Medical products industry key focus at Brazil Tech 2008

Hosted by Apex-Brasil, the Brazilian Trade and Investment Agency, Brasil Tech comprises a forum, workshops and business-to-business (B2B) meetings, and is designed to share knowledge, foster trade partnerships and showcase Brazilian technology and products.

With Brazil's public spending on health now standing at US$35 billion per annum, for a population of 190 million, it is plain to see why this industry has enjoyed such tremendous success in the past five years in particular.

In the period 2002 to 2006, the country's national gross sales of domestically produced medical, dental and laboratory equipment and products grew by more than 100%, to US$3,09 billion. Hand-in-hand with this growth went export growth of more than 130%, in the same industry, in the five years to 2007.

The products at the heart of the growth in this industrial sector include medical equipment and supplies, dental equipment and supplies, implants and prostheses, radiology equipment and supplies and lab equipment and reagents.

Of particular note to South African businesses in this field, are the Brasil Tech 2008 B2B Meetings that take place between 09:00 and 17:00 on Wednesday, 28 May. These scheduled meetings will enable local companies to meet face-to-face with their Brazilian counterparts, to explore opportunities and forge trade partnerships in the medical-dental products sector.

Among the companies representing this sector at Brasil Tech, will be: Baumer with orthopaedic products; Airsys with ICU equipment, including ventilators, compressors, flow and pressure analysers; Macas with hospital furniture; Erwin Guth with surgical and dental instruments; and Ibramed with physiotherapy and rehabilitation equipment.

Prior to the B2B meetings, Brasil Tech 2008 will commence on the morning of Tuesday 27 May, with a forum devoted to exploring several important topics and themes. On the programme are lectures that will explore Brazil's machinery and equipment, electrical and electronic, ICT and medical-dental equipment industries.

In addition, the forum will look at how Brazilian technological advances can be adapted to meet South African needs; the successful use of open source software in Brazil's public administration and the feasibility of sharing these programmes with the South African government; the use of ICT in agri-business; as well as how the Brazilian government and people overcame the energy crisis of 2001, to become an international benchmark for managing energy distribution.

Later that same day, attention will turn to Sector Workshops, with four individual workshops exploring the solutions and innovations that Brazil is able to offer the South African market, in the ICT, Electrical and Electronics, Medical-Dental Products and Machinery & Equipment sectors.

Brazil's economic turnaround is unquestionably one of the great success stories of recent times, among emerging nations.

Says the president of Apex-Brasil, Alessandro Teixeira. “Brazil has largely transformed its economic performance over the last 15 years and is now the world's 10th largest economy with a GDP greater than the rest of South America combined. Brazil is growing steadily and has the potential to grow still faster.”

As a fellow emerging nation, South Africa can benefit equally from the expertise that Brazil has to share and from the pursuit of trade partnerships with the companies driving the technological advancement of South America's most successful country. Brasil Tech 2008 will provide just the platform to make this happen.

Persons wishing to attend Brasil Tech 2008 can register online at www.tradeprojects.net . Alternately, they can email or fax their contact details and indication of their desire to attend or fax 011 486 0530.