Request for Expression of Interest for the Canadian Medical Technology and Digital Health R&D Partnering Mission to Germany – January 17-23, 2021

Request for Expression of Interest

On behalf of the Embassy of Canada in Berlin, the Consulate of Canada in Düsseldorf and the National Research Council Industrial Research Assistance Program (NRC-IRAP), Global Affairs Canada will now be accepting applications for participation in the upcoming Canadian Medical Technology and Digital Health R&D Partnering Mission to Germany, taking place from January 17 to 23, 2021.

Any interested companies and organisations must apply no later than September 30, 2020.

Note: Due to the COVID-19 situation, current travel restrictions and mandatory quarantines in Canada, the mission may have to take place virtually. This means that B2B meetings and speaking opportunities would be held virtually and some elements of the program may have to be cancelled. You will be asked to express your level of interest in the in-person and/or virtual programs when filling out the application form. Please be candid in your responses. A decision on the format of the mission will be made by the end of November based on the situation at the time.

Mission Objectives

The focus of the mission will be on establishing industrial R&D collaboration opportunities specific to medical technology and digital health between Canadian and German organisations with the purpose of bringing new products and services to market within 3 to 5 years. Medical technology and digital health sectors are key economic drivers in both Canada and German. With strong R&D expertise and capacity in these sectors, Canadian companies are well suited to partnership opportunities with leading German companies and R&D centers that increase their global competitiveness and access to new markets.

Examples of R&D collaboration include:

• Joint development of new products or services by combining Canadian and German technology;
• Validation of Canadian technology to the German market; or
• Adaptation of Canadian technology to meet German market characteristics.

Canadian Delegation Profile

Canadian participants should meet the requirements below in order to participate in this initiative:

• Profit-oriented Small to Medium Size Enterprise (SME) incorporated in Canada;
• Previous experience in commercializing technology for domestic and/or international markets;
• Capacity and interest to co-develop technology with German partners;
• Committed to expansion to the German and European market; and,
• Sufficient working capital and human resources to undertake a multi-year R&D collaboration and commercialize results.

Mission Description

The Canadian Medical Technology and Digital Health PDA Mission will take place over a 6-day-period in three German cities, all of which are hubs for the health and digital health sectors. Final choice of cities will be determined based on the Canadian delegation participants. The mission will include:

• Partnering events providing the opportunity to present company activities and R&D project ideas;
• Tailored B2B meetings with German companies and/or research centres to identify similar interests, potential partners and consortia;
• Site visits offering the opportunity to meet with German key stakeholders, companies and research organizations; and,
• Information session(s) on European regulations or reimbursement.

Areas of Focus

The Medical Technology and Digital Health R&D Partnering Mission to Germany will focus on building around the expertise of the mission participants, including but not limited to:

• Medical Devices
• AI for Medical Devices
• Digital Health
• Diagnosis
• Imaging
• Laser and Photonics

Local German Participants

Local German participants in this mission include the German Federal Ministries, provincial governments, research institutes and local med tech associations and clusters.

The mission itinerary may include:
Baden-Württemberg: hosts more than 800 Medtech companies and is a major location in the medical device sector;
Bavaria: is an industrial hub with more 25 research institutes, including 3 biological/medical Max Planck Institutes for biochemistry, neurobiology and psychiatry. It also hosts 60 hospitals and university clinics;
Berlin: counts approximately 300 medical technology, a digital health cluster, many accelerators and incubators from large companies and a high concentration of university, research institutes and hospitals.
North Rhine-Westphalia: one of the strongest economic province in Germany, its healthcare industry is a major contributor to the growth and innovation of the health sector in Germany. It also hosts international fairs like Reha-care and Medica.

Why Germany?

Germany has a high potential in the Life Sciences sector, especially in medical technology and digital health. The German healthcare market is one of the largest in the world and represents $1.5 billion per day in spending. In addition, Germany is home to the third largest medical device market in the world. Germany hosts numerous international trade fairs like Reha-Care, IDS and, of course, Medica.

Furthermore, the German Health Care market is characterized by Small to Medium Sized companies but also has larger global players in all subsectors (Siemens, Draeger, Karl Storz, etc.).

The German market offers numerous promising partnership opportunities in Science, Technology and Innovation sectors through Germany’s major research institutions (Fraunhofer, MaxPlanck, Helmholtz, Leibniz, etc.) and universities (Eppendorf, Nuremberg, Charité Berlin, LMU, etc.). There is a culture of innovation and high-skilled students and specialists.

The active start-up ecosystem in Germany includes many accelerators and co-working spaces (d.hip, G4A Bayer, Helios Hub, Creasphere, Health Bootcamp, etc.) that stimulate innovation and focus on bringing ideas and prototypes to life. In addition to this, there is an up-and-coming Canadian Technology Accelerator in Berlin with a focus on life sciences, which could be a great transition for Canadian companies to pursue their activities in Germany.

The partnering events in the three PDA locations will provide a platform for Canadian and German SMEs and researchers to identify project ideas, as well as initiate the development of project proposals and consortia for new cooperative R&D activities with commercial relevance.

This events will allow participants to increase their knowledge of relevant R&D activities, programs, and funding opportunities in the respective other country. and it will provide companies with opportunities for networking; and provides insights in national and international market opportunities.

Financial Support for the Mission

The Canadian International Innovation program (CIIP) may provide financial support to the selected Canadian participants for 50% of all eligible travel expenses (see application process below) such as:

• Economy airfare;
• Local transportation;
• Meals & accommodation

How to Apply for Participation

1. Interested companies and organisations should request an application from Edouard Huot, Trade Commissioner, Embassy of Canada in Germany: Edouard.Huot@international.gc.ca. A full application form requesting additional information on your company, your technology and your interest in discussing possible R&D opportunities will be sent to you. In your request, please respond to every question in detail and provide a brief summary of your company.
2. Completed application forms are due no later than September 30, 2020 to Edouard.Huot@international.gc.ca
3. The Embassy of Canada in Berlin, the Consulate of Canada in Düsseldorf and NRC-IRAP will select companies to participate in the mission. Selected applicants can expect to be notified no later than October 19, 2020;
4. Canadian SMEs formally selected to participate in the mission will be invited to apply for travel funding support. Companies who have applied for travel support can expect to be notified of the decision on travel funding support no later than November 6, 2020.

IMPORTANT NOTE: The primary purpose of this program is to support SMEs to bring new products and services to markets. Academia, Research Technology Organisations (RTOs), Incubators, Industry Associations, etc. supporting this mandate are welcomed to submit an application for the mission; however, they should note that they are not eligible to financial support under the CIIP. Other funding mechanisms might apply. Please contact Edouard Huot for further information.

Participation is limited. Applications submitted will be assessed to determine the applicant’s eligibility to participate in this R&D mission based on the quality of the information on the company, the company’s technology and the appropriateness of the technology for the CIIP target market.

Canadian International Innovation Program

Global Affairs Canada in collaboration with the National Research Council Industrial Research Assistance Program (NRC-IRAP) delivers the Canadian International Innovation program (CIIP) in Germany. CIIP supports industrial R&D partnership development activities between Canadian SMEs and companies in key markets, including Germany.