Bochum, October 02, 2009 -
The German federal government has announced the creation of a new Healthcare Campus for the North Rhine Westphalia (NRW) region. The government is injecting 70 million euros into this project, inspired by the U.S. National Institutes of Health. The new campus, slated to begin construction this year, will bring together the healthcare facilities dispersed throughout NRW in the city of Bochum. It will also offer opportunities to North American and international companies in the telematics, telemedicine, medical technology, health services research and manufacturing.
The NRW's agencies for trade and industry promotion plan to provide targeted support to innovation in medical research so that new products developed on campus - including those developed by international companies - can be quickly introduced into the market. "For medium and large North American and international healthcare companies looking to expand operations in Europe, this new campus offers countless opportunities for partnerships and talent sharing," said David Scrimgeour, the
Munich-based consultant responsible for coordinating business development for the Bochum region. "For smaller companies and startups, the campus atmosphere will give them a unique opportunity to participate in ground-breaking research work," continues Scrimgeour.
The health industry represents one of the most important and largest market segments in the German national economy. The development of medical technology represents a significant part of this market.
Germany ranks second only to the U.S. when it comes to numbers of patents and global market share.
About a third of the revenue of German medical technology manufacturers comes from products that are less than three years old. North Rhine Westphalia is already regarded as one of the leading health industry regions of Germany. With its new Healthcare Campus, the state government is closer to expanding this reputation to one of the best in Europe and in the world.
Breeding ground for startups from all over the world
"The new campus will give innovative healthcare companies from everywhere in the world the chance to grow quickly and surely," says Dr. Bernd Rosenfeld, initiator of the BioMedicineCentre (BMZ), one of the flagship facilities in the new campus. "As an example, the BioMedicineCentre offers comprehensive consulting and services from the establishment of contacts to potential scientific, industrial and financial partners, to the provision of conference rooms for corporate events."
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