Abstract

The Italian medical-device industry is composed of two main separate groups of firms: electromedical firms and bio-medical firms. The first part of the paper consequently describes the main features of each group in terms of number and concentration of firms, turnover, employment, internationalisation, etc. Both groups of firms are significantly affected by public policies for two main reasons. Firstly, they are subject to significant EU and national laws and regulations. Secondly, and even more relevant, their most important client is the Italian National Health Service (INHS). The second part of the paper consequently analyses the main features of the INHS and their implications for the industry's current situation and future perspectives.