CBI MEDICAL PROGRAMME CONCLUDES WITH A 95 PERCENT SUCCESS RATE

• IN December 2010, the ECP for Medical Devices and Lab Equipment reached the end of its six-year course. When the dust had settled, the results turned out to be excellent: all 37 participating companies, from seven countries in three continents, benefited from the programme and indicated that their skills and knowledge had increased.

• Twenty-two companies procured export orders for a total average value of €400,000 in at least four new markets.

Making A Difference

• Leendert Santema, who together with Arjan Hock served as sector expert on the programme. Santema also runs his own company, Specializing in anaesthetic products and total pain management.

Just The Beginning

A company which Santema is proud is Shaili Endoscopy in India. It took three audits to put this small local company on the right track, but once Dr. Paresh Shah decided to enter the European market, there was no stopping him. “He built a complete new plant meeting all EU requirements, and he financed it himself.” Says Santema. “I visited shaili five times for training purposes.

• Dr. Shah now employs over 30 people, producing everything you need for medical procedures in gastroenterology. On my advice he focused on Switzerland, Germany and the UK as his core markets. But that was just the beginning. Through a contact at the 2009 Medical Fair he landed a contract in Brazil worth half a million dollars a year over four years.”

• Santema concedes that not all programme participants were successful; five failed to make the grade.

• However, with a success rate of more than 95 percent Santema looks back on the programme with satisfaction. “This is a very international sector. One – third of the exports go to markets outside the EU, and oftan the internal markets also start growing as a result of our involvement.

• On the whole, the market looks good for continued success in our next programme Manager Like van Nierop also enjoyed working with the programme participants. “They were a very active and motivated group. Many of them started from scratch, but by the end of the programme they built up an impressive turnover. I was especially pleased to see their confidence frow, for example in their dealing with customers.”

• According to Van Nierop the follow-up programme, which will run until 2016, is almost ready to kick off. This time a third sector expert, John Paes, will share the consultancy work with Arjan Hock and Leendert Santema. With so much expertise and experience to draw on, the 40 or so participants have a bright future to look forward to.

(Ref : CBI Magazine, March 2011)

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