APAC’s digital health boom places Irish innovation in pole position

The digital health market in APAC was worth $11.2bn (€9.9bn) in 2020 and is estimated to showcase an annual growth rate of 29.2pc from now to 2026.

Rapid developments in healthcare delivery driven by technological innovations, rising consumer expectations, and the ongoing impact of the Covid-19 pandemic are creating a unique opportunity for companies in digital health looking to build traction, grow and expand their footprint in the region.

Ireland is well placed to play a pivotal role in APAC’s healthcare transformation. We are home to some of the world’s most ambitious digital health companies, a trusted and advanced manufacturing base, and 14 of the world’s top 15 medical device manufacturers.

Enterprise Ireland clients are leading the way in designing and delivering new solutions and technologies to deliver world-class sustainable and patient-centric healthcare.

Covid-19, and the uptake in tele-health, have accelerated the integration of healthcare services, but it has been a long time coming in this region.

Our recent event, Transforming Healthcare in APAC, revealed that interoperability, co-design, the modernisation of digital records, and streamlining silos are the main focus areas for governments, hospitals, and private businesses.

MEG Support Tools is an example of an Irish start-up delivering innovative digital solutions globally. The company’s software (SaaS) simplifies the way healthcare organisations manage quality, compliance, and patient safety — allowing frontline workers to spend less time on admin.

MEG’s mission has seen it design and deliver digital solutions for hospitals in the UK, Ireland, US, Australia and New Zealand. Outside of digital health, Ireland’s home-grown medtech industry came into focus during the Covid-19 pandemic, with numerous Irish companies reacting quickly to deliver innovations or pivot offerings in response.

Novaerus meets the needs of thousands of hospitals, aged-care facilities, IVF clinics and schools worldwide.

Led by a dedicated and highly skilled team of scientists, its devices inactivate all airborne microorganisms on contact.

In addition, with its patented nanotechnology, for the first time, devices in hospitals can rid the air of harmful pathogens without the use of chemicals.

Since the pandemic began, mitigation of airborne transmission hasn’t been the only healthcare issue to shift. The focus on cutting hospital-acquired infections has understandably narrowed to concentrate on Covid-19 recently.

Irish start-up SureWash is helping to tackle this issue. The company’s augmented reality app delivers on-site and remote training to globally approved hand-washing standards.

Its validated technology ensures training and education are accessible, and gamification (adding interactive game mechanics into non-game environments) ensures healthcare workers are engaged in the process.

A core value proposition of SureWash is not just in training people but assisting hospitals in their multi-pronged approach to reducing infections.

As countries in the wider APAC region look to build secure and sustainable healthcare infrastructure and improve their population’s health outcomes, Irish medtech has stepped up with unprecedented innovation.

For companies looking to grow their presence globally, it’s an opportunity not to miss.

Judith Harrington is Enterprise Ireland Market Advisor, Digital Technologies for Australia/New Zealand. Anyone interested in learning more about opportunities in the APAC region can visit www.irishadvantage.com