Finland Showcases Cutting-Edge Health Services and Technologies

A Finnish ministerial delegation and over 30 Finnish companies participated in The Arab Health Exhibition & Congress, the largest healthcare exhibition and medical congress in the Middle East.

The delegation, which was supported by Team Finland, including Finpro, Finland’s ministries and the Embassy of Finland in the UAE, showcased the latest Finnish healthcare services and technologies at the event held at the Dubai International Convention & Exhibition Centre from January 30 to February 2, 2017. Finpro, a public organization consisting of Export Finland, Visit Finland and Invest in Finland, helps Finnish SMEs go international, encourages foreign direct investment in Finland and promotes travel to Finland, and is part of the Team Finland network.

The UAE’s healthcare needs are growing due to rapid population growth, urbanization and increasing disposable incomes. Finland’s participation in Arab Health 2017 was part of a larger effort to gain visibility and to widen the reach of the country’s medical export in the GCC. The specialized fields of genomic research, diagnostics, chronic disease management, remote care technologies and services, imaging, patient monitoring, wearables, health services, elderly care and hospital IT all position Finland as a healthcare thought-leader.

Two Finnish pavilions at Arab Health featured a total of 21 companies in co-operation with Finpro’s health sector programs. Additionally, six companies participated in a delegation led by Ms. Pirkko Mattila, Minister of Social Affairs and Health, with the aim of mapping out the UAE market in order to secure business deals and to create new exports for Finland in the market. Finnish companies participating in Team Finland’s joint export push in the UAE included HUR, FootBalance, Labrox, Kide Systems, Finnsusp, Contralcare, Woble Helsinki, Modulight, Icare, Medixine, EMA Finland, Quha, FastROI, Oscare Medical, Bioretec, and SE Innovations.

Preventive healthcare solutions were a key focus area for Finland at the event, given the increased global threat of the spread of hospital bacteria. At the exhibition, the Hygienichospital group showcased technology solutions to minimize the infection risks in hospitals and focus on keeping hospitals and healthcare centers safe. The companies in this group represented at Arab Health 2017 included Ecosir, Genano and Medanta, exhibiting in cooperation with Merivaara. The companies demonstrated a holistic range of services to tackle issues ranging from antibacterial air filtering innovations to waste management, antibacterial clothing and surfaces, as well as wearable technologies. Also on display were Finnish innovations in areas such as preventive healthcare, rehabilitation, connected care and health services.

Nora Kaarela, Head of Health Industry at Finpro said, “Finland ranks among the three strongest health technology economies in the world, with digital health being its largest high-tech export. Finland’s world-class research and technology competencies are the pinnacle of its health sector and one reason why Finland has one of the most efficient healthcare systems in the world.”

Meria Heikelä, Program Director at Finpro added, “Both the UAE and Finland are currently facing similar healthcare challenges including the prevention of diabetes 2, obesity and cardiovascular diseases as well as cancer screening, diagnosis and therapies. With Dubai’s 2021 vision to be positioned as a leading health and medical tourism destination this allows and encourages scope for continued collaborations between Finland and the UAE in this segment.”