Sectra, which specializes in medical imaging and related information technology services, is looking to increase its footprint in Canada with a new office in Toronto and its direct sales operation, Sectra Canada Inc. 

Leadership estimates the Toronto office will be open by September of this year.

“We offer imaging solutions for hospitals,” Mikael Anden, president of Sectra North America, told Toronto Business Daily.

Anden said the company’s “image exchange platform” helps to connect one hospital to another. For instance, he said, when a patient is seen at two different hospitals, Sectra will help transfer radiology and other diagnostic imaging between providers.

Anden said Sectra already serves the bulk of the National Health System (NHS) in the United Kingdom and has existing operations in the United States.

“It's one of the world's biggest image exchange platforms,” Anden said. “We hope to get better traction on this idea in Canada.”

Explaining that the company party has a footprint in Canada, Anden said the new office will help with serving more Canadian communities.

Estimates on job numbers, he said, are premature; Anden plans to fly this week to meet executives and talk about the possibilities in Toronto.

“We’re going to grow our footprint organically,” Anden said.

Torbjörn Kronander, president and CEO of Sectra, said in a press statement that the company's long-term plan is to expand in Canada.

“Canada has some unique healthcare challenges that we are prepared to address with our flexible and intuitive software," Kronander said. "Sectra has highly satisfied customers in Canada, but we still have a relatively small market share. This is something we believe we can improve through increased local presence.”