APACMed hosts first ever hybrid conference, Business News

PUBLISHED ONSeptember 25, 2020 1:00 AM

Over 130 leaders from 30 countries convene to shape and redefine healthcare industry transformation

SINGAPORE, Sept. 25, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The Asia Pacific Medical Technology Association (APACMed) brought to fruition the first-ever hybrid virtual forum – Redefining Healthcare Agility, on 24^th September 2020, which welcomed more than 130 world class leaders from over 30 countries to share insights on how they are transforming the healthcare industry.

The APACMed Annual MedTech Forum brings more than 1,000 delegates together every year, making it one of the largest yearly forums in Asia Pacific. Owing to the pandemic, the 6^th edition of the conference included on-site attendance of up to 50 people, along with virtual attendance of over 1,000 delegates, thus becoming the first ever hybrid conference with a global reach to be hosted in the medical technology arena. The conference witnessed the participation of global and regional leaders, serving as the perfect setting for discussing collaboration and innovation opportunities in Asia.

The pandemic has sparked an emergence of opportunities and identified areas of immense need in the medical technology sector for Asia. It is estimated that, nearly 60% of world's population will be residing in Asia by 2030, with around 24% of them above the age of 60. The growth of medical technology too is predicted to be reaching a CAGR of 8.8% to 157 billion USD by 2022. Ms. Harjit Gill, CEO APACMed said, "In the face of COVID-19, the healthcare industry has hit an inflection point, as organisations in the region grapple with profound changes and impacts to their businesses. However, the pandemic has also sparked unprecedented levels of digital transformation, collaboration and innovation, and we must grasp this opportunity to reshape the medical technology industry as we enter a new era in healthcare."

MedTech thought leaders like Jose Almeida (Chairman, President and CEO of Baxter International), John Groetelaars (President & CEO of Hillrom), Ashley McEvoy (Executive Vice President, Worldwide Chairman, Medical Devices, Johnson & Johnson) Kevin Lobo (Chairman & CEO, Stryker) and Dr Bernd Montag (CEO of Siemens Healthineers) were few of the prominent speakers in the conference who shared their perspective on the future of healthcare and the opportunity Asia holds. The forum also featured insights from other technology leaders in the space, such as Corey McCann (President & CEO, Pear Therapeutics), Joe DeVivo (President, Hospitals & Health Systems, Teladoc Health), Dr. Shez Partovi (Worldwide Lead for Healthcare, Life Sciences & Genomics, AWS) and Sanjay Popat (CEO, Trabeya).

The worldwide COVID-19 pandemic has intensified conversations around universal healthcare as well as cooperation between public and private sectors. For this reason, this year's forum aimed to unite healthcare stakeholders to collectively improve the quality of healthcare across the region, with the assistance of emerging platforms that demonstrate the value of innovative medical technology. Highlighting the importance of such collaborations, the healthcare systems were also represented by the participation of Preetha Reddy, Vice Chairperson, Apollo Hospitals Enterprise, and Dr. Kelvin Loh, Managing Director & CEO, IHH Healthcare.

"The Medical Technology industry is at the cusp of a profound transformation and how the industry shapes in the near future will greatly influence the lives of patients, healthcare professionals, and heath organisations and bodies." Ms. Harjit Gill expressed, "Against this backdrop, APACMed plays a crucial role in unifying organisations and voices in the medical technology industry―a catalyst in accelerating collaboration and innovation to tackle healthcare challenges and advance healthcare access for patients."

This virtual event leveraged emerging and established digital technologies to engage participants in real-time, testament to the role digital transformation plays in the MedTech industry. This also served as a valuable opportunity for delegates and global leaders from across the healthcare ecosystem to engage and interact through a unique, immersive experience. In addition to visiting virtual booths, the event encouraged interaction via its in-built networking function and encouraged engagement via gamification. The forum had a mix of live and recorded sessions, with the opportunity for attendees to ask questions throughout all the sessions. The platform is also offering an on-demand video of the event for up to a month, ensuring the lessons learned from the forum will not be lost.

The APACMed Virtual Forum was supported by the Singapore Tourism Board, and sponsored by Abbott, Align Technology, Baxter, B.Braun, Becton, Dickinson and Company, Boston Scientific, Elsevier, Hillrom, Hologic, Johnson & Johnson, LivaNova, Medtronic, Merit Medical, Siemens Healthineers, Stryker, Terumo and Zuellig Pharma.

Link to event highlights: https://www.apacmedvirtualforum.com/
List of speakers at this forum: https://www.apacmedvirtualforum.com/#second

About APACMed:

The Asia Pacific Medical Technology Association (APACMed) represents manufacturers and suppliers of medical equipment, devices and in-vitro diagnostics, industry associations and other key stakeholders associated with the medical technology industry in Asia Pacific. Our mission is to improve the standards of care for patients through innovative collaborations among stakeholders to jointly shape the future of healthcare in Asia Pacific.