Promising medical innovations are emerging worldwide, yet the success of a product often depends on the market it enters. Many spin-offs initially choose the U.S. or Asia, drawn by faster access to funding and clearer regulations, while other regions present unique challenges. Each market has its own hurdles: complex certification, slow reimbursement, local clinical validation, and diverse procurement systems can make international scaling difficult.
In this session, speakers from global markets—including India, Scandinavia, Canada, and Germany—share their experiences and insights. We explore what it takes to successfully introduce medical devices across different countries and how innovators can overcome these barriers.
Cross-border collaboration offers a promising pathway. Regional partnerships, such as those between Twente and Münster, demonstrate how innovations can be piloted and scaled across systems. By combining local regulatory knowledge, clinical expertise, and strong networks, these initiatives can serve as a gateway to broader markets worldwide.
This session provides practical strategies for innovators ready to scale their medical solutions internationally, from building the right partnerships to leveraging global support mechanisms.
The planning
Time | Content |
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14.45 - 14.50 | Setting the sceneAn introduction by the moderator, linking today’s theme to earlier insights and setting the stage for the speakers to come. |
14.50 - 15.00 | From Münster to Twente. Cross-border collaboration as a gateway to strengthening the regional ecosystemHow can cross-border collaboration be a gateway to strengthening the regional ecosystem and, beyound this, lead to more global visibility? Based on strategic partnerships, agreements and transnational activities, the initiative of Tech.Land combines local strengths, sharpens the regional ecosystem and enables more international awareness. Mareike Blömker, University of Münster (Germany) |
15.02 - 15.12 | Making medical device market readyTo validate that your medical device has a market product fit, you need to test it in the markets you will sell it in. This is to see that it works in the healthcare system and to get key opinion leaders to help you to get access to the market. In the Nordics there is a project called Nordic proof that will help companies test their device and could be open to Dutch companies. Björn Ursing, Embassy of the Netherlands in Sweden |
15.14 - 15.26 | Scaling Health Innovation from India: Bridging Global Markets through MedTechIndia’s MedTech sector is rapidly emerging as a global hub for affordable and scalable health solutions. Combining its demographic strength, unprecedented digital transformation, and growing research capacity, India is moving beyond “Make in India” towards “Make for the World,” developing technologies and partnerships that address healthcare challenges across diverse and resource-constrained settings. Scaling Health Innovation from India: Bridging Global Markets through MedTech Nico Schiettekatte, Embassy of The Netherlands in India |
15.28 - 15.38 | Discussion with the international start-ups |
15.38 - 15.55 | Discussion with all speakers and participantsTogether with speakers and audience, we explore what it takes to bring MedTech innovations across borders — from navigating regulations to building global partnerships. |
15.55 - 16.00 | From insights to action: closing reflectionsElke Wirtz, Economic Development Corporation Münster |
The speakers
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