Regulatory issues are manufacturers' main concern:

Medical technology companies have said that regulatory issues, including the medical device directives and other developments in European regulations, are their most important concerns, a survey has found. The February 1999 telephone survey of visitors to the European trade exhibition, Medtec, discovered that 34% were most concerned about meeting and keeping up with regulatory changes, while 31% said sourcing reliable and quality suppliers was their biggest problem. 18% of respondents said new technology and product development was their main concern, with a further 11% citing developments in materials and plastics as the most important issue.