Dominik Baumann, with light brown hair and blue eyes, wearing a dark sweater and a white shirt,, sits indoors with shelves and potted plants blurred in the background.
MedTech People in Focus
Reading time: 8 minutes

#FavoriteMoments with Dominik Baumann

Ask someone what comes to mind when they think of Switzerland and they’re likely to mention the magnificent Alps, delicious chocolate, iconic watches and an exceptional quality of life. What many people don’t realize is that Switzerland is also one of the world’s most important hubs for the MedTech industry, with many leading manufacturers and decision-makers based there.

Few people understand that connection better than Dominik Baumann, Global Segment Manager for MedTech at voestalpine HPM. During a recent visit to our headquarters in Vienna, we sat down with him for a brief #FavoriteMoments interview to discuss his career journey, Switzerland’s role in the industry, and the trends shaping MedTech today.

Dominik, how did you come to your current role at voestalpine HPM?

“It all started with steel, with stainless steel,” Dominik explained. “This also includes MedTech in a way. I was 16 when I started my first apprenticeship in sales. That was my first contact with steel, and it actually came about because of my neighbor, who worked there and encouraged me to try it. He always said that working in the steel manufacturing industry is a privilege.

I spent three years there working with steel, also for the medical industry, and that was when I really became excited about it. I really enjoyed visiting customers and seeing what they were producing out of steel. Before that, steel was something you only noticed occasionally…but once you’re inside the industry, you start to understand its importance.”

Dominik paused to reflect on his next career step:

“After that, I went to the US for almost a year to improve my English and take classes at Stetson University. Then I moved to Colombia for another year, where I partly worked as a French teacher. That was a great experience, working with people in other countries, improving my English, and learning Spanish at the same time.

When I came back, my former boss, who had moved to voestalpine by then, called me and said, ‘If you need something, just give me a call.’ That’s how it started back in 2005. I joined voestalpine and continued working with stainless steel, which is widely used in MedTech in Switzerland.”

Having spent more than 20 years working closely with MedTech customers, Dominik has seen the industry evolve in several important ways.

How has the MedTech industry changed since you first started working in it?

“What hasn’t changed over the years is that quality is crucial. It’s all about quality and reproducibility. That’s still the same.

What has changed is pricing. When I started, we never really talked about price. Quality was the top priority, and price wasn’t such an issue. Over the last ten years, that has changed significantly.

Hospitals started using central procurement systems and negotiating prices with OEMs, which made pricing much more important. Recently, for example, I spoke with a French company producing implants. Due to the sharp increase in cobalt prices, some countries have started switching from cobalt alloys to stainless steel purely for cost reasons.

Twenty years ago, price was not really a topic – quality alone justified higher costs. That balance has shifted.”

What makes Switzerland such an important location for the MedTech industry?

“Switzerland is special because, alongside Ireland, it’s one of the few places where almost all major OEMs have a presence. Many global purchasing decisions are made here.

Even if production doesn’t always happen in Switzerland, decisions about material suppliers often do. That’s why MedTech is such a significant industry here.”

Looking ahead, which trends are shaping the future of MedTech?

“Right now, I see two major trends. One is individualized implants produced using 3D printing. Some hospitals now have their own labs and produce implants tailored exactly to the patient.

The second trend is robotics. The number of surgeries performed with robotic systems has increased dramatically.

Even with robotics, instruments are still instruments. Whether they’re used by hand or mounted on a robotic arm, they still rely heavily on steel.”

Watch the #FavoriteMoments video

In the short #FavoriteMoments video below, Dominik shares additional insights into his career journey, the role of Switzerland in global MedTech, and the trends he believes will shape the industry’s future.

A few of Dominik’s #FavoriteMoments

Beyond his professional role, we also asked Dominik to share a few personal #FavoriteMoments.

  • Favorite sports activity: Staying active is very important to me. I enjoy gravel biking. I cycled Route 66 from Chicago to Los Angeles, and I’m now planning a tour from Santiago de Chile to Ushuaia.
  • Favorite way to unwind: Spending time with family and friends. Just recently, we spent a weekend barbecuing together.
  • Favorite food: I don’t have one favorite. I enjoy many cuisines, from sushi to South American dishes.
  • Favorite places: I definitely prefer nature over cities. I especially like the mountains. The Alps are a great place to recharge, in both summer and winter

Find out more

You can find out more about the voestalpine HPM #FavoriteMoments campaign by exploring some of our other videos: