As part of its realignment, Siemens AG is preparing to publicly list its audiology activities in order to give the business an opportunity to better leverage its potential outside the company. Step by step, Siemens’ hearing aid activities have succeeded in capturing a strong market position in recent years. Experts predict that by 2020 the market for hearing aids will have grown by an average of four percent per year.
However, the audiology business has a special position within the company. Both its technology and its consumer-oriented market access limit synergy potentials with other Siemens businesses. In addition, anticipated technological developments at Siemens Audiology differ greatly from those of the company and its healthcare activities. This applies particularly to growth fields like implants and the link to consumer electronics.
Siemens Audiology has more than 4,000 employees and a worldwide presence. Key locations are Singapore, Erlangen (Germany), Piscataway (New Jersey / U.S.), Kanagawa (Greater Tokyo / Japan), Crawley (UK) and Saint Denis (Greater Paris / France). As a medium-sized enterprise, the business is the only manufacturer focusing exclusively on the development and production of hearing aids (pure play).
Siemens has been active in the audiology field for more than 100 years. In 1913, the company brought to market the first industrially produced hearing aid, the Esha Phonophor. In the late 1950s, Siemens presented the first behind-the-ear device, in
1966 the first in-the-ear device and in 1997 the first digital hearing system.
In 2004, Siemens was the first producer to introduce hearing aids utilizing radio technology to synchronize operation between the left and right ears. In 2012, Siemens was awarded the German Future Prize by the Federal President of Germany for developing a binaural hearing system that enables hearing aids in both ears to communicate.
Siemens AG (Berlin and Munich) is a global powerhouse in electronics and electrical engineering, operating in the fields of industry, energy and healthcare as well as providing infrastructure solutions, primarily for cities and metropolitan areas. For over 165 years, Siemens has stood for technological excellence, innovation, quality, reliability and internationality. The company is one of the world’s largest providers of environmental technologies. Around 43 percent of its total revenue stems from green products and solutions. In fiscal 2013, which ended on September 30, 2013, revenue from continuing operations totaled €75.9 billion and income from continuing operations €4.2 billion. At the end of September 2013, Siemens had around 362,000 employees worldwide on the basis of continuing operations. Further information is available on the Internet at: www.siemens.com.
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