Pictured above: Tony Davis, CEO of MedilinkWM, the Life Science industry association, which is showcasing the region's medical and healthcare sector at three top events this month.

MedilinkWM, the Life Science industry association, will showcase the region's progressive work and role in existing and emerging medical and healthcare technologies at three of the sectors' leading trade events in June. 

The organisation is to exhibit at London's Medical Innovation Forum on the 9th June, the National Housing and Support Congress and Exhibition in Warwickshire on the 10th and 11th June, and the West Midlands Cluster Conference 2010 at Ricoh Arena on the 17th June, organised by Advantage West Midlands.

MedilinkWM's chief executive Tony Davis, explains: "The West Midlands has the highest number of medical technology companies in the UK manufacturing and distributing products, with 98 percent of these being SMEs. MedilinkWM is dedicated to supporting enterprises operating within Life Sciences, with a focus on assisting them in realising their potential and add value to their business model."

MedilinkWM currently works with and supports 1300 companies including many of the region's foremost names in the sector, including Kingswinford-based Minivator Group, the producer of high specification immunodiagnostic assays Binding Site, leading CADCAM software developer Delcam, Kimal PLC which develops, manufactures, markets and distributes innovative medical device technology across the UK and global healthcare market, and Queen's Award winner Dyecor, which specialises in absorbency, specialist paper conversion and sachet manufacture.

"The UK is currently pipelining one in five of all medical biotechnology products in trials and here in the West Midlands there is a high density of specialist manufacturers within the sector, something which perhaps isn't widely appreciated," says Davis. "The region has 13 universities, two of the UK's top five business schools, leading medical schools at Birmingham, Warwick and Keele Universities, each with its own extensive and specialist R&D programmes, and trains more than 20,000 healthcare professionals every year. It is recognised for its strength in emerging healthcare research in medical simulation, imaging training, pharmacology research, regenerative medicine, photonics and IT. 

"As the organisation in the region with responsibility for driving forward relationships between industry, academia, healthcare and social services, we think it's vital for MedilinkWM to be shouting about these credentials and the progressive and market-leading work being carried out right here in the West Midlands. We have a pivotal role to play in creating, maximising and capturing the market opportunities for new technologies across the region, the UK and indeed globally.

"It is also important the region's Life Science businesses understand our focus and activity, and appreciate how MedilinkWM can assist them in developing commercial ventures and business growth. Utilising our knowledge, contacts and sector-specific expertise, we can support them by providing advantageous market intelligence so they can embrace the challenges and emerging market opportunities. Just one example is Minivator, which secured a £1.5 million, five year contract with Oldham Metropolitan Borough Council to provide technical support for residents' stairlifts, as a direct result of working with MedilinkWM."

The West Midlands Business Cluster Conference 2010, themed 'Making Money from New Global Markets' will bring together the region's businesses, entrepreneurs and key public sector executives, to maximise the opportunities presented by the emerging global markets, including medical and healthcare technologies. For more information, contact wmclusters@sectormarketing.co.uk. 

At the Medical Innovation Forum, MedilinkWM will be encouraging clinical staff to engage with industry for collaborative development of innovative healthcare products. Its Connectivity Director Chris Dyke will present a paper entitled 'Let's get digital' covering the digital monitoring of infection control, mobile phone applications, simulation and CADCAM for orthopaedics.

Alvolution, the division of MedilinkWM dedicated to the assisted living sector of the healthcare market, is headline sponsor of the National Housing and Support Congress and Exhibition, where it will profile the value of the Alvolution Demonstrator house, which showcases technology, sustainability and healthcare for assisted living in its adapted living space.

MedilinkWM influences and guides public sector initiatives at regional and national level for the benefit of companies, and drives research and development by identifying potential markets for growth and new product commercialisation in the Life Science market

For more information on MedilinkWM view their website here: www.medilinkwm.co.uk