The statistics are quite clear: an increasing number of watchmaking companies are putting their expertise to good use by diversifying into the medtech sector. At the time of the 2017 event, almost a third of exhibitors stated that they were active in the medtech sector - a spectacular increase in five years. This opening enables these businesses to position themselves in other promising markets and to balance out the uncertainties in the watchmaking industry.
This gave rise to the idea of creating a Challenge, the main object of which is to develop, support andguide new, interdisciplinary projects based on harnessing collective intelligence.“We have to put the idea into reality”, explains Alexandre Catton, director of the EPHJ-EPMT-SMT Trade Show. “The desire to diversify may be present among our exhibitors, but what they need most are the means and guidance to enable them to achieve this. This Challenge will respond to that need.”
" How? By appealing to projects for repositioning technologies, products or ideas to the medtech sector, with the aim of accelerating the implementation or commercialisation of new products or services. The EPHJ Trade Show wishes to enable companies interested in this diversification to do so in optimum conditions, with advice from specialists who will be able to support them in their endeavours and provide some financial assistance.“The medtech sector is sufficiently specific and cryptic to present barriers to entry, which few would dare to tackle alone”, points out Benoît Dubuis, President of Fondation Inartis and President of the “Watch Medtech Innovation” Challenge. “With proper help and guidance, the entrepreneurs will all have the keys to capturing their new market and creating products that will enable them to design their businesses of tomorrow”.
