Title: Medical device industry in Iran: key driving forces of domestic production up to 2040

Authors: Majid Gholi Motlagh; Hakem Ghasemi; Babak Mohammadhosseini; Reza Masaeli; Safar Fazli

Addresses: Faculty of Social Sciences, Futures Studies Department, Imam Khomeini International University, Qazvin, 3414896818, Iran ' Faculty of Social Sciences, Political Sciences Department, Imam Khomeini International University, Qazvin, 3414896818, Iran ' Faculty of Science, Physics Department, Imam Khomeini International University, Qazvin, 3414896818, Iran ' Dental Biomaterials, School of Dentistry, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, 1417653761, Iran ' Industrial Management, Futures Studies Department, Faculty of Social Sciences, Imam Khomeini International University, Qazvin, 3414896818, Iran

Abstract: The medical device industry (MDI) has excellent potential for development in Iran due to the current Domestic Production (DP) potential and the increasing global demand for medical products. The present study aimed to identify the driving forces of the DP in the MDI in Iran. This explorative study was conducted by a three-round Fuzzy Delphi method. The fuzzy weighted means of each factor paved the way for the final ranking. A total of 19 key driving forces of the DP in MDI were obtained. The most important factors were: 1) access to medical-grade raw materials, energy, and physical infrastructure; 2) medical device demand; 3) research and development; 4) complying with international regulations; 5) economic stability; 6) human resources expertise; and 7) emergence and integration of technologies. The findings offer practical implications for policy-making, developing futures scenarios, and road mapping. Additionally, they provide components of production strategy development.

Keywords: domestic production; Delphi technique; futures studies; fuzzy Delphi method; healthcare technology; high technology; key forces; Iran; medical device industry; medical products.

DOI: 10.1504/IJHTM.2023.131520

International Journal of Healthcare Technology and Management, 2023 Vol.20 No.2, pp.171 - 196

Received: 03 Apr 2022
Accepted: 19 Dec 2022
Published online: 15 Jun 2023 *

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