TÜV Rheinland Japan is extending cooperation and collaboration with Fukushima Prefecture on medical equipment field

TÜV Rheinland Japan Ltd. and Fukushima Prefecture have been extending their cooperation and collaboration in the field of medical equipment for about a year. This effort is the outcome of a memorandum of understanding concluded in October 2015 between TÜV Rheinland and the Prefecture. On 2 September 2016, Mr. Toshiyuki Hata, Vice Governor of Fukushima Prefecture, paid a courtesy visit to the TÜV Rheinland Headquarters in Germany and reported on the cooperative achievements of the past year. TÜV Rheinland Japan has announced that they have discussed with Vice Governor Hata cooperation plans for the "Fukushima Medical Device Development Support Centre", which is scheduled to be completed in November 2016.

One of the important projects for the recovery of Fukushima is to intensify development of medical related business. The "Fukushima Medical Device Development Support Centre" is being constructed to function as a core facility of the project. This center will be Japan's first medical equipment development support organization, which will provide total support for medical equipment manufacturers, from development to commercialization. It will offer a variety of services, from evaluating the safety of medical equipment, to matching of businesses and consulting as well as training medical service providers.

Cooperative achievements as of August 2016

• Since May 2016, TÜV Rheinland Japan has been providing a basic training course to an EMC test engineer lasting about 3 months at TÜV Rheinland Japan’s laboratory. The second session of training is being provided for a second engineer regarding safety testing.

Cooperation plans for the future

• EMC test experts from TÜV Rheinland Japan will provide advanced training using the EMC test facility that will be set up in the "Fukushima Medical Device Development Support Centre."
• Many medical equipment manufacturers are already based in Fukushima Prefecture. TÜV Rheinland Japan is planning to offer seminars related to the certification of medical equipment for the medical equipment manufacturers.
• TÜV Rheinland Japan will provide comprehensive support to Japanese medical manufacturers for their business success in Japan and overseas.

During the courtesy visit mentioned above, Vice Governor Hata and Mr. Ralf Scheller, a member of the Executive Board of Management of TÜV Rheinland AG, exchanged ideas about how TÜV Rheinland and the Prefecture can cooperate in future. Vice Governor Hata said, "Since the conclusion of the memorandum of understanding in October last year, we have been receiving a variety of support from TÜV Rheinland, including the participation in the Medical Device Exhibition held in Fukushima Prefecture, the holding of seminars related to the certification of medical equipment and the training of personnel of the Fukushima Medical Device Development Centre. We hope the cooperation with TÜV Rheinland will continue and further develop in the future." Mr. Scheller said, "We are pleased to have just successfully completed the EMC basic training course for one of engineers who perform the safety evaluation of medical equipment at the Fukushima Medical Device Development Support Centre. After the Center is fully operational, we are committed to contributing on the basis of our many years of knowledge in the field of medical equipment testing and certification with help to Fukushima Prefecture in order to promote further development of the medical equipment industry within the prefecture."