What according to Siemens Medical Solutions is driving the European medical imaging industry?
Dr. Ohnesorge: Generally speaking, the medical industry is a growing field, driven particularly by the rising elderly population and the rising demand of people for state-of-science medicine. This holds true both for Europe and the world but results in rising cost pressure for healthcare providers around the globe. The major challenge today is therefore to further improve the quality of care and at the same time to reduce its costs with the patient always in focus. That challenge is also the opportunity for innovation and for companies to grow. So we believe this is a very healthy business, and this is true not just for Europe, but for the rest of world as well. Within this ambit, it is not just about supporting innovation on the equipment side but also on the IT side. If you look at imaging technology, one of the trends is to provide fast and ready access to new applications for a faster and more accurate diagnosis and effective treatment of diseases while at the same time, to improve
