MEDICA 2025 and COMPAMED 2025 Conclude as Global Healthcare Leaders Unite on Innovation and Future Strategy

With a total of more than 5,300 exhibitors from 70 countries presenting cutting-edge solutions for outpatient and inpatient care, the four-day event in Düsseldorf reaffirmed its role as the central marketplace and strategic hub for industry advancement. The events also laid the groundwork for continued transformation in 2026 under the guiding theme “Meet Health. Future. People.”, a concept that will shape organizational and thematic developments in the years ahead.

Marius Berlemann, Managing Director of Messe Düsseldorf, emphasized that this year’s programmatic updates mark the start of a broader change initiative aimed at supporting the healthcare industry’s ongoing evolution. He noted that MEDICA and COMPAMED are rapidly becoming “community platforms” where international decision-makers from politics, healthcare, industry, and science converge to discuss opportunities and challenges, paving the way for successful collaborations and business development. The presence of high-level delegations, including Germany’s Federal Health Minister Nina Warken and EU Health Commissioner Oliver Váhelyi, further highlighted the events’ strategic importance.

Carmen Berger, newly appointed head of MEDICA and COMPAMED at Messe Düsseldorf on 1 October, stressed the urgency of streamlining regulatory processes so that emerging technologies can reach clinical use faster. She observed that this year’s exhibition tours showcased the extraordinary innovative strength of the global medical technology sector. "On the supply side, the conditions are excellent", she said. "The industry has enormous growth potential that is just waiting to be unleashed.”

The strength of MEDICA and COMPAMED as global business platforms was underscored by visitor metrics: of the 78,000 attendees, three-quarters belonged to top management, and 75% traveled from 160 countries. High-profile buyer delegations, including from the Gulf States, Africa, and the UK’s National Health Service (NHS), reinforced the events’ international reach.

Global Market Engagement and High-Level Delegations

MEDICA 2025 served as a nexus for cross-continental cooperation. Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, a 2024 U.S. vice-presidential candidate, met a with a senior NHS delegation from the UK and visited the North Rhine-Westphalia pavilion to explore Germany’s latest med-tech innovations. His visit demonstrated that the two leading markets for medical technology, North America and Europe (with Germany playing a key role), are able to counter the global climate of increasing trade restrictions through dialogue and maintaining long-term partnerships.

Saudi Arabia also emerged as a key growth market, highlighted by the visit of the Saudi Minister of Health, H.E. Fahad Abdulrahman Al-Jalajel. Discussions centered on wearables, digital hospital infrastructure, and next-generation clinical technologies showcased in the “Hospital of the Future” special exhibition. As part of its Vision 2030 strategy, Saudi Arabia is investing heavily in telemedicine, connected care networks, and centers of excellence. These initiatives align with the robotics and digital solutions presented at MEDICA. A study released during the trade fair, “Robotics in Healthcare,” produced in collaboration with SPECTARIS, forecasts annual growth of up to 16% in medical robotics over the next five years.

Innovation Hotspot: MEDICA INNOVATION FORUM

A major attraction this year was the debut of the MEDICA INNOVATION FORUM in Hall 12, closely integrated with the MEDICA START-UP PARK and the Wearables Technologies Show. As a central hub for future health technologies, the area drew large crowds throughout the event. Renowned speakers such as digital health pioneer Daniel Kraft, AI expert Prof. Paul Lukowicz, author Thomas Schulz, and presenters from leading start-up competitions energized audiences with insights into emerging clinical and digital trends.

The 14th MEDICA START-UP COMPETITION crowned Svan Technologies (Austria) as its overall winner for an autonomous intraosseous access device capable of delivering life-saving bone marrow access in newborns within 90 seconds. Nanose Medical (Israel) won the 17th HEALTHCARE INNOVATION WORLD CUP for a compact breath-analysis device designed for the early detection of lung cancer and advanced liver disease.

An all-time high of 80 start-ups participated in the MEDICA START-UP PARK. Notable innovations included HeartHero’s (USA) portable AED with automatic defibrillation only when medically required; Healex’s (Germany) digital platform automating clinical trial operations; and Bottneuro’s (Switzerland) “Miamind,” a personalized 3D neuromodulation helmet targeting Alzheimer’s and depression symptoms. The “Women Leaders in Healthcare” networking program further underscored the role of diversity as a driver of innovation and strategic thinking across the healthcare ecosystem.

COMPAMED: High-Tech Solutions Defining Next-Generation Medical Manufacturing

COMPAMED 2025 continued its upward trajectory under the theme “Meet Health. Technology. Innovators.” With 750 exhibitors showcasing breakthroughs in microtechnology, sensors, electronics, advanced materials, packaging, and contract manufacturing, the event highlighted the critical role of high-tech suppliers in enabling the smart medical devices featured throughout MEDICA’s halls.

According to Tim Merforth, Managing Director of the IVAM Microtechnology Professional Association, COMPAMED demonstrated remarkable strength across innovation quality and international engagement. Exhibitors reported high-value discussions that significantly advanced technical exchange and potential collaborations.

Roadmap for 2026: Integrated Platforms and Strategic Evolution

At the close of this year’s event, Carmen Berger, who is responsible for MEDICA and COMPAMED, looks ahead with ambition: "Starting in 2026, we want to break new ground together with our partners. Our goal is to integrate the two formats MEDICA and COMPAMED even more closely in the future, leverage synergies, and further expand their international relevance. In addition, we will continue to develop the forums and exchange platforms in a targeted manner – toward an even more intensive interdisciplinary dialogue between industry, science, politics, and practice. We want MEDICA and COMPAMED 2026 to feel like modern medicine is meant to be: connected, intuitive, and to the point."

Upcoming dates for the MEDICA and COMPAMED portfolio of global events include:

• MEDICA and COMPAMED, Düsseldorf: November 16–19, 2026
• MEDICAL FAIR INDIA (New Delhi): January 29–31, 2026
• MEDICAL FAIR CHINA (Suzhou): August 20–22, 2026
• MEDICAL FAIR ASIA (Singapore): September 9–11, 2026
• MEDICAL MANUFACTURING ASIA (Singapore): September 9–11, 2026
• MEDICAL FAIR INDIA (Mumbai): September 17–19, 2026

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Messe Düsseldorf