5 Questions for Scapa Healthcare at Medica/CompaMed 2019

Once again, I find myself wandering the many halls of the Medica and CompaMed trade events. Between checking out the latest and greatest from the medtech elite, discovering new firms displaying their first products at the show, or catching up with those I’ve met before, I took a moment to reach out to representatives at several companies exhibiting at the medical device gathering this year. Hopefully, these questions provide useful information for anyone unable to meet with them at the event or those who are not headed to Germany this year. With that in mind, Farzana Erfan, marketing communications manager at Scapa Healthcare, shared the following insights to help you determine if the firm is a potential services partner for you in 2020 or beyond.
 
Sean Fenske: What technology or service are you emphasizing at Medica/CompaMed this year?
Farzana Erfan: Scapa Healthcare—a trusted strategic partner to the world’s leading companies in advanced wound care, medical device, and consumer wellness markets—will be showcasing its formulation development, adhesive coating, filling, converting, printing, and packaging capabilities for skin-contact adhesive and skin care topical solutions.
 
Fenske: What’s the most common challenge customers inquire about and how do you address it?
Erfan: Our customers are faced with pressure to efficiently deliver high quality, innovative products in a short period of time. There are two ways for them to achieve this: internally (they can heavily invest in differentiating technologies and infrastructure) or they can rely on outsource companies to deliver innovation. Customers struggle with the ability to have in-house capabilities in all areas, including manufacturing, regulatory, and technical expertise. With over 20 years of experience in the healthcare industry, Scapa Healthcare has established itself as a trusted strategic outsource partner for leading global healthcare companies.
 
Fenske: If you could give one piece of advice to companies seeking a manufacturing partner before they make a decision, what would it be?
Erfan: Considering the complexity of the healthcare system and the constant changing regulatory environment, it is difficult for companies to have in-house expertise in every single field. Outsource companies can offer a high level of expertise to expedite the development process and deliver innovative products to market. A strategic outsource partner should be seen not only as an extension of its customer’s own manufacturing operation, but also as a part of its R&D team to enhance development capabilities.
 
Fenske: What are the forces driving medical device manufacturers to seek your technology/services over doing it in-house?
Erfan: Large healthcare companies—particularly publicly traded ones—face significant pressure to deliver consistent results adhering to the highest quality standards. One way to achieve this is by keeping investment costs low and freeing up resources. Healthcare companies want to focus their resources on their strengths—supply chain, marketing, and commercialization. Outsource partners are more efficient in the design, development, and manufacturing areas. By focusing on each party’s strengths, outsource companies can complement leading healthcare brands resulting in a mutually beneficial relationship, not only for both parties, but also for the healthcare industry as a whole.
 
Scapa Healthcare has multiple R&D Centers of Excellence and production sites throughout the United States and Europe that allow us to offer single source, dual supply to our partners. Our facilities are ISO-certified and FDA registered with environmentally controlled rooms for full-scale production of finished products. Scapa Healthcare partners can rely on our turn-key solutions and experts to design, develop, and deliver innovative products that can differentiate them in the marketplace.
 
Fenske: In what ways is your company able to aid in getting a product (project) to market faster?
Erfan: Scapa Healthcare has invested heavily to expand its capabilities to be able to provide its partners with global, turn-key solutions. Our highly qualified teams manage the entire design, development, and manufacturing process, including regulatory and logistic services. Combining our streamlined processes with dedicated project teams, we can deliver innovative products to market faster. Our ultimate goal is to enhance our partner’s competitive position in the market.
 
Scapa Healthcare is located at Medica/Compamed in Hall 6, Booth/Stand H48.