Sonova opens innovation lab at Communitech
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Sonova opens innovation lab at Communitech
New milestone to accelerate and drive innovation in the area of consumer and medical applications
Stäfa (Switzerland), November 8, 2019 - Sonova Holding AG, one of the world's leading providers of hearing solutions, today opens an innovation lab inside the Communitech Innovation Hub at Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. With hearing instruments moving from single purpose devices to multifunctional solutions, it is key for Sonova to explore how such solutions can be seamlessly integrated into the lives of customers. The lab will serve as an innovation excellence and experimentation center for creating the future of assisted hearing - from defining and prototyping concepts to conducting user testing and developing solutions with continuous user validation. With the lab located at Communitech, in Kitchener, Ontario, it can leverage the vast Canadian tech ecosystem in the region while fostering relationships with other corporate labs, startups and academia. Additionally, the close vicinity of Unitron Headquarters, Sonova`s second strongest hearing aid brand, will also be beneficial for the collaboration.
The opening of the innovation lab at Communitech marks another milestone in driving Sonova's innovation leadership. "It is our belief that innovation flourishes when we create a space and time where our creative talents can share ideas and experiment with new solutions," says Arnd Kaldowski, CEO of the Sonova Group. "This is why we are really excited to open an innovation lab here at Communitech, and we are looking forward to working within this vibrant tech community. We are convinced that this is one of the best environments to create new applications and solutions for the future of assisted hearing."
Imagine and create the future of assisted hearing
The lab will be a center for innovation and experimentation to help Sonova imagine and create the future in assisted hearing and other consumer solutions. Engaging directly with customers and partners - including corporates, startups, scaleups, and academia - in the Communitech ecosystem, the lab team will work on solving consumer problems and developing meaningful applications and services by solving problems for our customers. To this end, the team will define and prototype concepts, conduct user testing and develop solutions quickly with continuous user validation to ensure that these really meet the needs of consumers.
"In a connected world where hearing devices are becoming multifunctional, we want to leverage our new lab to explore these new opportunities and develop market changing hearing solutions," says Andi Vonlanthen, GVP Research & Development at Sonova. "Working closely with our internal teams, our R&D competence centers and Unitron Headquarters just around the corner, we want to drive innovation to elevate hearing instruments to become healthy living companions."
eSolutions for the future
Sonova continuously strives to further develop its portfolio of eSolutions to allow people with hearing loss enjoy complete autonomy in a fully networked world of hearing by further expanding digital channels to establish one-to-one, real-time relationships with our customers. Digital technology and connectivity offer multiple opportunities that go far beyond the individual hearing instrument, creating a digital experience that brings together, empowers, and supports the healthcare provider and the user through all stages of the hearing journey - ranging from online-based histories, remote support and user-specific fine tuning in real time.
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Innovation@Sonova:
- Highest R&D spending in the hearing aid industry: above 150 Mio. USD (FY 2018/19) - More than 1,600 active granted patent and design rights - Partnerships with around fifty top-class universities and centers of excellence and technology - First company to develop a microchip granting universal Bluetooth® connectivity to all smart phone types and almost all Bluetooth-enabled devices - Pioneer in eAudiology and eSolutions
Pictures of the opening event can be requested from mediarelations@sonova.com.
Media Relations
Patrick Lehn Phone +41 58 928 33 23 Mobile +41 79 410 82 84 Email patrick.lehn@sonova.com
Disclaimer This Media Release contains forward-looking statements, which offer no guarantee with regard to future performance. These statements are made on the basis of management's views and assumptions regarding future events and business performance at the time the statements are made. They are subject to risks and uncertainties including, but not confined to, future global economic conditions, exchange rates, legal provisions, market conditions, activities by competitors and other factors outside Sonova's control. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual outcomes may vary materially from those forecasted or expected. Each forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date of the particular statement, and Sonova undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, except as required by law. About Sonova Sonova, headquartered in Stäfa, Switzerland, is a leading provider of innovative hearing care solutions. The Group operates through its core business brands Phonak, Unitron, Hansaton, Advanced Bionics and AudioNova. Sonova offers its customers one of the most comprehensive product portfolios in the industry - from hearing instruments to cochlear implants to wireless communication solutions. Pursuing a unique vertically integrated business strategy, the Group operates through three core businesses - hearing instruments, audiological care and cochlear implants - along the entire value chain of the hearing care market. The Group's sales and distribution network, the widest in the industry, comprises over 50 own wholesale companies and more than 100 independent distributors. This is complemented by Sonova's audiological care business, which offers professional audiological services through a network of around 3,500 locations in 19 key markets. Founded in 1947, the Group has a workforce of over 14,000 dedicated employees and generated sales of CHF 2.76 billion in the financial year 2018/19 as well as a net profit of CHF 460 million. Across all businesses, and by supporting the Hear the World Foundation, Sonova pursues its vision of a world where everyone enjoys the delight of hearing and therefore lives a life without limitations. For more information please visit www.sonova.com and www.hear-the-world.com. Sonova shares (ticker symbol: SOON, Security no: 1254978, ISIN: CH0012549785) have been listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange since 1994. The securities of Sonova have not been and will not be registered under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "U.S. Securities Act"), or under the applicable securities laws of any state of the United States of America, and may not be offered or sold in the United States of America except pursuant to an exemption from the registration requirements under the U.S. Securities Act and in compliance with applicable state securities laws, or outside the United States of America to non-U.S. Persons in reliance on Regulation S under the U.S. Securities Act.
