Europe’s medtech sector is hiring at record levels, but its growth has slowed to 1.8%
Posted on 06.10.2026
Facts & Figures 2026: more than 950,000 jobs and a leading patent grant rate, alongside the first fall in company numbers on record
Brussels, 06 October 2026 – Europe’s medical technology sector now employs more than 950,000 people, but the market that rewards its innovation is expanding more slowly. Growth in the European medical device market fell to 1.8% in 2025, against a ten-year average of 5.6%, according to MedTech Europe’s Facts & Figures 2026. Europe’s share of the global device market has narrowed to 25.6%, from 26.4% a year earlier.
Key findings:
- Jobs: more than 950,000 people work directly in medtech, up from over 930,000 in the previous edition and close to the roughly 955,000 employed in Europe’s pharmaceutical industry.
- Innovation: medtech accounted for more than 15,900 European Patent Office applications in 2025 (up 1.3% on 2024) and 12,310 patents granted, more than any other field. Its grant-to-application ratio of 77.4% compares with 38.6% in pharmaceuticals and 21.5% in biotechnology.
- Companies:the number of medtech companies fell to just over 36,000 from over 38,000, the first fall in the report’s history. Most countries reported stable or slightly higher figures. The change is driven largely by Germany, whose count has moved in both directions in past editions.
- Cost to health systems: medtech accounts for around 7.3% of healthcare spending in Europe, less than 1% of GDP.
The findings come as the EU negotiates the revision of the Medical Devices and In Vitro Diagnostic Regulations (MDR/IVDR), reforms public procurement, and considers how the AI Act fits with sector rules. Small and medium-sized enterprises, around 90% of companies, are the most exposed to rising compliance costs and price-driven purchasing.
MedTech Europe is calling for:
- an MDR/IVDR revision that restores speed and predictability without loosening patient safeguards;
- an assessment of how new rules, including the AI Act, interact with the sectoral framework before they are implemented, with inconsistencies resolved in legislation and compliance demonstrated once under the MDR or IVDR covering the remaining requirements;
- public procurement that rewards value over price alone
“Europe has built a world-class medtech industry. The question is whether it can stay one. Our sector is creating jobs and ideas, but the markets that adopt and reward innovation are growing faster elsewhere. Competitiveness will be decided by how quickly Europe lets good technology reach patients, and we can do that without cutting corners on safety.” said Oliver Bisazza, CEO of MedTech Europe.
The full report is available here: Facts & Figures 2026