The industry is facing increasing challenges due to a lack of skilled specialists and an aging workforce. Med-tech manufacturer Ottobock is responding to the resulting need for completely new devices with its newly founded business unit, Ottobock Industrials. Under the management of Dr Sönke Rössing (41), innovative technical solutions will be developed that help people protect their health over the long term as they carry out their demanding everyday working routines.

One of the first product areas for Ottobock Industrials are what are called exoskeletons for overhead and above shoulder level work. The orthotic assistance systems, which are worn on the body, support employees during demanding activities in production or trade such as overhead assembly. Using exoskeletons reduces physical strain and protects the musculoskeletal system. The innovative solution called Paexo is currently being tested with 30 employees in series production at VW and according to VW, is the largest long-term pilot test of exoskeletons in Europe.

“In future, we want to make workstations in the industrial, logistics and craft sectors more ergonomic and thereby improve the often challenging working conditions found there. We believe that this is an up-and-coming sector that offers a great deal of potential for groundbreaking innovations,” says Rössing, who previously played a key role in shaping Ottobock’s corporate strategy and business growth as Chief Strategy & Human Resources Officer. “Together with our shareholders, we therefore decided to systematically transfer Ottobock’s nearly 100 years of expertise in biomechanics and orthopaedics to a new business area,” Rössing explains.