SGF assists companies that are positioning themselves in the growing market for health care technologies. The public portion of this market was estimated in 2006 at $60 billion in the United States and $1.4 billion in Canada according to Branham Group.

These companies can be divided into three main sectors:

• Administrative and clinical software publishers
• Manufacturers of medical equipment and computer hardware
• Suppliers of advisory services, including outsourcing

• By 2012, the annual technology budgets of the health care system will increase from 1.5% to 3% of total health care expenditures, estimated at $150 billion according to the Canadian Institute for Health Information.

This trend can also be seen in Québec, where 600 companies employ more than 15,000 people according to the Association of Health Technologies Industry and where major projects are in progress:

• Computerization of patient files
• Establishment of three major Montréal hospitals: the Centre hospitalier de l’Université de Montréal (CHUM), the McGill University Hospital Centre (MUHC) and the Centre hospitalier universitaire mère-enfant de Sainte-Justine (CHUME)
• These projects involve investment of more than $1 billion in recurring health care technologies and services for their subsequent operation.

The United States also represents a promising market for Québec’s health care technology companies: 

• Americans already spend almost 16% of their GDP on medical technologies
• Many Québec companies, including some in SGF’s portfolio, are already involved in these markets and are growing rapidly.

Québec’s strategic positioning in North America and dynamic health care technology industry are creating growth opportunities for Québec companies, and SGF can assist them with their development.