Medical technology is a key growth market. Bavaria's medical technology companies benefit greatly from this. Around 70 per cent of their products are exported to a wide range of countries abroad. Excellent networks make top-level research possible.
Medical technology is a key growth market. Bavaria's medical technology companies benefit greatly from this. Around 70 per cent of their products are exported to a wide range of countries abroad. Excellent networks make top-level research possible.
Medical technology is a global growth market. The global market volume currently amounts to around EUR 574 billion with expected annual growth rates of around 6% per year between 2026 and 2030.
With a turnover of around 58 billion euros, Germany is one of the world's leading MedTech nations after the USA and China and aaccounts for around one quarter of the European MedTech market by market value, making it Europe’s largest national MedTech market. 93% of MedTech companies are SMEs with fewer than 250 employees. Around 67% of their products are exported to numerous countries abroad. Companies in the sector in Germany bring products to market quickly and generate over 30% of their turnover with products that are less than three years old.
Bavaria is the second largest MedTech location in Germany after Baden-Württemberg and provides jobs for around 80,000 people. Almost 1,000 mostly medium-sized MedTech companies in Bavaria generate around 15 billion euros annually - around two thirds of which are exported, which corresponds to an export ratio of around 67%. This means that over 3% of medical technology products produced worldwide come from Bavaria and bear the "Made in Bavaria" seal of quality.
Dr.Antje Pich
Manager Investor Services
+49 175 1590 283Antje.Pich@invest-in-bavaria.deAm Tullnaupark 8
90402 Nuremberg
Thanks to its cross-industry production, research and development and a strong ecosystem with the Medical Valley EMN e. V., Bayern Innovativ Gesundheit and technological interdependencies such as mechatronics, photonics and ICT technologies provide ideal growth and production conditions for medical technology. The close cooperation between research institutions and industry enables the development of innovative products that are in demand internationally.
Medical products also have a very large potential customer base in Germany, with around 394 licensed hospitals with 73,211 beds and 4,858 places, 264 facilities for prevention or rehabilitation and over 76 spas and health resorts in Bavaria.
67.00
Percentage of exports of Bavarian medical technology products
394.00
licensed hospitals in Bavaria
264.00
Facilities for prevention or rehabilitation
76.00
Spas and health resorts
Talents & Research
minusMany Bavarian universities have proven expertise in medical technology. The Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU) together with the University Hospital Erlangen the Max Planck Institute for the Physics of Light and the Max Planck Center for Physics and Medicine a joint research center. The University Hospital Regensburg is an active partner in the Germany-wide University Telemedicine Network (UTN). At the Technical University of Munich (TUM) medical technology focuses are, among others, at the Chair of Microtechnology and Medical Device Technology and at the Chair of Medical Materials and Implants are located here.
Numerous interdisciplinary research alliances link science and industry in Bavaria in order to jointly bring medical technology innovations to market maturity. In the Medical Valley e. V. of the European Metropolitan Region of Nuremberg brings together over 250 members from the healthcare sector. These include start-ups, SMEs and global players who realize significant healthcare innovations through successful collaborations.
Bavarian research institutions also provide highly qualified training in specialist areas relevant to the sector. In total, over 80,000 people are employed in medical technology in Bavaria - supported by a labor market with excellently trained specialists.
Networks
plusThe most important Bavarian medical technology networks are Medical Valley EMN e. V. and Bayern Innovativ Gesundheit which jointly operate the Bavarian Medical Technology Cluster with around 500 players. Highly specialized research institutions, leading international companies and many up-and-coming companies are active in Medical Valley EMN e. V.. These cooperate closely with world-renowned healthcare research institutions to jointly find solutions for the challenges of healthcare today and tomorrow. After being named a national cluster of excellence in 2010 by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), Medical Valley was named one of 12 national "Digital Hubs" by the Federal Ministry of Economics in 2017. Since 2007, Medical Valley has been connecting members from business, science, healthcare, networks and politics.
With Bayern Innovativ Gesundheit a target-oriented community has also been established - with a partner network of around 150 partners from Bavaria and Germany and many other players beyond. Together, they pursue the mission of turning every viable idea into an innovation through knowledge transfer, networking and support. Forward-looking projects complement the activities of Bayern Innovativ Gesundheit.
The network is complemented by the headquarters of EIT Health e.V. in Munich, one of the world's largest publicly funded health initiatives. It networks science and industry from Germany with over 120 international partners in order to strengthen the European healthcare system.
In addition, numerous other networks and specialized innovation and start-up centers provide targeted support for start-ups and young companies in the field of medical technology. The network NeZuMed network strengthens small and medium-sized suppliers in particular through exchange, technology transfer and advice on certification.
The overlap between AI and healthcare and medical technology is particularly strong in Bavaria. Numerous networks act as central points of contact for companies, such as the Fraunhofer Institute for Cognitive Systems IKS and Baiosphere.
Start-ups
plusMedical technology start-ups in Bavaria benefit from a strong network and an outstanding infrastructure that promotes exchange with industry and top international partners.
The Digital Health Accelerator Startup Creasphere in Munich, founded in 2018 by Roche and Plug and Play has developed into one of the largest innovation hubs for the healthcare sector worldwide. Additional partners such as Sanofi and Sana Kliniken AG enable start-ups to further develop their business models and implement pilot projects with leading companies in the industry in a three-month program.
The Healthcare Hackathon Bavaria offers a platform for interdisciplinary exchange between medicine, IT and technology at various locations. It enables participants to develop innovative solutions for current challenges in the healthcare sector and implement them with strong partners until they are ready for the market.
For start-ups looking for more intensive support or office space in an incubator, the Medical Valley EMN e. V., based in Erlangen, is a central point of contact.
Events such as the MedtecSUMMIT, the Digital Health Summit and the European Health Congress Munich offer young companies the opportunity to make contacts with established companies and discuss the latest developments in the healthcare sector.
Siemens Healthineers regularly invites to the Innovation Think Tank Exhibition (eITT) which focuses on open innovation and co-creation in the healthcare sector.
These diverse offerings and events in Bavaria provide medical technology start-ups with optimal conditions for growth and innovation.
Our service for you
plusAre you interested in Bavaria as a location for your MedTech company or start-up? We support you throughout the entire relocation process - from planning and location search to all the formalities. We also connect you with relevant networks, associations and clusters once you have settled in Bavaria. Contact us - the international Invest in Bavaria team looks forward to hearing from you.
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