Toshiba Medical ‘on the lookout for acquisitions’

Toshiba Medical is actively looking for merger or acquisition opportunities, according to recent reports.

Reuters cites slowing medical spending in Western companies as reasons for the “tough” environment in which medical companies have to operate.

At a news conference, Toshiba Medical president Masamichi Katsurada said that the company aimed to increase profit margins by nine per cent by 2008-09 while increasing sales.

However, he also hinted that the company may be about to make a move to attract partners or make bids for other medical imaging companies. Reuters quotes him as saying: “We have not really been active in things like acquisitions. But as we go forward, we would like to explore such opportunities aggressively.”

“As for products, we will press ahead with our existing line of equipment with emphasis on CT. Geographically, we aim to achieve growth mainly in the United States,” he added.

Toshiba Medical manufactures a range of diagnostic equipment, including MRI, CT and ultrasound scanners, as well as x-ray machines. It also competes with Kodak, Olympus and GE Healthcare for picture archiving and communication systems.

Toshiba’s European operations are based in London and its UK medical headquarters can be found in Crawley, Sussex.

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