07 · Insights
Commentary, events and resources
Short, practical notes on the things currently moving in this industry — reimbursement reform, evidence expectations, procurement behaviour and international market development. Written for people who have to make a decision about them.
Perspectives
Three things we are being asked about most at the moment.
Reimbursement
Reform of Part IX of the Drug Tariff introduces new assessment methods and a much heavier emphasis on value and evidence. The exposure sits at renewal: a listing lost is revenue lost, access lost and patient choice narrowed, usually within the same product cycle. The manufacturers handling this well are profiling delisting risk across the portfolio now, rather than responding product by product when the deadline arrives.
Evidence
MDR obliges manufacturers to keep post-market surveillance current — every two years for Class IIa and IIb, annually for Class III and implantable devices. Most treat it as a compliance cost. The same structured research with practising clinicians will also tell you how the product is really used, where it loses to a competitor, and what would make someone switch. That is product development and market access evidence, generated once.
International
European manufacturers consistently identify African markets as high-potential and then stall, because entry depends on local ecosystem engagement that cannot be bought as a document. The traffic runs both ways: African innovators with genuinely strong technology face the same problem in reverse when they look at Europe. What works is a standing relationship on both sides, not a market assessment.
Events
If you are attending any of these, it is usually the easiest way to have a first conversation.
UPCOMING
Düsseldorf · November 2026
The main international meeting point in our calendar. We run a structured meeting programme at Medica each year for clients looking for manufacturers, distributors, OEM partners or products — briefed in advance and followed up afterwards.
Arrange to meet at Medica2026
United Kingdom
UK wound care, where the clinical and commercial sides of the category meet.
2026
Birmingham
Community nursing — the setting where a great many of these devices are actually chosen and used.
PAST
WESGRO · Cape Town · April 2026
We were invited to South Africa to contribute as speakers on scaling healthcare innovation across borders, alongside our Africa–Europe MedTech Bridge partners. The presentation is available on request.
Request the presentationResources
Some material is more useful in conversation than as a download — particularly where the answer depends on your category, your listings or your portfolio. If any of the following would be helpful, ask and we will send it.
Start a conversation
No obligation, and no expectation that you already know exactly what you need. Most useful engagements begin with a thirty-minute conversation about the problem.