International forum for good ideas: Fresenius Inventors' Fair turns 10 – Applications now accepted

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The path from a brilliant idea to a market-ready product is often long and arduous. Fresenius wants to help inventors along this path to support the spread of innovative concepts from all areas of medicine. The health care group is now announcing the 10th Fresenius Inventors' Fair. Creative types can present their ideas from November 19 to 21, 2008 as part of MEDICA, the world's largest medical trade fair in Dusseldorf. The Inventors' Fair offers an international forum for innovators to find professional partners from the private sector as well as potential investors for the further development and marketing of their ideas. On the first day of the trade fair, the three best inventions are awarded the Fresenius Inventors' Prize, worth 10,000 Euro in total. Applications are currently being accepted.

There are plenty of new developments in diagnostics and therapies as well as medical devices, care and rehabilitation. But for the most possible patients to benefit from these innovations, inventors often need a healthy dose of perseverance and additional expertise. The Fresenius Inventors' Fair offers innovators an opportunity to present their concepts to experts and the media, and to secure specialist and financial support from interested companies. This increases the chance that their idea could enter mass production and benefit from professional marketing.

An independent jury of medical and business specialists will select the three best innovations. Emphasis is placed on the potential benefits and novelty of an idea. "Feasibility is also a key trait of winning innovations," explains Martin Hepper, doctor and member of the 2006 Inventors' Prize jury. One such successful entry came from Orthopedic doctor Michael Arnold: he developed two orthopedic surgical instruments that allow a relatively gentle removal of worn prostheses, regardless of the original model or manufacturer.

Doctors, natural scientists, engineers as well as hospital and care professionals may now submit their ideas. Fresenius will provide select applicants with exhibition space and stands free of charge at the Inventors' Fair. The health care group has again invested in the professional design of the stands. This should allow exhibitors to showcase their innovations while stimulating interesting discussions with specialists and media representatives. Twenty exhibitors took part in the 2006 Inventors' Fair and numerous specialists from a variety of medical specialists entered the competition.

The deadline for applications is October 2, 2008. The Inventors' Fair will be in Hall 8b during MEDICA. The trade fair in Dusseldorf runs from November 19 to 21, 2008 and is open from 10 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Additional information on the Inventors' Fair may be found at http://www.fresenius-erfindermesse.de/, and on MEDICA at http://www.medica.de. Contact: Fresenius SE, codeword: "Inventors' Fair", 61346 Bad Homburg, Germany, Fax: 0049-61 72-6 08 22 94, E-Mail: daniela.hegemann@fresenius.com.