IFAInt19_PREV_Online

CONSUMER LIFESTYLE
MEDISANA
LEVERAGES
COINNOVATION
TO BRING A
HOME CARE
ROBOT TO THE
MARKET
Marco Getz
Managing Director,
Medisana GmbH
IFA senior management continue to sing the
praises of what they term coinnovation, and
proof of the concept comes with news from
Medisana that they are bringing a new “home
care” robot to the market thanks to a new joint
venture.
Marco Getz, the new
Managing Director of
Medisana GmbH, presented
the new robot in a world
premiere at the Innovations
Media Briefing in Berlin this
summer. The device is the
fruit of a joint venture between
China-based Medisana and
an Israeli engineering firm,
coupled with input from the
German office.
“We put in a lot of our
resources and know-how,
especially in terms of medical
measurements and medical
devices,” says Getz, adding,
“We are connecting the robot
STRONGER TOGETHER –
HISENSE AND GORENJE –
TWO BRANDS WITH A UNIQUE
CONNECTION
SNEAK
with our
normal
devices,
for such
things as
blood pressure, blood sugar,
or scales, so that the user has
permanent control of their
vital parameters.”
Getz explains that the
company that originally
designed this product did
so primarily for defence
purposes: “It was made to
detect bombs. It therefore had
a very smooth and reliable
navigation system, which has
been used to make our own
robot in combination with our
know-how in medical devices
and medical measurements.”
As Medisana’s major
business is in Europe, the
company is starting its rollout
in this territory, with further
rollout coming as the robot
gets ‘life lessons’: “We have to
Hisense
H65U8B
TV
learn about the robot, as this
is the first generation. It has
to develop its own intelligence
step-by-step, so we don’t
want to make a global rollout
straight away. A second stage
will see a roll-out in Asia and
the US,” says Getz.
According to Medisana’s
German boss, feedback
from journalists has been
enthusiastic: “They are
saying this is one of the real
innovations they are seeing
at the IFA preview, because
it is new, it is unique, and of
course a lot of people are
talking about robots, but we
are showing a real working
model. We will roll out the
product in Q4 this year,
so it is real. Therefore, the
journalists are impressed
about our performance and
our development”
Hall 6.1
Stand 103
In a strategic partnership since only fall 2018 Hisense
and Gorenje showed a united front at the Innovations
Media Briefing with Julian Lietzau, Marketing Director
of Gorenje and Uwe Paul, Commercial Director of
Hisense.
Hisense, founded in 1969 in
China, is one of the leading
manufacturers of flat screen
TVs and household appliances.
The Slovenian Gorenje Group,
founded in 1950, counts among
the leading home appliance
manufacturers with customers
from 90 countries.
“Since our partnership was
formed, our two companies have
been working together to create
and optimise our products,” said
Lietzau. “We are two companies
with our own unique strengths,
and it is very exciting to bring
these strengths together in
one entity. We have combined
the potential of both firms, and
this has given us a great deal of
positive energy. Our common aim
is to create quality, affordable hitech
and lifestyle products.”
Paul said that by 2020 there
will be a range of household
appliances that will combine and
reflect the two companies’ unique
aspects.
Highlights include the Hisense
H65U8B 65-inch TV, which
features Dolby vision, USB
recording and a built-in
subwoofer. The slick design,
said Paul, appeals to European
taste. He also emphasised
the growing market for Laser
TV in Europe, which he said is
often overlooked, yet has all the
features of a normal TV. Hisense
is working fast to incorporate the
growing range of apps relevant
to Smart TV into their TVs. The
apps incorporate quick search
functions for video on demand,
one touch access and voice
control via ALEXA.
Another highlight includes the
Gorenje washing machines and
dryers that now offer a steam
programme, named
Steamtech. Julian Lietzau
explained that steam in washing
programmes was now popular
for a number of reasons, among
them the ability to kill bacteria in
clothing without any chemicals,
but also eliminated the need to
iron clothes
Hall 6.2
Stand 201
32