Veröffentlicht am: 11.10.2026 um 20:17 Uhr:
ca. 6 Minute(n) Lesezeit
Messe Düsseldorf: COMPAMED 2026: Where Medical Innovation Takes Shape
» Long before a medical device reaches hospitals, clinics or patients, innovation begins with advanced materials, precision components, smart sensors and cutting-edge manufacturing technologies. This technological foundation is at the heart of COMPAMED 2026, which will take place from 16 to 19 November in Düsseldorf. More than 700 exhibiting companies will showcase products, technologies and services that support the development and production of modern medical devices.
Connecting Technology and Healthcare
As part of the ongoing strategic development of COMPAMED and MEDICA, both events are sharpening their roles within the medical technology value chain. While COMPAMED focuses on materials, components, technologies and services for product development and manufacturing, MEDICA presents finished medical products, systems and healthcare solutions for clinical and outpatient use.
Together, the two events provide a comprehensive view of the industry, covering everything from technological innovation and industrial production to quality assurance, regulatory compliance, market access and practical healthcare applications.
“COMPAMED brings together the companies that make medical innovation technically feasible and industrially viable,” says Carmen Berger, Director of MEDICA & COMPAMED at Messe Düsseldorf. “Together with MEDICA, it creates a bridge from technological development to real-world application in hospitals and medical practices.”
For trade visitors, this means direct access to specialist partners, opportunities to discuss complex technical challenges with experts and valuable insights into new materials, manufacturing methods and technologies that can support future product development.
Five Key Themes Define the Future of MedTech
The exhibition’s content is structured around five major focus areas that reflect the core competencies of the medical technology supply industry:
- Micro- and nanotechnology
- Materials and functional materials
- Highly automated medtech production
- Secure connectivity and embedded intelligence
- Market regulation and supply chains
Micro- and nanotechnologies continue to enable increasingly smaller sensors, minimally invasive instruments, implants and targeted drug delivery systems. At the same time, advanced functional materials are becoming increasingly important for applications such as regenerative medicine, infection prevention and implant technologies.
The industry is also facing new challenges, including potential restrictions on PFAS-containing materials, rising production costs, labour shortages and increasingly complex documentation requirements. Meanwhile, connected medical devices are creating new demands for cybersecurity and embedded intelligence, while global trade conflicts and supply chain disruptions are placing greater emphasis on resilience and diversification.
HIGH-TECH FORUM Bridges Innovation and Industrialisation
A central attraction of COMPAMED 2026 is the COMPAMED HIGH-TECH FORUM by IVAM in Hall 8a. The programme focuses on smart sensor solutions, laser and photonics technologies, as well as microfluidics for life sciences, medical and industrial applications.
One of the forum’s main themes is the successful transfer of technological innovation into industrial production. Discussions will cover design transfer, manufacturing, automation, quality assurance and international market access.
According to Tim Merforth, Managing Director of IVAM, the forum connects future-oriented technologies with the practical realities of the industry by bringing together researchers, technology providers, manufacturers and international networks. This collaboration helps transform innovative concepts into real medical applications.
For small and medium-sized enterprises in particular, this exchange is essential, as few companies can independently manage every stage from research and development through industrialisation, regulation and international commercialisation.
New Technical Tours Offer Practical Insights
Among the new features for 2026 are the Technical Tours organised from the IVAM joint pavilion. These guided tours will lead visitors directly to exhibitors and technologies relevant to specific medical applications.
Designed to demonstrate how microtechnologies enable innovation in healthcare, the tours provide a practical overview of solutions across the medical technology value chain and facilitate targeted discussions between visitors and exhibitors.
Around 50 IVAM member companies will be represented on the joint stand, covering capabilities ranging from materials and components to prototyping, development and scalable regulatory-compliant production.
Strengthening Transatlantic Cooperation
International collaboration remains a key priority for COMPAMED. The established “Europe meets North America” format will return on 18 November, bringing together companies and networks from both sides of the Atlantic.
Despite ongoing trade policy uncertainties, organisers continue to view transatlantic cooperation as a strong driver of innovation. Europe and North America possess complementary strengths and maintain close technological and economic ties.
The programme will focus on fostering resilient partnerships, improving market understanding and encouraging companies to consider development, manufacturing and regulatory strategies together at an early stage. A networking event following the session will provide additional opportunities for direct exchange between exhibitors and visitors.
SUPPLIERS FORUM Focuses on Industry Challenges
The COMPAMED SUPPLIERS FORUM by DeviceMed in Hall 8b will address a range of critical topics facing the medical technology supply sector.
The first day focuses on manufacturing technologies, highlighting advances such as 3D printing and printed electronics while underlining the continued importance of established processes including machining and injection moulding.
The second day is dedicated to regulatory affairs, examining the impact of the Medical Device Regulation (MDR) and In Vitro Diagnostic Regulation (IVDR) on manufacturers and suppliers.
Material innovations take centre stage on day three, with particular attention given to smart materials and additive manufacturing techniques that enable personalised implants and customised medical solutions.
The fourth day explores artificial intelligence and cybersecurity. As connected medical devices increasingly process sensitive patient data and integrate with hospital networks and cloud systems, security and AI must be considered together.
The forum will also examine how AI supports the entire product lifecycle, from predictive maintenance in manufacturing facilities and automated quality control through image recognition to applications in post-market surveillance.
Expertise Across the Entire Value Chain
The breadth of COMPAMED is reflected in its diverse exhibitor base. Companies including Harro Höfliger, MULTIVAC, Nelipak Healthcare Packaging, Trelleborg Sealing Solutions, DuPont, Saint-Gobain, Evonik, SMC and Covestro will showcase expertise spanning automated manufacturing, packaging technologies, advanced polymers, functional materials, robotics and contract development.
More than simply presenting technological trends, COMPAMED 2026 demonstrates how numerous specialised competencies must come together before an idea becomes a market-ready medical device. By connecting technology developers, manufacturers, suppliers and industry stakeholders, the event creates the partnerships and knowledge exchange needed to drive innovation from concept and industrial scaling through to practical healthcare application.
COMPAMED 2026 will be held from 16 to 19 November 2026 alongside MEDICA 2026 at the Düsseldorf Exhibition Centre. «
Source: Press release by Timo Roth, COMPAMED.de editorial team / Messe Düsseldorf GmbH, 8 October 2026 / text edited using Copilot (AI)