Northern Germany exports its leadership in healthcare to the Gulf co-operation countries (GCC) (Germany and Middle East)

Citation

(2012), "Northern Germany exports its leadership in healthcare to the Gulf co-operation countries (GCC) (Germany and Middle East)", Leadership in Health Services, Vol. 25 No. 4. https://doi.org/10.1108/lhs.2012.21125daa.007

Northern Germany exports its leadership in healthcare to the Gulf co-operation countries (GCC) (Germany and Middle East)

Article Type: News and views From: Leadership in Health Services, Volume 25, Issue 4

Keywords: Healthcare industry service centre, Decision making in healthcare, Healthcare infrastructures

Modern lifestyle and globalisation are constantly increasing demands and challenges around the sectors of healthcare and life science. Therefore, international cooperation in the wellness industry reinforces the ties between market leaders, exporting their expertise to booming markets and regions with growing demand for such services and technologies.

The inauguration of the “Healthcare Industry Service Centre”, which recently opened its doors in Dubai Business Village, not only expands to the field of healthcare the already consolidated historical and economic ties between Northern Germany and the Arabian Gulf countries but it also highlights the increasing interest of both parties for common projects in this area.

The “Healthcare Industry Service Centre” is a governmental initiative of the Hamburg State Ministry of Health and Consumer Protection, funded by the European Social Fund. The project was realised in cooperation with Norgenta, North German Life Science Agency. Norgenta is the project and service agency of Hamburg and the Federal State of Schleswig-Holstein, established to support life science activities in Northern Germany.

“By realising a service and information centre that guarantees a permanent presence in the region, we are further strengthening the international competitiveness of small and medium-sized enterprises (SME) and clinics in Northern Germany. The centre will facilitate the market entry and the establishment of companies in the region through market expertise, contacts with decision makers within the healthcare sector as well as through solid cultural awareness of the region,” said HE Senator Cornelia Prüfer-Storcks, Head of Hamburg Ministry of Health and Consumer Protection.

After the inauguration ceremony, held in Dubai, the opening of the “Healthcare Industry Service Centre” was celebrated at Hamburg’s Town Hall. The event was hosted by HE Senator Cornelia Prüfer-Storcks and gathered over eighty health sector members of Northern Germany. Representatives from the Hamburg Chamber of Commerce as well as from Norgenta supported the success of the event with their active participation.

The speakers pointed out the main goals of this new structure, which aims at developing transnational co operations between SMEs in the sector of medical technology and services.

A particular emphasis was placed on the intensification of the partnership between public health system, companies and hospitals from the Hamburg metropolitan region and the GCC countries.

“On the one hand, we have established market leaders from Hamburg and Northern Germany, where science, research and practice are closely connected; here, a solid reputation and economic structure support continuous research and development in medical technology,” said Kirsten Staab, Director of the Hamburg Representative Office in Dubai.

“On the other hand we have new attractive markets such as the GCC countries, where huge investments are implemented to gain capacity in structures, technologies and expertise for the healthcare system. Arab states are acquiring top-class medical and technical products and are profiting from high-quality advisory services. They are also gaining training capacity for medical and nursing staff,” she continued.

The “Healthcare Industry Service Centre” has been located close to the Hamburg Representative Office in Dubai and operates under its umbrella. The overall aim of the office is to foster already consolidated business relations between the UAE and Hamburg. It also acts as initial contact for companies and institutions, wishing to set up businesses in the opposite territory.

As the medical sector has become a pillar of the Arab-German relations, a permanent regional presence aims not only at ensuring stronger contacts locally but it also helps broaden the range of activities of health service providers from Northern Germany.

The massive expansion of the local healthcare infrastructures, the high-class technology produced in North Germany, and the renowned know-how and services of the region made Hamburg a leading European life sciences hub.

Besides serving the UAE, the Service Centre focuses on the fast-growing countries of Oman, Saudi Arabia and its neighbours, which are also extensively looking outside their national borders with regards to medical services, equipments and expertise.

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