Introduction

The American Medical Device Summit has long been recognized as a premier gathering for MedTech leaders to explore innovation, collaboration, and the future of patient care. As we prepare for the 12th Annual Summit, taking place October 27–28, 2025, at the Renaissance Schaumburg Hotel in Chicago, IL, we are excited to welcome back a familiar face: Robert Kossmann, MD, FACP, FASN, EVP Global Head of Medical Affairs and Chief Medical Officer at Fresenius Medical Care.

Dr. Kossmann is no stranger to the summit stage. Having joined us in previous years, he brings both clinical expertise and executive leadership insights shaped by decades of experience as a practicing nephrologist and as a global leader at the world’s largest provider of dialysis products and services. His perspective bridges the clinical, operational, and strategic dimensions of MedTech—making his contributions especially valuable in today’s rapidly evolving healthcare landscape.

In this exclusive Speaker Spotlight, Dr. Kossmann reflects on his career journey, the critical role of cross-functional collaboration, the impact of emerging technologies, and what he most looks forward to as he returns once again to the American Medical Device Summit.

Could you begin with a brief introduction about yourself and an overview of your responsibilities as EVP and Chief of Medical Affairs at Fresenius Medical Care?

Sure, I’d be happy to. I’m a nephrologist by background and training. I practiced in Santa Fe, New Mexico, for 20 years before joining Fresenius Medical Care in 2014. Since then, I’ve held several senior medical officer roles within the company, but my responsibilities have always included medical affairs. I first oversaw this responsibility in North America, and for the past three and a half years, I’ve been leading medical affairs globally.

As many may know, Fresenius Medical Care is the world’s largest manufacturer of dialysis equipment, and we provide products and therapies in more than 150 countries. In my current role, I have the privilege of serving as a medical adviser on a global scale—working across regions, engaging with diverse healthcare systems, and ensuring that our clinical and scientific priorities align with the needs of patients and providers worldwide.

You’ve made the journey from practicing nephrologist to EVP and Chief Medical Officer. How has your clinical background influenced your leadership, particularly when fostering innovation across functional departments?

I’ve found that being grounded as a practicing physician, having spent 20 years caring directly for patients, has given me an unerring compass in all of my meetings and interactions. That compass is the patient. No matter the topic of discussion, whether it’s a technical detail or an innovation, I always carry it through in my mind to the name and face of someone I once had the privilege of treating.

I’m also very aware of the scale of the work we do at Fresenius Medical Care. We are not only the world’s largest manufacturer of dialysis equipment, but also the largest provider of dialysis services, which means the reach of our impact is enormous. My clinical background has been invaluable in helping me transition into this leadership role because it constantly keeps the patient perspective at the center of my decision-making. That perspective guides me as I work with different teams across the organization to drive innovation while never losing sight of the lives we ultimately serve.

How do you stay energized and connected to both the medical and operational sides of your work in a demanding, global role?

First and foremost, it goes back to why I was drawn to medicine, which, as simple or even corny as it may sound, was because I wanted to help people. That motivation has never lessened. Though I’m no longer providing direct one-on-one patient care, I’m energized by knowing that the work I do still makes a meaningful difference.

Additionally, what excites me is the opportunity to influence care on a much larger scale. The equipment we manufacture and the quality standards we uphold directly support clinicians in delivering the highest level of care to patients who depend on dialysis to stay alive. Instead of helping one patient at a time—as I did for 20 years in my clinical practice—I now have the privilege of impacting thousands, even millions, of patients across the globe.

That scale is both deeply gratifying and, at times, a little humbling. It reminds me to approach the work with great care, deliberation, and intentionality, because the responsibility is significant. And it’s that combination—the ability to help at scale while still keeping the individual patient at the center—that continues to keep me motivated and connected every day.

“Driving Innovation” and “Cross-Functional Collaboration” are powerful themes. Can you share why you believe collaboration across clinical, regulatory, and R&D functions is especially critical in MedTech today?”

Absolutely. There are a lot of people who bring forward good ideas and who are genuinely well-intentioned. But in MedTech, the difference between simply having a good idea and actually turning that idea into something patients can benefit from is significant. It’s a complex process with many steps, and it requires a wide range of expertise. For an innovation to truly reach patients, it has to be safe, it has to be of the highest quality, it has to meet regulatory standards, and it ultimately has to be delivered in a cost-effective way so that it’s accessible.

None of that can be accomplished in isolation. It really depends on multidisciplinary collaboration. What’s especially important is bringing these different functions—clinical, regulatory, R&D, engineering—into the process as early as possible. If those voices are engaged at the ideation stage, innovation has a much stronger chance of moving forward efficiently and successfully. On the other hand, if an idea is developed without that early input, it’s far more likely to face delays or, in some cases, fail to materialize at all.

“Cross-functional collaboration isn’t just valuable in MedTech today; it’s essential to driving meaningful innovation that truly impacts patient care.”

Looking ahead, how do you see emerging technologies like AI, digital twins, and IoT reshaping how clinical, manufacturing, and regulatory teams collaborate?

We’re already seeing the impact of these technologies, and we can certainly expect it to grow even more significant moving forward. At Fresenius Medical Care, we are already using some of these tools. For example, digital twins, whether of individual patients or of broader patient populations, allow us to explore new ways of improving the care we deliver as well as the equipment we design and manufacture.

What’s so powerful about these technologies is the ability to create a continuous cycle of experimentation, refinement, and re-experimentation in a digital environment. Instead of relying solely on physical testing, we can run these processes in silico, which not only accelerates development but also helps us test scenarios that might otherwise be impossible or impractical to explore.

At the same time, these technologies are opening doors to possibilities that we are only beginning to imagine. There are applications we haven’t yet considered or fully understood, and that sense of discovery is incredibly exciting. The pace of change is rapid and, over the next few years, I believe we’ll see these tools fundamentally reshape the way clinical, manufacturing, and regulatory teams work together.

When you think about the future of innovation in MedTech, where do you see the biggest opportunities for cross-functional teams to make a difference in the next five years?

I think it’s fair to say that software tends to get a lot of the attention right now—AI, in particular. And while those technologies are certainly transformative, we can’t lose sight of the fact that this is MedTech. At the end of the day, we’re making physical devices, and some of the biggest opportunities lie in returning to that grounding. It’s the careful attention to small technical details that creates the kind of differentiating quality patients and clinicians rely on. At Fresenius Medical Care, for example, we’re developing dialysis equipment, extracorporeal therapies for critical care like heart and lung support, as well as devices that patients use in their homes for home dialysis.

The real opportunity is in combining the enthusiasm and potential of these new digital tools with the fundamentals of device innovation. It’s about making products that are not only more advanced but also easier and safer to use. Cross-functional teams have a critical role in making sure we’re improving the basics, while also bringing new capabilities to patients that weren’t possible before. 

What are you most looking forward to at this year’s American Medical Device Summit?

Well, I’ve had the pleasure and privilege of attending the summit on a couple of occasions, and it’s always been an enjoyable and rewarding experience. While it’s certainly an honor to be a speaker, I really look forward to the other presentations. There’s so much to learn from the wide range of perspectives shared.

Equally valuable, if not more so, are the conversations that happen in between sessions. Those informal discussions often spark some of the most meaningful insights and connections. One of the greatest strengths of this summit is the opportunity it provides to interact, to network, and to form new collaborations that can continue well beyond the event itself.

Conclusion

As Dr. Kossmann shared, one of the greatest strengths of the American Medical Device Summit lies not only in the insights gained from the sessions but also in the meaningful conversations and connections that happen in between. This October 27–28, 2025, the 12th Annual American Medical Device Summit will return to the Renaissance Schaumburg Hotel in Chicago, IL, bringing together industry leaders to exchange ideas, explore innovation, and shape the future of MedTech.

Attendees will have the opportunity to hear more from Dr. Robert Kossmann during his live session and continue the conversation with him at one of the summit’s many networking sessions, happy hours, or evening drink receptions. Don’t miss the chance to gain invaluable perspectives from leaders like Dr. Kossmann while building the connections that make this summit such a unique and rewarding experience.

Registration closing soon: amdsummit.com