Driving developments in medical devices under the SDGs and the BCG model

      The BCG model that Thailand has promoted on the world stage – calling for better income distribution, less inequality, and stronger communities – is environmentally friendly and sustainable, in line with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations, and it includes many industrial fields. One of the aims is to drive the BCG program in the field of medical devices. This field can (a) create economic and social impact by reducing imports and reducing international trade deficits by more than 15,000 million baht, (b) increase employment by at least 4 people per item, (c) increase the employment value by more than 500 million baht, and (d) increase people’s opportunity to access treatment, thanks to the availability of medical devices, medical materials, and innovative treatment methods and new medical devices. As a result, medical costs for people living in the provinces can be reduced by at least 4,500 million baht, increasing the competitiveness of Thai medical device operators and manufacturers, thanks to innovation and higher product standards. There will also be greater opportunities to expand the market to develop and export goods and services in related industries, such as analytical testing room business and wellness tourism businesses, and it will build confidence in the quality and safety of Thai medical devices, both domestically and internationally. The BCG program for medical devices and materials is divided into three major projects:

1. To initiate a fund to drive sandbox standards and account for Thai medical device innovation, thus enabling Thai entrepreneurs in the medical device industry to make products that meet the necessary standards and be listed on the Thai Innovation List. It will also support production to try innovative Thai medical devices for the public sector market through sandbox standards and the Thai Innovation List;

2. To set up an institute to inspect standards, technologies, and innovations of medical devices, in order to create testing capabilities that meet international standards, which would support the needs of various operators, such as medical qualification testing, software testing for medical devices and systems that provide medical services, toxicology, medical devices using digital systems, the Internet of Things (IoT) and medical robotic services. It would also be possible to accredit the quality system of medical device testing laboratories under the standards, raising the level of medical device product testing services and consulting services for entrepreneurs. This will promote Thailand as a medical device production base in ASEAN, supporting the production of expensive medical device components from leading foreign medical device manufacturers;

3. To establish the National Institute of Medical Device Technology for the integration of cooperation from all sectors, for the purpose of promoting and upgrading the domestic medical device industry by jointly conducting research and innovation in medical devices. Another purpose is to support the introduction of research results into the manufacturing and service sectors and to manage and drive the medical device strategy, which would develop the Thai medical device innovation industry. Moreover, establishing a network of cooperation and integrating research and innovation in various dimensions at the international level would help to develop Thai medical device technology.

Source: National Science and Technology Development Agency (NSTDA)

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