Launching the Medical Technology Industry Excellence Awards 2014/2015 are: Tom Kelly, Divisional Manager Manufacturing and Competitiveness, Enterprise Ireland; Andrew Vogelaar, Head of Medical Technologies, IDA Ireland; John Power, CEO Aerogen (the winner of the Medical Technology Company 2013); and Dr Sinéad Keogh, Director Irish Medical Devices Association. 

The Irish Medical Device Association (IMDA), the Ibec group which represents the medical devices industry, found in its latest survey that confidence is high and continuing to grow in the sector with 42% of companies expressing more confidence in their business than they did three months ago and 55% remain equally confident.

Nearly half the companies surveyed (47%) said that they expect to hire new staff and 34% expect to increase investment in R&D in the coming three months.

The release of the survey results coincide with the launch of the Medical Technology Industry Excellence Awards 2014 - 2015.

IMDA Director Sinead Keogh, commented: "The confidence levels outlined show that the medtech sector is focussed on the future, on innovation and on expansion. The sector already employs 25,000 people in Ireland and has annual exports worth €8 billion. We are now looking for companies to tell us their story by entering the medtech awards and promote best practice across the industry.”

Enterprise Ireland Manager Manufacturing and Competitiveness Tom Kelly said “The sector involves intense collaboration between manufacturing companies, academic institutions, clinicians and government agencies. IMDA’s survey showed that 71% of medtech companies believe collaborative research initiatives are beneficial to their business. The Medical Technology Academic Award promotes interaction between companies and academic institutions.”

Now entering its eighth year the Medical Technology Industry Excellence Awards are open to any medtech company based in Ireland. Entries close on Friday 10 October 2014. The Awards are sponsored by KPMG (platinum sponsor), Teleflex Medical (gold sponsors), AIB; Bank of Ireland; and IMDA Skillnets (silver sponsors). The awards ceremony will take place at the annual CEO Forum in the Strand Hotel, Limerick on Thursday 11 December 2014.

http://www.ibec.ie/IBEC/Press/PressPublicationsdoclib3.nsf/vPages/Newsroom~medtech-awards-launched,-confidence-continues-to-grow-03-09-2014?OpenDocument