US and UK assistive technology industries come together
Industry bodies join forces to boost healthcare technology adoption on both sides of the Atlantic
The South East Health Technologies Alliance (SEHTA) has struck a partnership with The Massachusetts Medical Device Industry Council (MassMEDIC) that will help to boost the assistive technologies marketplace on both sides of the Atlantic.
Under the deal, UK-based SEHTA Premium members will receive automatic MassMEDIC Primary membership free of charge, and vice versa. The move will mean SEHTA members can benefit from discounts on services, events and purchasing, as well as gain access to business and technical support. MassMEDIC members benefit from access to top federal and state policy makers, researchers, industry leaders, investors and management experts through networking assistance and membership meetings, business development support, events, information, free directory listings and employment services.
North America represents a huge potential market for our members and they will be able to take great advantage of this opportunity
SEHTA currently has more than 1,300 members from 20 different countries and a health-related database in excess of 7,000 contacts, while MassMEDIC has more than 350 members representing manufacturers, product developers, suppliers, research institutions and academic health centres.
Dr David Parry, chief executive of SEHTA, said: “This partnership is an important development of SEHTA, providing our subscribing members with access to the many services and benefits that MassMEDIC has to offer in the US. North America represents a huge potential market for our members and they will be able to take great advantage of this opportunity. Similarly, MassMEDIC members see Europe as an important, yet complex, market, given the geographic and other boundaries that exist. We will do all that we can to assist them with our network of contacts throughout UK and Europe as well as with our services.”
Thomas Sommer, president of MassMEDIC, added: “Europe has always been a priority region for New England medical device manufacturers. Our companies look to the European market for research partnerships, strategic alliances and distribution support. This newly-formed alliance between MassMEDIC and SEHTA should provide the foundation for increased business activity between the two areas.”