Partners

Advanced Bionics (AB) is one of the world’s four leading companies in the development, manufacture and distribution of cochlear implant (CI) systems for children and adults. The company employs over 1,000 people worldwide and sells its products in more than 50 countries. As part of Sonova AG, AB has access to leading technical expertise in the fields of acoustics, electrical engineering, mechanics and microsystems technology. Since 2009, Advanced Bionics’ European research site has been the European Research Center (ERC) in Hannover, Germany. Under the leadership of AB’s global head of research, Dr.-Ing. Volkmar Hamacher, scientists and engineers there work on research and pre-development studies in the fields of electrical stimulation strategies, electroacoustic and bimodal stimulation, efficient fitting algorithms, electrode design and evaluation methods, and implantable acoustic sensors and actuators. In its research, the ERC closely collaborates with university, clinical, and technological partners from Europe, the Middle Middle East, and Asia. Due to the close proximity to Sonova AG’s headquarters in Stäfa, Switzerland, and the resulting synergies in technology development, a particular focus of research at the ERC is the bimodal fitting of cochlear implants with contralateral hearing aids, as the ERC works very closely with other parts of Sonova AG to optimize the bimodal fitting of patients. For example, the “Adaptive Phonak Bimodal Digital Fitting Formula”, which benefits bimodal CI users worldwide, has been researched and developed at the ERC.

The Neuropsychology Group is part of the Department of Psychology in the Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences at the Carl von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg. One focus is the investigation of neurocognitive bases in perception and processing of audiological, visual and audio-visual stimuli. Within the framework of the Hearing4All Cluster of Excellence, the research group also deals with possibilities of decoding auditory attention based on EEG. Of particular interest here is the development of sensor systems and methodologies suitable for everyday use, which make it possible to collect and process high-quality EEG data outside the laboratory. Mobile possibilities for recording neuronal data not only allow the investigation of neurocognitive processes in realistic scenarios, but also represent an aspect for future mobile brain-computer interfaces.

The Chair of Technology Management at the Institute of Innovation Research at Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel (CAU) focuses its research on the challenges of innovation, particularly in the healthcare and energy industries, and on the development and evaluation of innovation management instruments. Research projects are carried out in three working areas. These include projects on innovation management of medical institutions and life science companies, on IT-based management of integrated supply networks, and on methodological support for the development of novel services and product-service systems. Due to its project and research activities, the chair has profound knowledge in the fields of telemedicine as well as innovation research, acceptance and adoption research and business model innovation in the medical environment (e.g. Access & Acceleration, Audio-PSS, BlueHealthTech). The project contact person of the Chair of Technology Management is Prof. Dr. Carsten Schultz.

The Heart and Diabetes Center North Rhine-Westphalia (HDZ NRW), as a university hospital of the Ruhr University Bochum, is a leading international center for the treatment of cardiovascular and diabetic diseases. With 35,000 heart and diabetes patients per year, 14,600 of whom receive inpatient treatment, HDZ NRW is one of the largest and most modern clinical centers of its kind in Europe. For more than 35 years, more than 2,300 employees have guaranteed medical excellence and high-performance medicine and technology in all areas. More than 3,600 operations on the heart and the vessels close to the heart per year, more than 5,000 catheter-based procedures, 1,000 electrophysiological procedures and 500 TAVI procedures per year document this great experience. The five clinics of the HDZ NRW offer a safe concept of prevention, diagnostics, therapy and aftercare according to the latest scientific findings, state-of-the-art medical procedures and excellent professional knowledge and skills. This is complemented by university institutes and internal service structures under one roof.

Hörzentrum Oldenburg gGmbH improves the technology of hearing systems and the provision of hearing systems for hearing-impaired people with its audiological products, services and research projects. As a partner in the Hearing4all cluster of excellence, the internationally active company transfers the results of basic university research into customer-oriented services and products – always with the focus on people. In this way, we ensure the application-oriented transfer of knowledge to clinics, industry and hearing care. Founded in 2021 as a merger of the established companies HörTech gGmbH and Hörzentrum Oldenburg GmbH, Hörzentrum Oldenburg combines 25 years of experience in the development of audiological measurement and fitting procedures, evidence- and user-based evaluation studies, and consulting for people with hearing impairment.

Iconstorm is Germany’s leading strategic design agency based in Frankfurt am Main. Since 2004, the company has been supporting clients in implementing ambitious innovation projects and anchoring design methods and mindset in their processes. The focus is on meaningful innovations that bring together technology, people, business and sustainability. The Iconstorm team has expertise in all areas of design and also includes experienced consultants and coaches as well as an in-house development department for digital products.

The OFFIS-Institute for Computer Science, founded in 1991 as an affiliated institute of the University of Oldenburg with institutional funding from the state of Lower Saxony, researches new forms of computer-based information processing in hardware and software systems and translates the results into application-oriented developments that can then be further developed into marketable products by cooperation partners. With its more than 280 employees, OFFIS performs research and prototypical development work at the highest international level in the fields of energy, health, production and transport. For more than 20 years, the OFFIS R&D area Health has been working on the use of IT systems in healthcare and, since 2005, on the development of assistance systems based on sensor technology and machine learning methods and explorative data analysis, among others. among others in the projects Audio-PSS, Cicely, DiDiER, GAL, Hearing at Home, IDEAAL, LivingCare, LivingSmart, Medolution, MeSiB, PIZ, QuoVadis and TEDIPA.