DUSSELDORF, Germany — IVAM, the international association of companies in the field of microtechnology, nanotechnology and advanced materials based in Dortmund, Germany, literally has put this sector of European industry on the map.

The IVAM Micro-Nano Technology Atlas of Europe shows the intensity of development clusters with the largest centers in Dortmund; Cambridge, UK; Grenoble, France; and in Gothenburg, Sweden.

"We know who is doing what, for example in an area for microfluidics, and we connect the users of these technologies with the suppliers, said Dr. Uwe Kleinkes, managing director of the association, speaking with Medical Device Daily during last week's CompaMed show, a companion to the main Medica exposition here.

Citing the statistics of the Nexus Association (Neuchatel, Switzerland), Kleinkes said the European micro-nano technology (MNT) sector in 2004 reported aggregate 19 billion revenue ($13.5 billion) and by 2009 is expected to generate 125 billion ($37.5 billion).

The share of medical devices in this market was 5% in 2004 and will be around 6% for 2009, he said.

But IVAM went further in its analysis to underline the importance of the sector, asking medical device companies to measure what is called the leverage effect of MNT on their revenues. The study showed the factor to be 10-to-50.

"In other words, a microsensor sold to them for 50 centimes is used in a product they sold for 125," Kleinkes said. "Very often the micro systems used in a product define the winning product function and can be said to be critical to the realization of the product."

The survey by IVAM, combined with detailed descriptions of the eight MNT clusters of Europe, presented at the Regional Microtechnology Conference in Dortmund in mid-October, is the first effort to offer a comparative quantitative analysis of the players in the sector

"It illustrates what exactly the small- and medium-sized enterprises and innovative research institutions develop and produce, and which markets they address," Kleinkes said.

According to a survey of McKinsey business consultants, Europe's leading position in this sector is in danger due to the fragmentation of the clusters. IVAM's mission is to connect these clusters to confront growing competition with developments of MNT industries in the U.S. and Asia.

"The detailed cluster profiles help business developers compare similar locations in Europe. They can see how the clusters differ from or complement each other and decide whether a cluster is worth the effort to initiate cooperation," said Kleinkes.

— JOHN BROSKY, European Editor