Rehabilitation
Nordic countries have been among the first to promote assistive technology for disabled, as well as to enforce policies to improve the accessibility of public services and invest massively to enhance the quality of leaving of all people living with a handicap.
Following that political strategy and using a strong know-how in the medical equipment industry, a number of local companies have developed a key expertise in the field. As for the other medical sub sectors, the local companies have developed a strong specialisation, exporting heavily innovative products, but on the other hand the countries are all more or less always dependent on imports for a large number of solutions not produced locally.
A major role for public healthcare system
The main customers of foreign providers are national, regional or municipal authorities, especially for the most basic products that are often very well refunded or even purchased on behalf of the patients.
Besides a large home-care and rehabilitation market, the fitness market in a region where spending per inhabitant in the field are among the highest in the world, is growing quickly with a steady focus on health in fitness centres that often hire health professionals (chiefly physiotherapists).
Sweden is both the biggest market and the biggest producer in the whole region, Swedish producers having a solid market share in all Nordic and Baltic countries. Swedish universities and research centres are renowned worldwide for their surveys and innovations on that field. Many Swedish companies are major regional or even global players. Liko (patient lifts and slings), Permobil (powered wheelchairs), TR Equipment (hygiene equipment) or Swemac are among the best known brands abroad.
In Finland, the orthopaedic and rehabilitation equipment market is in the 100 M€/year range, twice smaller than Sweden. Local production is even more specialised, leaving many opportunities for foreign providers. Research institutes and companies alike have a strong know-how in rehabilitation for the elderly, especially as Finland has the fastest ageing population in the EU. Research in the field is mostly linked with national competence clusters "Health and well being", "Living business" or the University of Jyväskylä. Exporting companies include Hur (rehabilitation/seniors/fitness), PhysioTools (physical therapy software) or DBC, the growing focus on healthcare of traditionally strong sport equipment brands (Suunto, Tunturi…) being a new trend.
Denmark's market is similar in size to Finland's with also a strong specialisation. Though the country is among the world leaders in hearing aid equipments, with companies like Widex or Oticon selling worldwide, the country is very dependent on imports for prosthetics and also aids to daily living (local production covers less than 20% of the needs):
Local production in Norway is also highly specialised, with few actors exporting in specific niche market (an example being Handicare's wheelchairs), the country relying on imports for most of its needs. Iceland's Ossur is a strong global player in non-invasive orthopaedics and is among the country's biggest companies.
Baltic countries used to lag way behind the Nordic countries in this particular field but have also invested massively in the past years. Local production is scarce, with few small local manufacturers (Estonia's Gadox or Lithuania's Taneta for example) with a strong market position on their home market and exporting to neighbouring countries.
Useful links
Sweden
Finland
Denmark
Norway
Iceland
Lithuania
Latvia
Estonia
Events
13-15th May 2010:
Med Baltica,
Riga, Latvia
12-14th November 2010:
Stockholm, Sweden