Vivek Kanade is the Managing Director of Siemens Healthineers in the Middle East and Africa. With more than three decades of experience in healthcare and as a international healthcare leader, Vivek is responsible for steering the company's growth and partnership strategies across the region. His focus is on leveraging global innovation and digital solutions to address local challenges, with a particular emphasis on improving accessibility and developing sustainable healthcare infrastructure for diverse populations.

1.Give us an overview of your organisation. What are your key activities and strategic focus within the healthcare sector, particularly across the GCC and MENA region?

Siemens Healthineers is a global leader in diagnostic imaging and laboratory diagnostics, offering solutions for advanced therapies including cancer care and digital solutions in healthcare. In the Middle East and Africa, we are guided by our vision to make quality healthcare more accessible for all communities which follows our company’s purpose – to pioneer breakthroughs in healthcare, for everyone, everywhere, sustainably. Beyond supplying medical equipment, we form what we call ‘Value Partnerships’ which are long-term collaborations focused on strengthening healthcare infrastructure, enabling local workforce development, optimizing resources, and ultimately expanding access to care.

2. What emerging trends and critical challenges do you believe are most significantly influencing the industry's trajectory in this region?

The MEA healthcare market is defined by its diversity which demands specialized, tailored solutions while it also faces the universal challenge of accessible healthcare. The demographics in MEA depict a predominantly younger population but with aging pockets which sees a growing need for healthcare. This need is further burdened by a shortage of specialized healthcare workers. Our approach to tackling this situation is to bring innovative solutions that bridge this gap. For example, in countries facing staff shortages, we deploy digital tools like the syngo Virtual Cockpit, a digital solution that allows centralized, remote access and monitoring of imaging systems. In practice, this means a radiographer in one city can efficiently operate CT or MRI scans for multiple systems across different sites, effectively expanding the reach of expert staff. By introducing such targeted solutions, we are making a tangible difference in the quality, timeliness, and accessibility for patients across the region.

3. What is your strategic outlook for the healthcare sector over the next decade? How do you anticipate the industry will evolve?

The growing demand from healthcare providers is to make care delivery more efficient. The industry is developing towards increasing patient access and throughput, a change that can be most efficiently brought about by employing intelligent, connected ecosystems. This is where adoption of AI-enabled digitalized health solutions come into the picture. For healthcare providers; our solutions like the AI-Rad Companion for clinical decision support and the syngo Virtual Cockpit for remote operational efficiency allow for more efficient diagnosis and treatment planning. For patients, it means expanding access to high-quality care for a much wider population.
Our strategic outlook at Siemens Healthineers is centered on elevating healthcare by expanding access to healthcare. We have built a solid foundation with breakthroughs across both high-end and more affordable segments. We are not just anticipating this shift; we are actively shaping it.

4. What role does innovation play in your organisation's strategic framework? Please elaborate on your R&D initiatives and share insights into any significant projects currently in development or recently launched.

We can proudly say that Innovation is in our DNA. As a leader in medical technology, R&D is a commitment we back with sustained investment, reinvesting approximately 8% of our global revenue into R&D each year. This commitment is what allows us to introduce pioneering solutions like the NAEOTOM Alpha with photon-counting CT and the MAGNETOM Flow. Platform, our helium-free MRI.Our solutions are integral to clinical decision-making in hospitals worldwide, therefore our R&D extends also into the digital healthcare space. We have developed AI powered integrated solutions which help radiologists with multi-modality imaging decisions.

5. How is your organisation integrating sustainability principles into your healthcare operations? If any, what specific initiatives have you implemented to minimise environmental impact and advance sustainable healthcare practices?

Sustainability is integral to our purpose of pioneering breakthroughs for everyone, everywhere. We integrate it into our operations and product design to minimize environmental impact while advancing efficient and accessible care. As an example, the Magnetom Flow MRI system is a helium-free system. While conventional MRIs require supply of helium, our innovative solution eliminates this critical supply chain dependency, while reducing the environmental burden of helium extraction and logistics. Several of our platforms by means of being energy-efficient or by means of employing better materials lifecycle management, deliver care sustainably over the long term.

6.What innovations or solutions is your organisation planning to present at WHX Dubai 2026? Are there any particular offerings you are especially excited to showcase and experience yourself?

This year at WHX Dubai, we are excited to showcase clinical pathways across different clinical specialties where our solutions are employed across the continuum of care. Within non-communicable diseases, we are showcasing clinical pathways for Cardiology, Oncology, Neurology and Neuro-Degenerative Diseases (NDDs) - Alzheimer’s in particular - which has become an increasing important disease to tackle owing to an ageing population. For communicable and infectious diseases, we will be showcasing the clinical pathway for Tuberculosis, a disease affecting younger demographics across Africa. This holistic view is what truly excites me, as it moves beyond showcasing individual products to demonstrating how we can help address diverse and pressing health challenges.

7. Is there anything else you would like to add?

We are excited to see WHX Dubai in its new shape and form. It remains a premier space for us to connect with the healthcare community from across the MEA region and also globally. It is an ideal forum to strengthen partnerships, showcase solutions and collaboratively address the region's unique challenges. We look forward to many more meaningful discussions on elevating health together.