Sweden needs to improve.

“I think it’s quite clear that we do have a good industry with good potential. There are some good short-term remedies relating to organisation and management, creating meeting places, and opening up further incentives,” added Norrman

“But we also have to look at long-term strategic thinking where industry, academia and government can collaborate to identify the strategic areas for funding research and development.”