The global healthtech company Ottobock has published its sustainability report for the 2023 financial year. In it, Ottobock reports comprehensively on the company's commitment to sustainability, which achieves positive social added value with its products and value-driven management.

In the reporting year, the medical technology company focused in particular on the new Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD). In 2022, the European Parliament adopted the CSRD, changing the scope and nature of corporate sustainability reporting. The CSRD calls for greater transparency regarding companies' sustainability activities in order to identify opportunities and risks and requires more accurate and complete data on environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG). Although Ottobock is not required to report in accordance with the CSRD until 2026, we have decided to report in accordance with the new standard, the European Sustainability Reporting Standards (ESRS), as early as 2023. Sustainability reporting consists of two separate, complementary documents: A non-financial statement and a highlight report.

"With the new directive, the European Parliament is ensuring greater transparency, a standardised approach and clearly specifying the direction to be taken. We have therefore focussed on 2023 and carried out a new materiality analysis. The core topics we report on have remained the same. However, we are also feeling the political and climate-related influences that are reflected in our results. This year, we will back up the initiatives we have developed with targets and measures," says Oliver Jakobi, CEO/CSO of Ottobock.

Our sustainability activities

In 2023, the earthquake in Turkey was a key issue in patient care. More than 50,000 people died and 9,000 were injured. A well-functioning medical technology infrastructure is crucial for the provision of care. Ottobock has equipped several containers as mobile orthopaedic workshops and sent them to the Turkish crisis region of Adana. Our aim was to provide as many patients as possible with prostheses and to mobilise them again quickly.

Improving the lives of users with our products is at the heart of what we do. This also includes being active in sports. Last year, Ottobock took over the technical service at the World Para Athletics Championships and the European Para Championships, among others. At the same time, we have organized running clinics around the world, where users have been able to gain first experiences with sports prostheses

With regard to the environmen, we successfully completed further ISO certifications for energy, the environment and occupational safety at additional production sites. These measures also contribute to improving our greenhouse gas balance. Ottobock has determined its emissions in Scope 1, 2 and 3 for the third year in a row and is working on reduction measures.

Ottobock implements its value-led corporate governance with comprehensive compliance standards. Through continuous training, Ottobock helps ensure that all employees comply with normative requirements on human and labour rights, environmental protection and anti-corruption.