Smarter medical imaging thanks to hi-tech checks

Pro-Project is a Polish company in a very niche market. About 40% of its sales go outside Europe, so the EU's trade agreements play a large part in its business. The company supplies phantom kits, which are tools used to evaluate, analyse and tune the performance of medical imaging equipment. At the beginning, the kits were for the dentistry sector, but Pro-Project now sells phantom kits and related software for mammography, ultrasounds, MRIs, radiotherapy, and other testing equipment.

Aligning standards for smoother trade

From 2009, Pro-Project started to look at foreign markets. It was selected to take part in the EU Gateway Programme to Japan in 2009 and 2010. Through this, it learned a lot about the Japanese market and about the importance of integrating ISO systems to demonstrate quality management and assurance. Under the EU-Japan Economic Partnership Agreement, Japan committed to adopting and further aligning with international standards such as ISO. This means European businesses like Pro-Project only have to meet one set of standards to export their products, and so avoid duplicating certification work.

The paperwork required for exporting to Japan has become very easy to manage
Dr Rafał Kartaszyński, Managing Director of Pro-Project

Japan has since become a sizeable market for Pro-Project. Dr Rafał Kartaszyński is the second generation working in the family business and says, 'it is now one of our top five markets'.

Trade deals can bypass need for local subsidiaries

Pro-Project continues to expand outside Europe thanks to the regulatory alignment and streamlined processes that the EU's trade agreements bring.