MED-EL launches global Children’s Invention Contest to challenge next generation inventors
MED-EL, leading provider and inventor of hearing implants, calls for children around the world to join a creative contest. The ideas4ears contest invites children aged 6-12 to showcase their ideas for creative solutions that help people with hearing loss. It is launched on World Inventors Day, November 9th, 2018, with countries from all over the world participating: Austria, Australia, Bangladesh, Brazil, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Germany, India, Latin America, Finland, Nepal, Netherlands, New Zealand, Philippines, Portugal, Spain, South Africa, Sri Lanka, the United Kingdom and the United States of America.
The contest aims to find unique and innovative ideas that improve the quality of life for people with hearing loss. Every idea is welcome. It could be a new invention, an improvement to something that already exists or a clever idea that helps people with hearing loss and makes their lives easier. Furthermore, it wants to increase the understanding for the challenges that people with hearing loss face on a daily basis. Cochlear implant manufacturer MED-EL proves how a great idea and innovative minds can change the lives of people with hearing loss. Innovation and creativity still form the foundation for MED-EL’s success and are also the focus of the contest. It is inspired by the possibility to invent something that could serve as a basis for future hearing loss treatment. With its global approach, ideas4ears also serves as a great platform for educating children worldwide about hearing loss and its consequences.
Powerful ideas – solutions for the future
Entries can be made by using various media, such as drawings, videos or sculptures – in brief, anything that reflects the strong and bright ideas of youthful minds. Members of the MED-EL ideas4ears jury are looking forward to discovering the creative approaches of the next generation of inventors. Winners will be announced on January 31st, 2019 and rewarded with a trip to MED-EL headquarters in Innsbruck, Austria. There they will tour the facilities and also meet with MED-EL’s inventors. Deadline for entries: January 17th, 2019.
About hearing loss
Over 5% of the world’s population – 466 million people – are living with disabling hearing loss (432 million adults and 34 million children). Approximately one third of people over the age of 65 are affected by disabling hearing loss. The World Health Organization recommends a range of solutions to improve communication, including hearing implants.
About MED-EL
MED-EL Medical Electronics, a leader in implantable hearing solutions, is driven by a mission to overcome hearing loss as a barrier to communication. The Austrian-based, privately owned business was co-founded by industry pioneers Ingeborg and Erwin Hochmair, whose ground-breaking research led to the development of the world’s first micro-electronic multi-channel cochlear implant (CI), which was successfully implanted in 1977 and was the basis for what is known as the modern CI today. This laid the foundation for the successful growth of the company in 1990, when they hired their first employees. To date, MED-EL has grown to more than 1,900 employees and 30 subsidiaries worldwide.
The company offers the widest range of implantable and non-implantable solutions to treat all types of hearing loss, enabling people in 123 countries enjoy the gift of hearing with the help of a MED-EL device. MED-EL’s hearing solutions include cochlear and middle ear implant systems, a combined Electric Acoustic Stimulation hearing implant system, auditory brainstem implants as well as surgical and non-surgical bone conduction devices. www.medel.com
