Spectaris on the war in Ukraine

In light of the war in Ukraine, the German industry association SPECTARIS is calling on all parties to ensure that neither acts of war nor sanctions do not compromise the safe supply of medical and humanitarian goods wherever they are needed.

“The events have deeply shaken us and our thoughts are with the people in Ukraine who are fighting for their freedom. This is an attack on a sovereign state, its citizens and on peace in Europe and the world as a whole that cannot be justified by anything,” emphasizes SPECTARIS Chairman Josef May. “Therefore, it is clear to us that we and our members will support the decreed sanctions, even if this has a serious impact on the economy.” In doing so, he said, it must be ensured that patients and healthcare systems in the crisis region and around the world continue to receive innovative medical solutions. “That is the main task of the medical technology industry and the technology suppliers behind it.”

For now, the long-term impact of sanctions and counter-sanctions on SPECTARIS’ optics, photonics, analytical and medical technology industries remains difficult to predict. Currently, medical technology is largely exempt from the sanctions. However, all industries will be affected by increasing non-payment risks due to restricted payment transactions. In view of the already rampant supply bottlenecks for important components, it is also to be feared that increasing demand for supply-critical products will be difficult to meet. In order to avoid production stoppages, policymakers are now called upon to secure the supply chains and ensure a sustainable energy supply.

An overview of current developments is provided by the SPECTARIS special page on the Ukraine war, with regular updates on existing sanctions and recommendations for crisis management.