Dr. Rapp strengthens Baden-Württemberg's space in medical technology!

Dr. Rapp strengthens Baden-Württemberg's space in medical technology!

Eindhoven, Niederlande - dr. Patrick Rapp, State Secretary in the Ministry of Economic Affairs, Labor and Tourism, started his delegation trip to Eindhoven in the Netherlands today. This journey, which lasts three days, is intended to deepen the cooperation with the province of Nordbrabant and the Flemish region Flanders. The focus is on networking in the areas of life sciences and medical technology. Rapp is accompanied by a delegation of around 30, which representatives of Baden-Württemberg Economic and Research institutions. On this trip, exploring innovative ecosystems in Belgium and the Netherlands is on the agenda. This was reported by the state government of Baden-Württemberg in a statement in which it highlights the importance of bilateral relationships with North Brabant and Flanders.

In Eindhoven, important institutions are on the program, which are leading in drug development and the production of intelligent biomaterials. These include the Pivot Park and the smart biomaterial consortium. On the second day of travel, Rapp will sign an interministerial declaration of intent with the Minister of Economic Affairs of the Province of North Brabant, Martijn van Gruithuijsen. This explanation is intended to fix the cooperation in key areas such as smart industry, health, energy transition, security and defense as well as sustainable mobility.

medical technology as a pillar of cooperation

A crucial aspect of this trip is medical technology, an area in which Baden-Württemberg occupies a leading position. According to reports from World Cup Baden-Württemberg, Germany stands for over 25 percent of medical technology production in Europe. Baden-Württemberg itself contributes to 25 percent of nationwide sales in this industry. Companies in this state cover almost the entire spectrum of medical technology products, whereby special competencies in endoscopy and in high -quality surgical instruments.

economic relations with the Netherlands and Belgium

Economic relations with the Netherlands are of great importance for Baden-Württemberg. In 2024, the Netherlands took fourth place in export and sixth place in import. Baden-Württemberg exported goods worth 16.3 billion euros to the Netherlands, which makes 14.9 percent of the German export. At the same time, the import from the Netherlands was 12.5 billion euros, which corresponds to 13.3 percent of the German import. Belgium also plays an important role as a trading partner, with an export of 6.5 billion euros (11.1 percent of the German export) and an import of 6.7 billion euros (14.1 percent of the German import).

However, the commercial numbers show that export with both countries has decreased by around 4 percent in the past two years. While the import from Belgium was even reduced by 19 percent, the import from the Netherlands has recovered by 0.6 percent. These trends will also be important in the conversations in Eindhoven and Flanders to strengthen future trade relationships.

The next few days promise exciting knowledge and discussions that the Baden-Württemberg economy could further advance. The visited institutions and the signed declaration of intent could promote cooperation in the innovative areas.