Maurice Faber is the regional managing director of Olympus in the Middle East and Africa region. His remit covers a 72 country territory stretching from Turkey, to the Middle East region the entire African continent.

Mr. Faber is a pioneer in the healthcare market in the Middle East, having worked and managed operations in the sector in countries ranging from Algeria in North Africa to the GCC and Iran. Prior to his role at Olympus, Mr. Faber was the regional general manager at Carestream, responsible for the emerging markets from its regional base in the UAE for two years from 2013.

Faber started his career with Siemens’ healthcare sector in 1986 as a service engineer and left the organization in 2013 as vice president for the Middle East region. During the nearly 30 years at Siemens, he covered a range of roles including establishing centers of competence and regional headquarters.

A native of Luxembourg, Faber is a keen marathon runner and championship race driver in motorsport. He graduated as an electronics engineer from the Universitaire International de Luxembourg.

Interview with Maurice Faber, Regional Managing Director, Olympus MEA
In today’s rapidly changing healthcare environment, large-scale changes driven by tech innovation have become mainstream, but these will only be as valuable as their impact on individual people’s lives, lives that the industry is constantly striving to improve and extend. Maurice Faber, Regional Managing Director, Olympus MEA, believes that the best way to protect and treat the people is to identify the potential benefits and the potential challenges of each new breakthrough. He says: “Leveraging innovation wisely will let us help more patients than ever before.”

As the UAE healthcare sector appears set to continue its impressive growth in the coming decade, what are the opportunities you see for a business entity such as yours in this country/region?

The UAE population is growing at an interesting pace and the UAE government continues to be dedicated to further improving the healthcare sector by having all specialties and therapies available to all in every part of the country. The UAE is a healthcare hub for the region and the population in general becomes more and more health conscious. The UAE definitely is one of the major healthcare markets in MEA and also the regional hub for all major manufacturers for the wider region. The market is very competitive, and one has to secure a perfect quality service and user training to remain successful.

What are the important emerging segments within the medical/medical devices sector that are now poised for growth or which has increased investor interest?

We see a steady growth in all medical segments. We will of course concentrate on our business fields and make sure that we are providing the best possible service to our customers (healthcare professionals and patients) and remain to be a trusted partner in the industry.

As personalised and specialist healthcare is gaining importance, how is digital technology changing the future of healthcare in the UAE? Would you agree that we are in the middle of a healthcare technology revolution? If yes, why?

The changes in technology have never been that fast as compared to the past few years and will in the future never be as slow as today! During my professional life in the healthcare industry over the past 35 years I was fortunate to be in an industry that demands constant new inventions to secure early and accurate diagnosis and treatments. Our technology will continue to improve and will also require more and more professional training and close partnerships between the healthcare professionals and the manufacturers.

What, according to you, are some of the promising healthcare technologies that will shape the regional/global healthcare landscape in the near future?

As we map out new healthcare territories, we must make sure each route leads back to patients. Large-scale changes driven by tech innovation are only as valuable as their impact on individual people’s lives, lives we are constantly striving to improve and extend. I believe that the best way to protect and treat the people we all serve is to identify the potential benefits and the potential challenges of each new breakthrough. Leveraging innovation wisely will let us help more patients than ever before.

We have many new very interesting areas such as 3D printing, artificial intelligence, immune-oncology, personalised medicine, etc. Product innovation at Olympus, and the eventual commercialisation of all Olympus products, is rooted in the company's policy of developing advanced technologies with the next 10 years in mind. New ideas and new technologies from Olympus will lead to brighter futures for individuals and society.

In addition to our expanding line-up of endoscope instruments and energy devices for surgical procedures, we are also developing surgical energy devices for localised medical treatment in fields including otology, urology and gynaecology.

What is your plan for Arab Health 2019? What products or technology will you be showcasing?

We will showcase a huge array of surgical products covering laparoscopic surgery, urology, genecology and ENT. Our latest surgical imaging platform Visera Elite II, will be presented along with nCare, the latest and most advanced documentation solution. nCare easily, reliably, and securely connects clinicians with the critical visual information they need at any time. EMPOWER, Olympus’ first Holmium:YAG laser will be exhibited along with the flexible ureteroscopy scopes. In the ENT section, we will present our 4K platform along with a huge line of endoscopes with NBI capabilities.

From our medical platform, we are showcasing the latest Endoscope Technology 'Endocyto' providing UltraHigh magnification of up to 520x to enable microscopic observation and improved diagnostic accuracy. Also, a fully integrated reprocessing area is available ensuring Olympus being a full solution provider. The latest generation unit dedicated to electrosurgery ESG-300 will be on display providing the Endoscopist with a dedicated energy source to maintain the precision physicians require in their work. You will also find the Evis Exera III Platform and EU-ME 2 Premier Plus Ultrasound system, at the Olympus booth.

What, according to you, are the real benefits and opportunities available to healthcare and trade professionals to attend Arab Health? How would you evaluate the impact of the event on the healthcare industry in the MENA region?

For many years, Olympus has been a platinum sponsor at Arab Health. Being part of the region’s largest healthcare business platform gives us numerous opportunities to reach new and potential customers from across the region; and indeed, it is an important feature of our marketing strategy.

Being the largest healthcare conference and trade show in the Middle East and even globally meanwhile, it is significant for us to be present and showcase our portfolio of technologies and healthcare solutions at Arab Health. It is also a great opportunity to network with industry leaders and stay abreast of the industry's latest trends and developments.