Hamburg, Přerov, 24 November 2009 – a milestone for Hamburg-based Olympus subsidiary Olympus Winter & Ibe: In opening the new technology centre for energy products in the Czech city of Přerov, this international technology leader in the field of minimally invasive surgery underpins its commitment in a market with a highly promising future.

By investing some 6 million euros in advanced, environmentally compatible production in Přerov/Czech Republic, Olympus Winter & Ibe is fully committed to the growth market for medical energy products. Using these innovative devices, not only is tissue removed with 100% accuracy; it is simultaneously ablated and bleeding is staunched – making treatment even gen-tler for patients.

“By opening one of the most modern technology centres in the Czech Re-public, we have set a further important milestone in our corporate history. By means of our new centre “Olympus Medical Products Czech”, we plan to reinforce our production and development expertise throughout the Olympus Group,” emphasises Heinz Jacqui, Executive Managing Director of Olympus Winter & Ibe. “At this location, we’re investing in a highly promising growth region with a long tradition in the field of medical technology. Together, we plan to further develop one of the key future technologies in the field of medicine, and to reinforce and extend our already very good market position.”

Trailblazing energy products are manufactured in the facility with a floor space of about 5,000 square metres: these include high-frequency generators, applicators for bipolar high-frequency ablation, electrodes for urology, as well as electrical instruments used in surgery.

Award for state-of-the-art energy management

Gentle to both mankind and the environment: the new building in Přerov was designed 100% with sustainability and energy efficiency in mind and has received two “Class A” certificates for efficient and environmentally compatible energy management. This production site is the first industrial building in the Czech Republic to be awarded these certifications, and one of the first of its kind throughout Central Europe.

In this new plant – compared with buildings of a similar size and design – energy requirements will be reduced by 60 per cent. Compact external facade padding and special glazing ensure substantially reduced heating needs. Special heating, ventilation and air-conditioning systems as well as revolutionary lighting solutions reduce power consumption within this facility by about 290 megawatt-hours per annum, saving an annual volume of 918 tonnes in CO2 emissions – or as much as about 70 households cause each year. Moreover, in addition to efficient energy saving solutions, the building complex is designed to produce additional energy; for instance, the photovoltaic plant mounted on the roofs generates more than 60,000 kilowatt hours of electricity per annum.

With its products and system solutions, Olympus has positioned itself as a strong partner to the medical sector. Flexible and rigid endoscopes play a significant role in minimally invasive diagnostics and therapy. The product range comprises endoscopes and system solutions for extensive applications in internal medicine and surgery, endoscopic video systems, as well as special recycling systems and a wide range of endoscopic accessories. 

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