FORT WAYNE, Ind. -“Indiana is rightly called the orthopedic manufacturing capital of the United States and the Orthopedic Design and Technology Conference in Fort Wayne will help demonstrate why,” said John Sampson, president and CEO of the Northeast Indiana Regional Partnership.

More than 50 national and regional companies will be participating in the Nov. 4-6 conference, which will take place at the Grand Wayne Conference Center in downtown Fort Wayne.

The program will bring together leading manufacturers, industry suppliers, physicians and members of the financial community – including more than 75 exhibitors and 500 industry specialists – to examine emerging design, technology and market trends in orthopedic manufacturing.

Featured industry speakers will include John Devine from Inviobio Biomaterial Solutions, Laura Whitsitt of Smith & Nephew (global orthopedic research and innovation), and Lance Barrow from CBS. “This nationally-recognized annual conference further illustrates Indiana‟s growth in the life sciences industries,” said David Johnson, president and CEO of BioCrossroads, the state‟s initiative to grow the life sciences sector. “Our orthopedics companies and suppliers make up one of the cornerstones of our life sciences sector, and the Expo will afford both national and regional companies the chance to see firsthand the outstanding opportunities available in Indiana.”

The medical device manufacturing and industry cluster in Northeast Indiana, which includes orthopedic research and manufacturing, is estimated by state and industry officials to have a value in excess of $8 billion. Nearby Warsaw Indiana is home to orthopedic giants BIOMET, DePuy and Zimmer, who control about 30% of the total orthopedic market.

“The diversity of medical manufacturing, design and support companies represents a critical segment of our regional economy and offers up substantial opportunities for growth in support and cluster companies on a global basis,” Sampson said. “For anyone in the region tracking or interested in growing with the medical manufacturing industry, this is a „must-attend‟ conference.”

A recent study by the Advanced Medical Technology Association shows that the global medical devices market represents more than $260 billion sales and development, with over $80 billion of that figure produced and used in the United States. According to industry experts, the orthopedics industry is expected to grow at a rate of between 10-20 percent as the Baby Boomer generation nears or enters retirement. Demographic estimates shows that one member of the Baby Boomers (people born during or within 10 years after World War II) is now turning 50 years of age on an average of every seven seconds.

“As industry experts point out, the Baby Boomer generation expects to maintain a very active lifestyle, and technology improvements in the orthopedic industry support that lifestyle,” Sampson continued. The net result is that joint replacements and medical devices developed and produced in Indiana are expected to see strong and increasing demanding over the next decade. Leading participants include Astro Medical Devices, the Fort Wayne Metals Research Products Corporation, Medicraft, Memry Corporation, Oberg Medical, Stericycle and Symmetry Medical. The conference is organized and sponsored by Orthopedic Design and Technology magazine. For more information visit http://www.odtexpo.com/ or www.chooseneindiana.com.

About the Northeast Indiana Regional Partnership -- We are an investor-based organization that supports Northeast Indiana economic development throughout eleven counties. Northeast Indiana business expansion and economic growth are our goals, and the organization achieves these goals by partnering with local Northeast Indiana economic development organizations to discover and develop opportunities for new business investment and growth in Northeast Indiana. For more information, please visit www.chooseneindiana.com.