A indústria de dispositivos médicos no Brasil: produção, comércio e emprego no setor da saúde

Abstract

The present study addressed the medical devices industry sector in Brazil, focusing on domestic production, foreign trade, apparent consumption, and job creation from 2022 to 2024. The general objective of the research was to examine the role of the medical devices industry in Brazil, with emphasis on national production, foreign trade relations, and employment generation in the health sector. The specific objectives were: to investigate job creation in the industry and commerce of the medical devices sector; to evaluate the sector's role within economic and industrial development policies; and to address governmental initiatives and structural challenges in the medical devices industry. The research, of bibliographic and documentary nature, adopted a qualitative and descriptive approach, using as main sources the ABIIS economic bulletins (2023-2025). The results indicate a growing dependence on imports in medium and high complexity segments, while showing gradual growth in national production in niches such as surgical instruments, hospital furniture, and orthopedics, with a positive impact on formal job creation. The study also discusses the integration of the sector into Brazilian industrial policies, especially in the context of the National Strategy for the Development of the Health Economic-Industrial Complex (CEIS), which seeks to expand the country's productive and technological autonomy. It is concluded that strengthening the medical devices industry is essential for health sovereignty and economic development, requiring coordinated actions between the government, the productive sector, and research institutions.