Table of Contents

List  of Abbreviations  3

List  of Figures  4

1.  Introduction.  5

2.  Oxford Fertility Unit - Company Profile.  5

3.  The German Assisted Reproductive Treatment market.  6

3.1  Market facts  6

3.2  Economical environment.  8

3.3  Socio-cultural environment.  10

3.4  Political/Legal environment  11

3.5  Technical environment  12

4.  Market entry modes.  13

5.  Conclusions  14

Affix   14

Hofstede  Cultural Dimensions.  14

Sources   17

Monographs   17

Internet.   17

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List of Abbreviations

[A]

ART Assisted Reproductive Technology

[B]

Biotech Biotechnology

[D]

DI Donor Insemination

[I]

ICSI Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection IUI Intrauterine Insemination IvF In vitro Fertilization IvM In vitro Maturation

[0]

OFU Oxford Fertility Unit

[P]

PGS Pre-implantation Genetic Screening

[R]

R&D Research and Development

[S]

SSR Surgical Sperm Recovery

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List  of Figures  

Figure  1: Development of the ART market by the number of FTRM treatments  

and  centers per year in figures  

Figure  2: Development of the ART market by the number of FTRM treatments  

and  centers per year in graphics  

Figure  3: Porter’s five forces model  

Figure  4: Religious affiliation of the population in Germany.  

Figure  5: Germany as in Hofstede’s cultural dimensions.  

Figure  6: IvF success rates at Oxford Fertility Unit  

Figure  7: Average IvF success rates of German ART centers.  

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1. Introduction

The entrance of biotechnology into medicine, especially driven by new genetic techniques, has led to promising new markets. ¹ Biotech companies are spending extraordinary sums in R&D before new technologies generate a return on the investment. In Germany alone biotech companies have spent more than half of their total revenues on R&D in 2008 which accounts for more than a billion Euros. ² Therefore it stands to reason for biotech companies to exploit as many markets - and thus as many countries - as possible to maximize the return on the investment.

In this academic paper Oxford Fertility Unit will serve as a representative example for red biotech companies. It is a Great Britain based fertility treatment and reproductive medicine company offering Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) services. Entering the German market would call for a elaborate market entrance strategy as Oxford Fertility Unit would face challenging market uniquenesses derived from culture and politics for intstance. Hence, it serves as a great case study to exemplify such factors that arise when entering new markets outside the home country and how to deal with them. This paper will focus on the analysis of these factors as a requisite to draft a market entrance strategy.

2. Oxford Fertility Unit - Company Profile

Oxford Fertility Unit (OFU) is “one of the foremost centres of clinical excellence for fertility treatment and reproductive medicine in the UK.” ³ OFU is located in Oxford, Great Britain and has not yet any affiliates abroad. It offers the following services:

- In vitro fertilization (IvF)

- In vitro maturation (IvM)

- Intrauterine Insemination (IUI);

- Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI);

- Surgical Sperm Recovery (SSR);

- Donor Insemination (DI);

¹ EuropaBio (2009), http://www.europabio.org/documents/100403/Innenseiten_final_screen.pdf (date 01/04/2010)

pp. 7

² cf. Deutsche Industrievereinigung Biotechnologie (2009), pp. 5

³ Oxford Utility Unit (2009): http://www.oxfordfertilityunit.com/default.aspx (date: 12/28/2009)

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