As global businesses seek to reduce their emissions and move towards zero-carbon manufacturing, one company in Saudi Arabia is developing the solutions they need to deliver on their visions.
Next-generation technologies are poised to advance Saudi Arabia’s development strategy—Vision 2030—as well as the kingdom’s wider transition to a green economy. Helping to develop these innovations is a new Public Investment Fund (PIF)-backed company, Alat.
On a mission to transform global industries, particularly in electronics and industrial sector, it is creating a world-class manufacturing hub in Saudi Arabia, powered by clean energy. Key strategic business areas will be semiconductors, smart devices, smart buildings, smart appliances, smart health, advanced industrials, and next-generation infrastructure, Electrification and AI Infrastructure.
Motivated by Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 strategy, which aims to propel the kingdom to the forefront of technological innovation and improve global health outcomes, Alat is throwing its weight behind a national ambition to advance the MedTech (Medical Technology) revolution.
Already, innovations like robotic surgery aids and at-home monitoring devices are improving treatment outcomes and enabling a shift to a more preventative model of care.
Making healthcare smarter
Alat’s Smart Health Business Unit will principally focus on devices that leverage real-time health data collection and analysis to empower healthcare professionals with the tools for improved monitoring, preventative care, and early diagnosis.
Like fitness wearables, smart medical devices can monitor a range of key health metrics in-clinic and at home. The data can be used to spot developing conditions much earlier than previously possible, better tailor treatments to individuals, and monitor progress.
They are often combined with AI and Big Data analysis techniques that can parse the mountains of data for patterns, alerting clinicians when intervention is necessary or formulating diet and exercise recommendations.
The company’s remit also extends to devices with physical impact. It has identified five core priorities: minimal-invasive surgery (optics, visualization, and instruments), diabetic and hearing care, smart therapeutic devices (sensing and acting), orthopedics and mobility, and laser aesthetics.
In keeping with its wider brief, Alat will seek to produce these devices as sustainably as possible, harnessing data-driven industrial techniques and Saudi Arabia’s abundant wind and solar power. The company aims to promote zero-carbon manufacturing techniques to advance the sector’s wider sustainability.
While aimed primarily at the domestic market, its Smart Health Business Unit’s focus on advanced medical devices is similarly global—tapping into, and seeking to, accelerate an international trend towards smarter healthcare.
MedTech revolution
Global health systems are under increasing strain. A combination of medical innovation and lifestyle changes has led to people living longer, but with increasing rates of chronic conditions like diabetes and heart disease.
Transitioning to preventative healthcare is seen as crucial to helping people live longer, healthier lives. And smart medical devices that enable personalized health recommendations and treatments are viewed as a primary route to the new model.
Alat CEO Amit Midha says there is already ample evidence of smart health’s efficacy: “Studies on telemonitoring, for instance, have shown that readmission rates for patients recovering from conditions like heart attacks and hip replacements are significantly reduced through remote monitoring.”
Saudia Arabia has form in this area, having established the world’s largest telemedicine hospital network, as well as a unified Electronic Healthcare Record (EHR)—a vital innovation for streamlining data transfer between healthcare settings. Other advanced technology Alat will produce is already improving patient outcomes.
Statistics like these reveal the logic behind Saudi Arabia’s support for the MedTech revolution, and why technology is seen as crucial to achieving the kingdom’s policy goals.
Healthier lives, worldwide
The Middle Eastern MedTech market is projected to reach $14.37 billion by 2030, and $800 billion worldwide, as advanced medical devices become more enmeshed in global healthcare.
“With our world-class partners, state-of-the-art manufacturing capabilities, and unwavering commitment to innovation, Alat is well-positioned to secure a significant share of this market and establish itself as a global MedTech leader,” says Midha.
In doing so, the company will have a significant impact of Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 health goals. The government strategy includes an aim to reduce health risks, supported by robust investment into e-health and innovation.
“By developing and producing cutting-edge MedTech devices, we will not only address critical healthcare needs within the kingdom but also contribute to the wellbeing of people worldwide,” says Midha.
The Smart Health Business Unit also contributes to Vision 2030’s wider objectives: “This initiative aligns perfectly with Vision 2030’s objective of establishing Saudi Arabia as a global leader in innovation and technology, ultimately improving lives and shaping the future of healthcare,” Midha concludes.
Learn more about how Alat is reshaping the future of healthcare here.
