Synektik, a supplier of advanced medical solutions and, among other things, the sole distributor of da Vinci surgical robotic systems in Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia is launching operations on the Ukrainian market. A local company has been established in Ukraine along with the team that will be responsible for sales and maintenance. Ukrainian physicians and medical personnel will be trained in Poland and in the Czech Republic. Over the next two years Synektik intends to install roughly 20 da Vinci robotic systems in Ukraine.
Entering the Ukrainian market became possible thanks to a contract signed in February of this year with Intuitive Surgical, the producer of the da Vinci robotic systems extending the territorial reach of our collaboration regarding the sole distribution of its products by the Synektik Group to include another market, namely Ukraine.
“Ukraine is another natural large market for us. In terms of population – apart from the land that is currently occupied, thus demarcating the area where it is in fact possible to operate – we are talking about nearly 30 million inhabitants, i.e. a country comparable in size to Poland. Robotic surgery penetration is still at an early stage there, while the observed demand can be classified as extensive. At the same time, we are starting at a moment in time when the discussion of whether robotic surgery is needed came to an end long ago. We are already welcoming Ukrainian physicians in Poland who want to familiarize themselves with our systems and gain some initial experience. This is an important sign of the market’s readiness”, says Cezary Kozanecki, Synektik’s Founder and CEO.
Synektik has been cooperating with Intuitive Surgical on the Polish market without interruption since 2018. The da Vinci robotic systems have become a vital part of modern surgery in Poland. Since 2022 the Group has also been the sole distributor of these systems in the Czech Republic and Slovakia. In 2024 the scope of cooperation was extended to include Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia. Entering Ukraine is the next step towards building a strong regional platform to distribute advanced medical technologies. Ultimately, Synektik intends for its footprint in Ukraine to span the entire portfolio of technologies it offers. In the near future its offering will include all of its surgical robots and digital solutions such as telemonitoring and teleproctoring.
Synektik’s local presence and international support
According to Synektik, despite the on-going war the health care service market in Ukraine, private and public alike, is functioning powerfully and logistics operate smoothly. The distinct nature of the circumstances does, however, require a different organizational approach from the ones used on the other markets where the company already has a footprint. A local company with a Ukrainian team will be in operation in Ukraine. This team will gradually be enlarged as more installations are added. At the same time, Synektik’s current training centers in Poland and in the Czech Republic will be utilized to train Ukrainian physicians and medical personnel.
“This local model is crucial for us for two reasons. First, given the on-going war we posit that seconding employees from Poland and other countries may encounter some self-evident limitations. Second, tender proceedings in Ukraine are billed in the local currency and offer preferential treatment to entities domiciled on-site. Our operational presence in Ukraine is therefore a practical necessity for us”, clarifies Cezary Kozanecki.
Market comparable to Poland
In the opinion of Synektik, the pace of growth of the Ukrainian surgical robotics market in the next few years may be on par with, or even higher than, the growth rate previously observed in other countries in the region. “Our plan calls for roughly 20 da Vinci robotic system installations in Ukraine over the next two years. For the sake of comparison, Poland, where we have been Intuitive’s representative for seven years, will have 100 da Vinci robots installed by the end of June, while the overall region has more than 140. Our ambition is for Ukraine, just like Poland and the Baltic States, to be a market which we will supply not only with robots but to which we will provide training courses, maintenance and robotic instruments. This part of our business generates recurring revenue constituting more than 50% of our Group’s sales”, reports Cezary Kozanecki.
Three complementary funding sources
According to Synektik, the purchases of medical equipment in Ukraine can be funded using three complementary sources. The first one is the state budget. The second one – of equal importance – is the private sector where just as in Poland and on other markets the willingness to adapt and leverage modern medical technologies is high. “We see that private medical centers implement new technologies at the fastest pace; they are strongly motivated to attract patients and they expect the installed equipment to start functioning quickly and intensively. The same was true of Poland, where we started our expansion using da Vinci robots specifically with the private sector”, remarks Cezary Kozanecki.
The third funding source is distinctly for Ukraine, namely, aid funds for reconstruction and to support the health care system and some defense programs. Some of them also encompass reconstructive surgery and medical needs on the battlefield, meaning areas where the technologies offered by Synektik have real-world applications.
