Medical Devices made in Vienna

Vienna can be considered a hub of the Austrian medical device industry. In 2020, more than 250 medical device companies were located in the city. With a workforce of 9,120 people, these companies generated around 3.8 billion euros in revenue. Most of Vienna’s medical device companies are active in sales, including most of the top 20 global players. In addition, Vienna hosts a growing start-up community in medtech with a strong focus on digital health solutions.

Research, development and manufacturing

A total of 65 medical device companies carry out research, development or manufacturing in Vienna. Together, these businesses employ some 2,380 people and, in 2020, generated a turnover of 1.3 billion euros. Some of these companies go back 40 years or more. Ottobock, for example, has been running facilities in Vienna since 1969 and creates products worth 150 million euros in Vienna every year. However, the largest group of companies is significantly younger: 29 companies are not even five years old – a clear sign of Vienna’s growing start-up community and the ongoing rejuvenation of the sector.

Dedicated medtechs at a glance

Most of the “research, development or manufacturing companies” in the medical device sector in Vienna are solely committed to this field of activity: there are 61 “dedicated medical device companies” and only four other companies have been reported, for which medical devices are only one among a number of business segments. Strengths lie in software, in-vitro diagnostics, implants and disposable products. Sempermed (acquired by HARPS in 2023), for example, headquartered in Vienna, is one of the world’s leading producers of medical gloves.

Innovative digital health solutions on the rise

In recent years, Vienna has become a leading city for the development of digital products and services in the health sector. Dedalus HealthCare, for example, develops software in Vienna that serves the global healthcare market. The dynamics regarding the development of software solutions as a medical device, including eHealth tools, are amazing: from ten companies in 2014 (2017: 20) the number has grown to 30 companies in 2020, thus tripling within only a few years. The diabetes care company mySugr is just one of Vienna's success stories: Its acquisition by Roche in 2017 was regarded as the biggest deal of its kind in Europe at that time.

Johannes Homa & Johannes Benedikt - Lithoz
(C) Hans Schubert

Lithoz is the world market leader in the field of 3D printing of bone replacement material and has gained its position through a strong focus on industrial processes and leading edge research. Additionally, the partnerships in research and development are very important for a high-tech company such as Lithoz. Vienna is the ideal ecosystem for the incubation and the growth of leading-edge companies and offers a 360° service for entrepreneurs from funding, business advice and infrastructures to well educated people.

Johannes Homa (CEO) and Johannes Benedikt (CTO)
Lithoz GmbH

Strong in sales and distribution

In 2020, there were some 190 Viennese medical device companies that operated either as distributors, suppliers or service providers. A total of 6,740 employees have achieved a turnover of 2.1 billion euros. The vast majority of these businesses are sales and distribution companies: In 2020, some 150 companies employed 4,360 people and generated revenues of over two billion euros.

Additional information and success stories

More details, tables and lists are provided in the Vienna Life Science Report

Furthermore, we invite you to screen our news section, to register for our electronic newsletter and to follow us on LinkedIn in order to stay up to date on success stories. In the downloads section you will find publications by our media partners, reports and further helpful documents.

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