The trade fair for medical technology and hospital equipment will take place in Seoul, South Korea, from 17 March to 20 March 2011.
In its usual way, gwSaar will also be supporting companies from Saarland hailing from the area of medical technology in making contacts with interested parties, e.g. with high-ranking representatives of Korean firms and business associations on the occasion of the socializing night to take place according to the motto of “Success on Tour.” Right at the end of the first day of the trade fair, this event will be a good opportunity, beyond the trade fair happenings, for entrepreneurs from Saarland and Korea to get better acquainted with one another. One item in the programme of the group from Saarland will be a visit to the Dong-A Research Centre, one of the most important representatives of the Korean pharmaceutical industry.

Medical technology on the banks of the Saar
Beyond that, gwSaar makes the case for the outstanding quality of the Saarland location, which is in close proximity to France and Luxembourg. As a renowned location for medical technology, Saarland enjoys an international reputation of the highest order. The significance of the healthcare industry on the Saar has increased tremendously in the last years. A survey conducted by the healthcare.saarland cluster, associated with ZPT, showed that more than 8,800 people are employed in the areas of medical technology, medical products, pharmaceutical and healthcare services in Saarland. Around 400 companies from industry, commerce and the craftsmanship trades provide these jobs.
www.healthcare.saarland.de

Agreement on future collaboration
The high-tech location South Korea has one of the largest and fastest-growing markets for medical products in Asia. Nevertheless, a share of around 76.9% of all medical products were covered by imports in 2009. A very good occasion for Saarland, which is positioned very well in the area of healthcare, to approach Korean partners. After all, the German Federal State on the Saar lives off export as well.
The latest manifestation of a future collaboration between Korean and Saarland industry is the signing of an MOU – a memorandum of understanding. The declaration of intent was signed by Peter Hauptmann, the State Secretary for Economy of Saarland, and Dr. Youngho Kim, President of Wonju Medical Device Techno Valley, the Korean mecca of medical technology, on Wednesday, 16 March 2011. Peter Hauptmann makes the point: “The promotion of innovative industries, e.g. medical technology, is decisive for the economy in Saarland to grow sustainably and for new jobs to be created. This includes international collaboration, and so I am very happy about the agreement with our Korean partners.”