The 39th Korea International Medical & Hospital Equipment Show (KIMES 2024), jointly hosted by Korea E&Ex (CEO Kim Jung-jo) and the Korea Medical Devices Industry Association (Chairman Lee Jae-hwa), concluded its four-day journey with significant achievements in various aspects, including the scale of participating companies, the number of attendees, and the value of export consultations. The exhibition was praised for showcasing not only the role of domestic companies in overseas expansion but also trends in the convergence of medical devices and IT technology, as well as the current state and future direction of medical AI.
This year's KIMES, held at COEX in Seoul from the 14th to the 17th, covered 40,700 square meters, including the entire COEX exhibition hall and lobby. The exhibition featured over 1,350 domestic and international manufacturers and showcased 35,000 medical devices, hospital equipment, medical information systems, healthcare and rehabilitation equipment, and medical-related products.
Throughout the four-day exhibition, 70,760 domestic and international visitors, including 4,274 foreign buyers, visited the exhibition to explore booths, seminars, conferences, academic meetings, and prize events.
KIMES 2024, in collaboration with KOTRA, held the "2024 Global Medical Equipment Export Consultation Meeting (GMEP)," matching 143 promising medical device buyers from 40 countries worldwide with 320 Korean companies, resulting in over 1,800 export consultations. Significant achievements were made during this export consultation meeting, including contracts worth over $10 million, including a contract for the export of abdominal surgery robotic devices worth $1 million, doubling the previous year's figures.
In addition to exploring new medical trends and business environments, KIMES 2024 attracted attention by co-hosting the MedicomteK 2024 (Medical Device Parts & Materials Technology Exhibition), reflecting increased interest in advanced components and materials in the medical industry due to its expansion through the convergence of new technologies.
Furthermore, the Global Healthcare & Medical Tourism Conference (Medical Korea 2024), organized by the Ministry of Health and Welfare and the Korea Health Industry Development Institute, achieved significant results in international medical trend exchanges and the expansion of global networks. A total of 660 consultations were held between foreign patient-sending companies and domestic medical industry companies. This conference also saw the signing of 37 business agreements related to attracting foreign patients and medical overseas expansion, achieving $6.1 million in export consultation revenue.
KIMES's commitment to ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) practices and customer convenience was especially noteworthy, earning praise as a leading exhibition in the industry. KIMES established sustainable event goals under the "Seoul Global Exhibition ESG Operation Cooperation Agreement" signed with the Seoul Metropolitan Government last October. Based on this, various ESG programs were implemented, including ESG participation campaigns, digital guidebooks distribution, reusable and recyclable materials during construction, eco-friendly souvenir materials, and collaboration with local communities.
Moreover, KIMES provided an official application to maximize the convenience of participants, offering exhibition information, information on participating companies and exhibits, seminar registration and inquiries, personalized information services, and location-based guidance. Positive feedback was received from participants and visitors alike.
Kim Jung-jo, CEO of Korea E&Ex, expressed satisfaction with the successful conclusion of the exhibition, stating, "It is meaningful to conclude an exhibition where 70,760 attendees, including 4,274 foreign buyers, gathered to discuss the future of the convergent medical industry." He added, "In the future, KIMES will continue to strive to support domestic companies in opening up overseas markets and play a role as a bridge for entering the global medical device market, going beyond a simple trade show."
Since its inception in 1980, KIMES has steadily grown along with the development of the Korean medical industry to become a specialized exhibition for medical devices and hospital facilities. Over the years, the domestic medical industry has transformed into a technology-intensive advanced industry, covering medical information systems, ultrasound diagnostic equipment, medical imaging devices, robotic medicine, AI, and rehabilitative medicine.