Medical device companies asked to make themselves heard
Throughout June, companies engaged in the medical sector have the opportunity to log onto a dedicated micro site where they can express their opinions as part of a campaign to lobby government.
The Voices of Industry Campaign, organised by MedilinkWM, aims to deliver a proposal of 'crucial initiatives' that the government could implement to make an immediate impact on the prosperity of the sector.
A fortnight ago, the government and the treasury stated that life sciences, which in this instance includes medical devices, forms the largest sector within the GDP of the UK. In response to this, the Office of Life Sciences, headed by Lord Drayson, is committed to delivering tangible, valuable investment and support to companies within 12 months. It has issued a challenge to industry to discover that steps can be taken to improve access to finance for SMEs and to stimulate investment.
Tony Davis, chief executive officer at MedilinkWM, says: "The government has set us an urgent challenge, so we're responding immediately by asking industry for its views and ideas. The government is asking for ways it can help life science companies right now - let's make sure they know what SMEs really need to thrive. It's essential that every professional working in this sector looks at what the government could do to make it easier for them to grow their business and unleash their entrepreneurial flair.
"This sector has the potential to receive an influx of investment to ensure some short term success stories and positive stories about the economy. I've been working to ensure that SMEs can benefit from this investment and become a strong success story themselves. The Voices of Industry campaign is here to give smaller industry an influential voice that reflects its combined strength and economic importance."
The campaign is to culminate on June 24th with a round table at the Medical Technology Innovation Centre in Edgbaston.The resulting proposal will be presented by Tony Davis to the Department for Business and Regulatory Reform (BERR) and the Science and Innovation Minister on June 30th.
For its part, "Eureka" is planning to publish a special feature on medical devices in its September 2009 edition.
