This year, Business Metropole Ruhr is organising the two-day event ‘Scaling to Germany’ for the third time, which this time will focus entirely on health. On 18 and 19 September, ten international health scale-ups will have the opportunity to get to know the German health market better in Essen, Bochum and Dortmund and to network with relevant players from the Ruhr area. Julia Pietsch will give the scale-ups an initial insight into the market in a workshop beforehand.
What can participants expect from your input?
Julia Pietsch: The idea is to provide a general overview of the German healthcare market. All participants will be welcomed and presented with business opportunities.
How does the German healthcare market work? How is the market financed? This varies from country to country in Europe. It will be a broad overview. For example, I will present the health insurance system. There are currently 94 statutory health insurance funds in Germany, compared to only four in the Netherlands.
Julia Pietsch: The most important thing is that everyone – whether start-ups, scale-ups or established companies – understands that the healthcare market is a regulated market. In Germany, the state largely determines the framework conditions and rules for healthcare and the healthcare industry. I need to know: Who exactly are my customers? Are they health insurance companies? Hospitals? Or do I sell directly to patients? Depending on the product or service, there are different ways to enter the industry.
I need to check whether my product is ready for the German market. But I also need to ask myself: Is the German market ready for my product? So I need to know the market before I can adapt my product.
Julia Pietsch
Julia Pietsch is Senior Manager Healthcare at Germany Trade & Invest, the German government agency that supports foreign companies in their expansion into Germany. She advises and works with international companies that are preparing research and development, production, and sales activities in the life sciences and healthcare sectors.
Before joining Germany Trade & Invest, Julia Pietsch worked in the scientific information and promotional materials department at Sanofi Aventis Deutschland GmbH. She also worked at the U.S. Commercial Service at the U.S. Embassy in Berlin, where she helped US companies find distribution partners in Germany. Julia Pietsch holds a Master of Arts in North American Studies from Freie Universität Berlin.
Foto: GTAI-Illing Vossbeck Fotografie
What obstacles do international start-ups face in Germany?
Julia Pietsch: The good news is that Germany offers many opportunities for international companies, especially start-ups. However, the federal structure of the country sometimes presents start-ups with a number of challenges. Both the federal government and the individual states have their own support programs, responsibilities, and legal frameworks. The question is: Who do I turn to? Where do I start? And that's where we come in. GTAI, NRW.Global Business, and BMR open doors to the market and provide a good overview. We are also well connected with each other and can establish contacts as needed.
What global trends are driving growth in the German healthcare market?
Julia Pietsch: The aging society is a challenge for us. This development results in an increasing need for care, numerous chronic diseases, and higher staffing levels in healthcare—all of which increase the pressure on the healthcare system. The digitization of processes can help reduce administrative costs and create more time for direct patient care. Digital tools and the use of artificial intelligence were already a major topic in the healthcare industry before the coronavirus pandemic. AI is used in surgery and radiology. All university hospitals in Germany have long had an AI research department. Germany is innovative in this field.
What makes the Ruhr region particularly attractive as a healthcare market?
Julia Pietsch: The Smart Hospital in Essen, for example, is known far beyond Germany's borders. Many people want to come here to launch their pilot projects and make contacts. It is an international flagship project.
The Ruhr region is also attractive because it is a metropolitan area. There are many people, you can get from A to B quickly, the universities train skilled workers, there are airports, train stations – all of this is exciting for international investors.
The metropolitan area makes it possible to collect data. There is a wealth of data here that is necessary for big data analysis and AI-supported diagnostics. This offers potential for developing new business models and products.
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