In the lead

Healthcare is one of Europe’s most exciting growth industries. With companies like electronics giants Philips and Siemens currently leading the global medical equipment field in terms of research and development, the future for the sector looks rosy.

The healthcare sector is an indispensable element of the flagging Lisbon Agenda, devised by EU leaders in 2000, which aims to make the EU the world’s most dynamic and competitive knowledge-based economy by 2010.

Developments in scanning and imaging technology look set to change completely the way surgeons work. Three- and four-dimensional reconstruction techniques will make for faster and more precise diagnoses, bringing down costs while, it is hoped, vastly improving service offered to patients (see Page 20).

Things are changing fast. Increased use of IT in EU hospitals for faster and more accurate transferral of data will help to increase efficiency, reducing the burden on overstretched public healthcare systems (see Page 20).

But while it is true that Europe is sitting at the top of the global healthcare market, the medical devices sector is one area where there is definite room for improvement. Lack of public expenditure in the sector has driven performance down in recent years.

But one area of healthcare technology where the US might never overtake the EU, however, is stem-cell research. A strict moral stance on this technology in the US means that the EU is unlikely to be knocked off the top spot in this area, at least for the time being. Use of animal eggs to create specimens for research is one aspect of this groundbreaking technology that is proving to be controversial in the EU (see Page 23).

That EU institutions are aware of the importance of the healthcare technology sector seems to be in no doubt. A substantial chunk of money allocated to research and development activities as part of the 7th framework programme for research has been dedicated to the sector. Clever investments and careful planning should ensure that the EU retains its lead position in the field for some time to come.

Healthcare is one of Europe’s most exciting growth industries. With companies like electronics giants Philips and Siemens currently leading the global medical equipment field in terms of research and development, the future for the sector looks rosy.