It’s been quite the hiatus since attending the Medica and CompaMed trade shows in Dusseldorf, Germany. My last visit to the event was 2019, prior to all the disruption created by the COVID-19 pandemic. With renewed enthusiasm, I was anxious to get back onto the show floor to meet with those companies attending the 2022 event. In anticipation of my visit, I reached out to a number of companies to get the scoop directly from them on what they are showcasing at the event, what challenges customers have brought them, and where they see their role within the industry in aiding medical device manufacturers. With that in mind, Jeff Kelly, vice president, sales and business development at Cadence Inc., shared the following insights to help you determine if the firm should be a potential services partner for you in 2023 or beyond.
 
Sean Fenske: What technology or service are you emphasizing at Medica/CompaMed this year?
 
Jeff Kelly: The primary service that Cadence is focused on is full end-to-end contract manufacturing support, meaning Cadence is well positioned and resourced to help our customers complete development and launch finished medical devices. This includes collapsing and managing the full supply chain. Within the supply chain, Cadence has significant and unique capabilities with metal components across a broad range of operations.
 
Fenske: What’s the most common challenge customers inquire about and how do you address it?
 
Kelly: Currently, the most common challenge we hear about is lead time for critical components and material. Cadence is addressing this through proactive management of suppliers and significant investments in new capacity and capability that match the short- and long-term requirements of our customers.
 
Fenske: If you could give one piece of advice to companies seeking a manufacturing partner before they make a decision, what would it be?
 
Kelly: Ensure your manufacturing partner has the capability and capacity to support current and future requirements. Is the manufacturing partner willing to invest in the future potential of the relationship?
 
Fenske: What are the forces driving medical device manufacturers to seek your technology/services over doing it in-house?
 
Kelly: There are several forces that drive medical device OEMs to seek Cadence services, including improving time to launch, gaining access to unique component technology and engineering experience, as well as total cost of the program and products.
 
Fenske: In what ways is your company able to aid in getting a product (project) to market faster?
 
Kelly: Getting products to market faster is very well aligned with the primary goal of Cadence, which is to get products to manufacturing as quickly as possible. Cadence accomplishes this with a rigorous quality system that is well aligned with the requirements of our OEM customers, prototyping capabilities that get products into the hands of the R&D team quickly, and long standing and productive relationships with key suppliers to reduce lead times.
 
Cadence Inc. is located at Medica/Compamed in Hall 8A, Booth/Stand H14.