Medtech members back the Switzerland-EU package
Reasons for approval: Predominantly entrepreneurial
The majority of medtech companies support the Switzerland-EU package. Direct access to the EU market and the free movement of persons are decisive factors.
A clear majority of companies support the new Switzerland-EU package, although opinion-forming is not yet very advanced. Support is based in particular on two key aspects – namely the restoration of mutual recognition of conformity assessments (MRA) for unbureaucratic market access and the safeguarding of the free movement of persons. The discernible approval is further supported by the clear mandate given to Swiss Medtech to actively and more strongly represent the package. At the same time, it is apparent that many companies have not yet formed a final opinion. Around a quarter remain undecided or refrain from giving a clear answer. Although approval is clearly discernible, it is only the beginning of a process that is likely to become more solid as information and public discussion increase.
The experiences since May 2021 have had a strong impact: with the abolition of the MRA, the industry has been directly and tangibly confronted with the consequences of an erosion of bilateral relations for the first time. 60 per cent of companies report a rather high or very high additional operational burden, whether financial, personnel-related or organisational. The verdict on competitiveness is even clearer: 77 per cent see the abolition of the MRA as weakening the competitiveness of Switzerland as a medtech location.
Support for the new Switzerland-EU package is primarily driven by business considerations. This is particularly evident in the high importance attached to the free movement of persons and the call for the resumption of mutual recognition of conformity assessments (MRA). While the free movement of persons enables secure access to qualified specialists, a new agreement on regulatory recognition would ensure that Swiss medical technology products are approved on the European market without additional hurdles. This is the industry’s direct response to the disadvantages of the MRA’s expiry, which have been felt since May 2021. In comparison, ideological or institutional aspects play a subordinate role in terms of support.
The survey was designed as a complete survey of all 823 member companies of Swiss Medtech. A total of 323 companies took part in the online survey, which corresponds to a response rate of around 40 per cent. All relevant segments of the medtech industry are represented, including manufacturers, suppliers, service providers and start-ups in the field of medical technology, as well as companies of all sizes.
The interactive cockpit (in german) summarises the key findings and the final report (in german) provides the details.
