Taipei, Nov. 9, 2012 (CENS)--Taiwan`s medical-device production value in 2012 is expected to continue to grow 7%, and the government targets five fields to focus in the local medical-device industry, according to Woody Duh, Vice Minister, the Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA).
The five targeted segments include dialysis care, breath care, in vitro diagnosis care, minimally invasive surgery and high-end dentistry. The MOEA aims to form industrial clusters for these targeted segments to help local companies develop high-quality, reasonably-priced, and own-branded medical devices for sale globally.
Y.H. Shao, director general of Biomedical Technology and Device Research Laboratories (BTDRL) under domestic Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI), pointed out that some European nations as Russia, Poland etc. are upgrading medical equipment, creating big demand for high-quality, reasonably-priced products made in Taiwan.
According to Duh, Taiwan`s medical-device production value approached NT$100 billion (US$30.3 billion) in 2011, and is expected to grow by another 7% in 2012. In the future, he added, the development directions of Taiwan`s medical-device industry include downsizing, low-invasive, portable, multifunctional, and higher value-added. He also urged local medical-device industry to adopt more resources from other industries, develop key parts, and seek to strengthen global competitiveness through strategic acquisitions or mergers.
Shao said that the East and Central Europe medical-device market reached US$13.2 billion in 2011, up 9.4% from previous year, accounting for about 4.8% of the global market and making it the second-highest growth rate among all regions. In 2014, he added, the market value for the region is expected to soar to US$18.1 billion, in conjunction with compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 11.1% between 2011 and 2014.
The general director pointed out that Taiwan`s medical testing and examining devices enjoy high international reputation.
(by Quincy Liang)
