KARL STORZ Awarded in the 2017 “Landmarks in the Land of Ideas” Competition

Berlin, 26.06.2017: For its VITOM^® 3D, KARL STORZ was selected from among some 1000 applications and received one of the 100 "Landmarks in the Land of Ideas 2017" awards in Berlin in the official award ceremony of the Germany-wide innovation contest.

Under the motto "Open your mind and unfold new ideas", participants from throughout the country, particularly companies, universities, research institutions, community organizations, and private individuals, could apply with forward-looking ideas and projects that make a positive contribution to meeting societal challenges and answering pressing issues of the future.

With its innovative products, KARL STORZ now received an award in this prestigious competition for the third time after 2009 and 2012. The screen-based VITOM^® 3D system represents a revolutionary solution for the visualization of microsurgical and open procedures in many medical specialties and offers surgeons optimal conditions for performing delicate precision work, for instance in neurosurgery.

"We are pleased that with the digital surgical microscope VITOM^® 3D, we can demonstrate the wealth of ideas and innovative strength of medical technology as well as actively contribute to Germany's readiness for the future", said Dr. h. c. mult. Sybill Storz.

The compact surgical microscope for which the award was presented optically magnifies the surgical field to allow the entire surgical team to observe procedures directly on a 3D monitor in the same quality, which in turn positively influences the workflow. The system can be combined with existing technical components from endoscopy, which makes it much less expensive than conventional stereo surgical microscopes.

Dr. Klaus-Martin Irion, head of Research & Technology at KARL STORZ emphasized: "The system particularly features great user friendliness, significantly improved ergonomics, and a modular system design, which permits efficient and inexpensive procedures. In times where sustainability and increasing digitalization play an ever more important role, we want to expand our technology portfolio by forward-looking functions."

About the competition: "Germany - Land of Ideas" is a joint place branding initiative initiated by the German federal government and the Federation of German Industries (BDI). The "Landmarks" competition arose from the "365 Landmarks in the Land of Ideas" event series and has been held under an annual motto since 2013. In the categories of economics, science, education, society, culture, and environment, the competition seeks innovative ideas that stand for the ingenuity of Germany and offer solutions for today's challenges. Through its projects and competitions, the initiative also aims to encourage people to present their ideas to the public. The independent jury composed of scientists, business managers, journalists, and politicians selects the 100 winners.