The Korea International Medical & Hospital Equipment Show (KIMES) 2019 kicked off for a four-day run in COEX, southern Seoul, on Thursday.

Hosted by the Korea Medical Devices Industrial Cooperation Association (KMDICA), Korea Medical Industry Association (KMDIA) and Korea E&EX, the annual event meets its 35th-anniversary promoting public health and medical technology development as well as vitalizing medical and hospital-related industries.

Minister of Health and Welfare Park Neung-hoo (sixth from left) and other guests cut a ribbon to celebrate the opening of the Medical and Hospital Equipment Show (KIMES) 2019 at COEX, southern Seoul, on Thursday.

“The theme of this year’s conference is meet the future,” Minister of Health and Welfare Park Neung-hoo said. “Korea stands in the middle of the rapidly progressing Fourth Industrial Revolution. In this revolutionary era, the medical device and bio-health sector will lead the national economy.”

As proof, companies participating in the KIMES are increasing every year, Park added.

“In keeping with the fast-changing medical field, the ministry seeks to enact the law for promoting innovative medical devices and start inter-agency research and development projects to develop new medical devices,” he noted.

Park stressed that the government hopes that such promotions will contribute to public health through innovative medical devices.

Noting that the government plans to invest 2.8 trillion won ($2.4 billion) and launch the multi-ministry project from 2020, Minister Park requested cooperation and support from industrialist and bureaucrats.

The exhibition will attract 1,403 companies from 36 countries and exhibit more than 30,000 products. Corporate participants will include global names, such as GE Healthcare, Siemens Healthineers, Samsung Medison and Philips.

Organizers expect more than 58,000 people will attend the event, including medical professionals and officials representing domestic and international medical associations, to participate in seminars and conferences.

The annual event will present robotic medical devices that have received attention worldwide. Domestic and overseas manufacturers will display a broad range of robotic equipment, including medicinal sterilized robots, artificial joint surgery robots, walk-assisting robots, and robot rehabilitation systems.

KIMES will hold a seminar on sharing 3D printer technology and application examples in the medical field. At the workshop, participants can view various 3D printing parts used in therapeutic areas such as those used in various cancer operations.

Minister of Health and Welfare Park Neung-hoo makes a speech congratulating the opening of the Medical and Hospital Equipment Show (KIMES) 2019 at COEX, southern Seoul, on Thursday.

To promote active discussion among medical device experts, the Ministry of Health and Welfare will also be holding a separate conference called the Medical Korea 2019. The fair aims to link prospective buyers with innovative medical device manufacturers. Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA) expects that domestic companies will have a chance to interact with 260 potential buyers from 60 countries.

Medical Korea 2019, which celebrates its 10th anniversary this year, is a general conference to identify the latest trends in the international medical industry and exchange international cooperation and expertise.

Officials from the health and welfare ministry will exchange opinions on various topics and cooperation measures in the field of healthcare through the government to government meeting with the 11 national healthcare delegations visiting Korea.

The countries visiting the conference are Vietnam, Mongolia, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Indonesia, China, Qatar, Iran, UAE and Oman.

Opening hours are from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. for both conventions. The exhibition will be open on Saturday and Sunday for medical professionals working outside of Seoul. The KIMES secretariat will operate "free foreigners interpreter center" at the entrance of each exhibition hall as well as shuttle buses from major railway stations to COEX.

Admission fee is 10,000 won ($8.8).

corea022@docdocdoc.co.kr

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