The Japanese health-care technologies and life sciences industry is on a growth trajectory worldwide, including the UAE. To seize opportunities in the Middle East’s health care sector, several medical device brands have set up regional operations.
According to Japan External Trade Organisation (Jetro), the domestic market size for medical devices is about 2.3 trillion yen (Dh82.48 billion), ranked third after the US and Germany. According to the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, the market size is expected to reach about three trillion yen by 2015. While the production value of the market for surgical devices is highest of all medical devices in Japan, the country is highly competitive in diagnostic imaging systems, with half of all products being exported.
“Consumers in the UAE recognise the need for accurate, reliable and durable products, especially when it relates to their personal health status. Due to the consistently high-quality products that Japanese companies have brought to the Middle East, the demand for Made in Japan health care products has increased,” says Shahzad Rana, Sales Director Middle East, Turkey and Pakistan, Omron Healthcare.
A leader in sensing technology, Omron Healthcare entered into a distribution agreement with Modern Pharmaceutical Company in the 1990s with the intention of providing better services to its customers in the region. Additionally, the company has a dedicated distributor in each market. “With this structure, Omron reaches 1,300 customers in the UAE and is currently a market leader with an estimated 60 per cent share in blood pressure monitors,” says Rana.
Omron clients in the UAE primarily consist of two sectors, government and private/retail. Government clients include the Ministry of Health and public hospitals, while the company is present in private sector and retail outlets, ranging from pharmacies, hypermarkets and department stores to electronic shops and private clinics.
Boasting a strong presence in the Middle East, Toshiba Medical Systems delivers its products and services through distributors in the UAE and GCC. It has a line-up of imaging diagnosis products such as CT and diagnostic X-ray systems, diagnostic ultrasound and MRI systems. “Though our share in the UAE is not very high, compared to Egypt and Turkey, considering the strong growth potential [in the UAE], we are investing in marketing to expand the business,” a source tells GN Focus.
Another testament to Japan’s growing interest in UAE health care can be seen at the Arab Health exhibition, which takes place in Dubai annually. To help promote Japanese medical devices in the region, Jetro established a pavilion at the Arab Health in January, where 13 Japanese SMEs showcased their technology.
“Arab Health was a great success for us as we received more business enquiries for our blood bag than what we had expected. Though we are still working on the enquiries, I am confident that we will get at least two or three new accounts in the Middle East and Africa area. We are also trying to find a good distributor in the market,” says Yoshinori Hara of Kawasumi Laboratories, which has developed its presence in the global market for disposable medical devices such as haemodialysis and plasmaphereis products, blood bags and catheters.
