Over 2,500 companies from the global medical industry took part in the meet to market their products, services and exchange information on trends and technology.

The Indian participation has almost doubled this year, Indo-German Chamber of Commerce (IGCC) director KC Damodaran said. The chamber promotes bilateral trade and also helps Indian companies enhance their presence abroad. Only seven Indian companies participated in 1994, he said, with 10 making their debut in the event this year.

Likewise, international participation has been increasing by the year. "Although we want to accommodate more companies, due to space constraints, some do not get the opportunity," project director Horst Giesen said. Compared to last year,there are around 400 more participants this year, he said.

"Medica is growing rapidly and Indian companies cannot afford to miss the opportunity that this exhibition provides," Damodaran said. The event is particularly productive for small companies who want to enter international markets or increase their clientele, he added.

This year the exhibition used the entire 80,000 square metres of net exhibition space available in 12 halls despite which some companies could not be accommodated, said Giesen. For the next year, Messe Dusseldorf, the organising company, plans to avail itself of the remaining three halls as well, which are at present being used for other fairs.

This will provide an additional 15,000 square metres of net exhibition space to the participants, he added. The exhibition has the largest participation from the host country with around 1,350 companies present this year.

Among the foreign participants, 260 companies were from the US followed by 164 from the UK and 104 from France. Theexhibition expects to have over 2,800 participants next year, officials said.

"Medica serves for the overall advancement of the industry. It brings equipment manufacturers, institutions, medical professional and the scientists together on a common platform," Giesen said. The event also includes conferences and special shows, he added. "The exhibition reflects development in the global market and offeres technological innovations, progress and solutions for all fields of medicine," Messes Dusseldorf managing director Horst Klosterkemper said.

Some small- and medium-sized companies also took part in the fair. "Trade exhibitions like this are particularly beneficial for small companies as they get an opportunity to meet a large section of the industry at one place," said Eva Rugenstein, Director press department. Apart from gaining information on technology and trends, they also establish contacts with international counterparts which widens their contacts. Otherwise, due to financial limitations, they findit difficult to send their representatives to various countries, she added.

For big corporates, the event is important as they display their technology competence and also make elaborated presentations to visitors from all over the world, she said. Last year, of over the one lakh visitors, more than 27,000 were from outside Germany. The events attracts equipment manufacturers, suppliers, medical practitioners, academicians and others.

The main exhibit categories at the Medica are electromedical equipment, laboratory equipment, rescue and emergency equipment, diagnostics, reagents, clinical chemistry, drugs, physiotherapy, ortheopedic technology, commodities, consumer goods, information and communication technology.

The event also includes Medica Congress, an international forum for doctors and hospital management and other professionals. Last year, it was attended by over 12,000 specialists from all over the worlds. Not only are issues related to medical science and industry discussed here but alsopolicy matters.