Healthcare technology from Jena comprises the areas of medical technology, analytics as well as pharmaceuticals and biotechnology. Internationally oriented companies such as ZEISS (with its divisions Medical Technology, Ophthalmology, Microscopy), Analytik Jena, Wacker Biotech, Jenapharm, Abbott and EVER Pharma Jena are world leaders in their respective fields. Like so many Jena-based companies, they stand for the strong connection between innovative scientific equipment manufacturing and medical and the life sciences.

Jena’s University Hospital and the eight on-site research institutes are important partners in the support of research and development in healthcare technologies. Thanks to the technical orientation of Jena's universities, for example at the Institute of Applied Optics or at the Department of Medical Technology and Biotechnology, technical specialists discover that Jena provides an ideal environment for their professional development. The coordination of coveted Jena research and development projects with leading German research institutes, industrial companies and universities is handled by medways e.V., the Thuringian industry association for medical technology/biotechnology. It is based in Jena.