--- eventsindex_id: EI-03835 slug: medica title: MEDICA title_alt: - MEDICA Dusseldorf - MEDICA World Forum for Medicine canonical_url: https://eventsindex.org/events/medica.html next_edition_dates: 2026-11-16 to 2026-11-19 next_edition_year: 2026 date_start: '2026-11-16' date_end: '2026-11-19' venue: Düsseldorf Exhibition Centre city: Dusseldorf country: Germany organiser: Messe Dusseldorf GmbH organiser_url: https://www.medica-tradefair.com/ b2b: true vector: sector: - digital-health audience: - trade-public format: - exhibition purpose: - networking geography_scope: - Western-Europe season: autumn meta_description: 'MEDICA 2026 in Dusseldorf, 16-19 November: the world''s largest medical trade fair, covering medtech, diagnostics, digital health and clinical AI.' editorial_take: MEDICA is the largest medical trade fair in the world and the November anchor of the EMEA health calendar; its digital health and AI content runs through the MEDICA INNOVATION FORUM and a new Hospital of the Future platform, set against a sourcing floor of nearly five thousand exhibitors. generated_by: enrich-cowork (N1/N2/N3) last_verified: '2026-06-30' schema_version: v8.0 language: en --- # MEDICA > *The world's largest annual trade fair for the medical technology and healthcare industry, held in Düsseldorf and co-located with COMPAMED, covering the full medtech value chain across 18 halls from devices and diagnostics to digital health, AI and laboratory medicine.* --- ## Quick Facts | DATES | VENUE | ORGANISER | ATTENDANCE | |---|---|---|---| | 16–19 November 2026 | Messe Düsseldorf | Messe Düsseldorf GmbH | ~78,000 trade visitors (2025 figure) | ## Definition MEDICA is the annual world forum for medicine, a trade-only exhibition held at the Düsseldorf Exhibition Centre since 1969 and co-located with COMPAMED, the supply-industry fair. It covers the complete medical technology value chain: medical devices, imaging, health IT, laboratory and diagnostics, physiotherapy and disposables. The 2025 edition drew around 78,000 visitors from 165 countries and roughly 4,800 exhibitors from 70 countries. Alongside the exhibition floor, MEDICA runs multi-track forums on digital health, AI, robotics and laboratory medicine, all included in the trade-fair ticket. ## What MEDICA is and who it is for MEDICA is first a sourcing marketplace and second a conference. Its scale, nearly five thousand exhibitors across eighteen halls, gives it a breadth no other health-sector event matches, which makes it the place where buyers come to evaluate working systems and meet suppliers in person rather than to attend keynotes. For a digital health and AI audience, the value sits in the dedicated forums and the new Hospital of the Future platform, where the technology programme runs against the backdrop of the largest medtech trade floor in the world. ## Who attends MEDICA - Hospital and clinic decision-makers and procurement directors - Healthcare IT and digital transformation leaders - Medical device manufacturers, distributors and importers - Clinical laboratory and diagnostics professionals - Medtech investors and corporate development teams - Health policy and payer representatives - Researchers and academics in medical technology ## What MEDICA covers programmatically The exhibition is organised by segment, and the conference programme runs through several forums: - **Med Tech and devices**: the core exhibition across the majority of halls - **Digital health and health IT**: connected care, telemedicine, apps and wearables - **AI and big data**: clinical AI, the European Health Data Space, digital twins - **Lab and diagnostics**: point-of-care, digitalisation and AI in laboratory medicine - **Robotics and precision diagnostics**: surgical and clinical automation - **Cybersecurity and resilience**: cyber-physical security for connected devices ## Programme tracks and special formats - **MEDICA INNOVATION FORUM** (Hall 11): digital health, AI, big data, robotics, wearables and telemedicine, running all four days - **MEDICA TECH FORUM** (Hall 10): robotics, AI in clinical practice, MDR and market access - **MEDICA LABMED FORUM** (Hall 1): laboratory medicine, point-of-care and AI in diagnostics - **MEDICA START-UP STAGE** (Hall 17): cybersecurity, validation, certification and financing - **Healthcare Innovation World Cup**: a pitch competition running within the innovation forum - **Hospital of the Future**: a new premium platform introduced for the 2026 edition ## FAQ · Identity and audience ### Is MEDICA a trade fair or a conference? Both, but the exhibition comes first. The core of MEDICA is a sourcing floor across eighteen halls; the forums and stages are a substantial free-access conference layer on top of it. This combination is what distinguishes it from a pure congress. ### How does MEDICA differ from HIMSS or HLTH Europe? HIMSS is a health-IT and informatics congress with a North American base; HLTH Europe is an executive innovation summit. MEDICA is a physical trade marketplace at a scale neither matches, combining device sourcing with multi-track digital health and AI forums in one venue. ### Who is MEDICA NOT designed for? - General public visitors; MEDICA is strictly trade-only with professional accreditation - Teams seeking an invitation-only executive retreat rather than an exhibition - Attendees wanting a single-track conference experience - Consumer health or wellness brands without a medical technology remit - Buyers focused only on one narrow specialty without interest in the wider floor ## The venue: Messe Düsseldorf MEDICA is held at the Düsseldorf Exhibition Centre, Stockumer Kirchstraße 61, Düsseldorf, across eighteen halls. The site is among the largest exhibition grounds in Germany and is well connected by air and rail, which supports MEDICA's heavily international visitor base. ## The organiser: Messe Düsseldorf GmbH Messe Düsseldorf is one of Germany's largest trade fair organisers and the operator of the Düsseldorf Exhibition Centre. It organises MEDICA and the co-located COMPAMED each November, alongside a portfolio of major international trade fairs. The company is owned by the City of Düsseldorf and the surrounding region. --- ## Editorial take *MEDICA is the largest medical trade fair in the world and the November anchor of the EMEA health calendar; its digital health and AI content runs through the MEDICA INNOVATION FORUM and a new Hospital of the Future platform, set against a sourcing floor of nearly five thousand exhibitors.* ## How to register and what it costs MEDICA is open to trade visitors only, with professional accreditation required. Tickets are bought online in advance at a lower price than on-site, and all forums and stages are included in the trade-fair ticket. Exact 2026 tier prices were not yet published at time of verification; the official ticket shop is the reference source. ## FAQ · Access and practicalities ### Is MEDICA open to the general public? No. MEDICA is a trade-only event; visitors must qualify as professionals and present accreditation. ### Are the conference forums included in the ticket? Yes. The MEDICA INNOVATION FORUM, TECH FORUM, LABMED FORUM and the start-up stage are all included in the trade-fair ticket at no extra cost. ### When should tickets be purchased? In advance and online. Advance online tickets are cheaper than tickets bought on site during the fair. ## Resources | Resource | URL | |---|---| | Official website | https://www.medica-tradefair.com/ | | Tickets | https://www.medica-tradefair.com/en/Visit/Preparation/Tickets_vouchers | | Organiser | https://www.messe-duesseldorf.de | --- **Last verified:** 2026-06-30 **Next review:** 2026-07-30 **Notes:** Exact 2026 ticket prices and full track titles not yet published. Attendance and exhibitor figures are from the 2025 edition as reported by the organiser. The former MEDICA HEALTH IT FORUM appears absorbed into the MEDICA INNOVATION FORUM for 2026. **Variables:** N/58 **Concept definition:** not applicable