COVER STORY
IAN BOLLAND OFFERS SOME INSIGHT AS TO WHAT MEDICAL PLASTICS NEWS READERS CAN LOOK FORWARD TO AT THE MED-TECH INNOVATION EXPO IN JUNE.
Putting on a show A tour through a medical plastics eye
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fter a successful return following a Covid-19 enforced hiatus in September 2021, Med-Tech Innovation Expo will be returning on 8-9 June at the NEC, Birmingham, UK as part of Manufacturing Week – and there will be plenty on offer for those in the medical plastics industry. Whether that’s specialist medical plastics companies, those who can help you connect with other markets, cleanrooms, injection moulding specialists, distributors, or more; here we throw the spotlight on one or two aspects that readers of Medical Plastics News might be interested in. INFECTION CONTROL Readers of the previous iteration of Medical Plastics News, and listeners to the MedTalk Podcast, will be familiar with Biointeractions. Its commercial director Arjun Luthra has explained that it is trying to get a multi-action biocompatible coating adopted by the UK government, saying it can consistently protect medical devices for 100 days. He will also be delivering a seminar on infection prevention measures on Day 2 of the Expo. Given the events of the
last two-and-a-half years, this is a pretty timely topic that is sure to generate a lot of interest. AN INTERNATIONAL FLAVOUR It’s Med-Tech Innovation Expo’s third visit to the NEC which, given its location next to an international airport, makes the show that bit more connected to the wider world. Bringing that international flavour to the trade show floor are the likes of Hessen Trade & Investment, an international hub for innovative businesses. On Day 2 you can find out more about the opportunities offered in Hessen when Dr. Hendrik Pollmann, project manager, life sciences & biobased economy, delivers his seminar on the HealthTech/Introducing Stage. There is also the opportunity to connect with the Economic Development Board of Mauritius, while companies from Germany, Switzerland, the Netherlands, and Hong Kong are just a flavour of the worldwide appeal of Med-Tech Innovation Expo. CLEANROOMS, INJECTION MOULDERS, DISTRIBUTORS Guardtech Group is one of the cleanroom specialists on show and is returning this year with a new look having restructured its group following its expansion to five divisions, and marketing manager Joe Shackley told us that we can expect a new look from the firm from its appearance in 2021. “It will be much easier for potential clients to visualise how our products and services relate to their needs going forward – whether it’s a comprehensive cleanroom build, modular cleanroom, controlled environment pre-fab pod, rapid cleanroom or portable cleanroom that they require, the Guardtech Group divisions make it super simple for customers to get what they need without any confusion.” PACKAGING An important, albeit final part of the process, is the packaging part and there is no shortage of those specialising in this area this year’s show. One such company is Shawpak, a company that is increasing its presence at this year’s event after a successful visit in 2021. Lucie Markgraf, sales administrator at Shawpak, said: “Visitors can expect to see some of our range of thermoforming packaging machinery, we have three different size machines and a brand new four Side Seal Pouch machine. Our machinery is compact and flexible, and this is so important to medical device manufacturers when cleanroom space is so expensive.” TAKE TO THE STAGE Across two conference stages, Med-Tech Innovation Expo will be covering several topics and issues that are pertinent to the life sciences sector, including medical plastics.
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