A job for life

Vital equipment that helps keep people alive has more than a monetary significance. However, that should not mean the economic importance of medical manufacturing should be underestimated.

The industry employs about 60,000 people in the UK and is valued at €7bn (£5.7bn), making the UK the largest medical manufacturing country in Europe, according to figures from the OECD and Eucomed, the European medical technology group.

The strength of the market means there are a wealth of opportunities for engineers, while the demands of patients and healthcare providers has created a strong culture of innovation.

Meanwhile, population trends mean demand for products that can improve quality of life and deliver ever more sophisticated drugs is likely to increase in the future. This will create a long-term future for staff, who will also benefit from the knowledge that their products are helping to make life easier for those with debilitating conditions.

is a contract manufacturer working with a number of UK industrial sectors. Its work includes producing inhaler systems, one of which will be used by a major medical company for the delivery of growth hormones. It has also designed water sterilisation units that will soon move to the manufacturing stage.