How MYSPHERA used EIC trade fair support to sharpen its international launch

Participating in major industry exhibitions is a standard growth tactic for many scaleups. For MYSPHERA, the Valencia based company that automates patient flow, trade fairs supported by the European Innovation Council provided visibility and access to high level hospital decision makers. The company credits the EIC Overseas Trade Fairs Programme 2.0 with helping it gather market intelligence, showcase its product, and accelerate partnership discussions even though immediate contract wins were not the primary outcome.

What MYSPHERA did and why it mattered

MYSPHERA was selected to exhibit in the European Pavilion at FIME 2022 through the EIC Overseas Trade Fairs Programme 2.0. The firm also took stands at other prominent healthcare events such as Arab Health. According to Daniel Vera, Head of Marketing at MYSPHERA, the main measurable outcomes were increased brand recognition, better visibility in international markets, and a pipeline of advanced conversations with healthcare institutions that could convert into deployment contracts over time.

The company says its solutions are already in more than 50 hospitals across Spain, the United Kingdom and France. MYSPHERA was founded in 2012 and received EIC blended finance aimed at supporting its globalisation efforts.

Business impact and realism about outcomes

MYSPHERA makes a clear distinction between awareness and immediate client acquisition. The trade fairs were used to start conversations that could evolve into corporate agreements. According to Vera, several discussions are at an advanced stage with healthcare institutions that may lead to deployments. The company also says the events provided competitive intelligence and market trend signals that influenced its strategic planning.

This is a common pattern for health tech companies. Selling into hospitals often involves long procurement cycles, clinical validation and interoperability work. Trade fairs are rarely a single channel for closing deals. Instead they act as a catalyst for credibility, relationship building and lead qualification.

How the EIC programme helped

For participating companies the EIC support reduces some logistical and credibility barriers. Being showcased in an EU pavilion signals a level of vetting and can grant access to higher level visitors. But the programme does not guarantee conversions and companies still need a defined commercialisation strategy and follow up plan.

Practical tips from MYSPHERA for exhibitors

MYSPHERA’s marketing lead shared tactical advice that aligns with standard trade fair best practice but worth restating for teams preparing for high level events.

First define clear objectives. Decide whether you want to generate leads, seek partners, recruit pilot sites or validate market fit. Tailoring your stand and messaging to those goals will make measurement easier.

Know your target audience. If you aim to reach C level hospital executives your approach needs to be different than when engaging procurement teams or clinical staff. Prepare specific collateral and talking points for each stakeholder type.

Invest in booth design and an engagement hook. MYSPHERA used a simple but effective hospital model populated with toys fitted with their RTLS tags. The live demo was highly visible and made a complex solution tangible. Creative low tech demonstrations can outperform abstract slide decks in noisy trade fair halls.

Plan marketing and promotion before the show and a disciplined follow up afterwards. Pre show outreach, press lists and scheduled meetings increase the chance of seeing the right people. After the show send personalised follow ups, qualify leads and track conversions.

Ambitions and next steps for MYSPHERA

MYSPHERA says the trade fair experience has reinforced its strategy to expand internationally. The company plans further investments in research and development to add features and address market specific needs. It also expects to leverage partnerships formed at events to broaden its footprint in new healthcare systems.

The company expresses interest in continuing to work with the European Innovation Council on future programmes that support scaling, visibility and innovation.

Market and regulatory realities to consider

Scaling a health tech solution across countries involves non technical and technical barriers. On the non technical side expect long sales cycles, procurement procedures, and the need to secure clinical champions inside hospitals. On the technical side you will face integration with electronic health records, data governance and privacy rules such as GDPR, and the need to prove clinical utility through pilots or studies. Interoperability expectations vary by country and by hospital.

Trade fair exposure helps with initial credibility and introductions. It does not replace the downstream work needed to close contracts and perform integrations in complex healthcare environments.

A cautious closing read on trade fair ROI

MYSPHERA’s experience illustrates the pragmatic value of funded trade fair participation. The company increased visibility, learned about competing approaches, and created a pipeline of partnership discussions. That said scaling in healthcare remains resource intensive. For policy makers and programme designers the lesson is that trade fair grants should be coupled with sustained market access support including clinical validation, procurement navigation and post event business acceleration.

Key takeaways

The EIC supported platform can amplify a health tech company’s visibility and open doors to decision makers. Creative demos and disciplined follow up increase the chances of turning exposure into partnerships. Expect progress from trade fairs to be incremental and to require complementary investment in evidence generation, integration projects and commercial execution.