Medtechs took a long look at themselves as they rose to the challenges of COVID-19. How they responded, repurposed and regrouped to tackle the coronavirus was both sobering and uplifting. The lessons of 2020 must be integrated into the digitally-enabled health care systems of 2021 and beyond.

The performances of the leading medtechs in the first year of the COVID pandemic were impossible to compare and certainly unrepresentative of normal business cycles and competitive activity. Elective care was largely put on hold and emergency needs boosted exceptional demand for certain product types. More than anything else, 2020 tested management's planning skills.

The UK's medtech regulatory consultation has closed and the MHRA must now assess the views of stakeholders on the 465 questions designed to help shape the foundations of a future-proofed regulatory system. But time is tight, as speakers at the ABHI’s annual regulatory conference were at pains to stress.