As part of its stated mission to expand into the US market and diversify its technology base, Fortimedix bv has announced that it will establish an office in San Diego, CA, by summer 2010. Fortimedix USA Inc. will focus on end-user based market research and the development of novel endoscopic devices, co-founder and CEO Marc van de Graaf told medtechinsider on Wednesday, 10 February. We spoke with him at the MD&M West show in Anaheim, CA, USA, where he was an exhibitor.

Fortimedix has been highly successful as a contract manufacturer for the US$6 billion global stent market. Part of its US arm’s task will be to continue to grow market share in the North American stent manufacturing sector. R&D and production will continue at the Netherlands facility.

Customers increasingly are seeking single-source suppliers, says van de Graaf, who adds that Fortimedix built up its product offerings early on to take advantage of this trend. The consolidation in demand combined with an expected surge in the global medical device outsourcing market, which will represent more than US$32 billion by 2011, according to van de Graaf, bode well for Fortimedix.

As for the company’s fairly recent interest in endoscopy, van de Graaf explains that “it’s a sizable market and the technology meshes well with our expertise. Generating intellectual property will be the first step. What we do after that—how we monetise the technology—is up in the air,” he adds.