The Korea International Medical & Hospital Equipment Show (KIMES) 2019 will kick off its four-day run in COEX, southern Seoul, from March 14-17.

Co-organized by the Korea Medical Devices Industrial Cooperation Association (KMDICA), Korea Medical Industry Association (KMDIA) and Korea E&EX, the annual event celebrates its 35th anniversary of promoting public health and medical technology development as well as vitalizing medical and hospital-related industries.

Minister of Health and Welfare Park Neung-hoo (ninth from left) and other guests cut a ribbon to celebrate the opening of the Medical & Hospital Equipment Show (KIMES) 2018 at COEX, downtown Seoul.

The exhibition will attract 1,403 companies from 36 countries and exhibit more than 30,000 products. Corporate participants will include global names, such as GE Healthcare, Siemens Healthineers, Samsung Medison and Philips.

Organizers expect more than 58,000 people will attend the event, including medical professionals and officials representing domestic and international medical associations who will participate in seminars and conferences.

The conference will also present robotic medical devices that have received attention worldwide. Domestic and overseas manufacturers will display a broad range of robotic equipment, including medicinal sterilized robots, artificial joint surgery robots, walk-assisting robots, and robot rehabilitation systems.

KIMES also plans to hold seminars on sharing 3D printer technology and application examples in the medical field. At the workshop, participants can view various 3D printing parts used in medical areas such as those used in various cancer operations.

To promote the export of medical devices, the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA) will hold a separate conference called the Global Medical Equipment Plaza (GMEP) alongside KIMES. The fair aims to link prospective buyers with innovative medical device manufacturers. KOTRA expects domestic companies will have a chance to interact with 260 potential buyers from 60 countries.

Opening hours are from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. for both conventions. The exhibition will also be open on Saturday and Sunday for medical professionals working outside of Seoul. The KIMES secretariat will operate "free foreigners interpreter center" at the entrance of each exhibition hall as well as shuttle buses from major railway stations to COEX.

Admission fee is 10,000 won ($8.8), but visitors can pre-register for free on the KIMES 2019 website until March 13.