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A global company
with a local approach

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william demant at a glance

We operate globally with a local presence through our companies in more than 30 countries and through trusted distributors in more than 130 countries. This way, we combine the best of two worlds: Centralised and standardised processes that value local presence and initiatives.

Adding to our global orientation is a local presence. As a company represented in many countries, we act as a good citizen in the community. Besides from expected compliance with rules and regulations, this good citizenship includes the ambition that our employees and products contribute positive to the development of the community.

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The William Demant Group covers four business activities: traditional hearing instruments, hearing implants, diagnostic instruments and personal communication.

We are the only company in the world that covers these four areas, and we expect to harvest significant synergies from this unique position. Synergies that will help millions of people experience the joy of hearing for many years to come. Just as William Demant envisioned it when he developed the company during the twentieth century.

With our approach to hearing healthcare and our complete product range, the William Demant Group, our customers and partners are fully equipped to help people with various kinds of hearing loss connect with the world and live their lives to the fullest.

Our unique position is a great advantage in a market that is growing. The hearing healthcare market represents a wholesale value of USD 6 billion per year, with Europe and North America being by far the largest markets.

Global tracking of hearing loss, e.g. MarkeTrak, EuroTrak and JapanTrak, shows that around 1 in 10 people over the age of 50 is living with a hearing loss. Approximately 13 million hearing aids and 60,000 hearing implants are sold every year, and the annual market growth is 4-6% in units, largely driven by the underlying demographic development.

— revenue —

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In 2016, we generated 12,002 DKK million in revenue. Our largest markets are Europe and North America.

— business focus —

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The William Demant Group focuses on four areas: Hearing Devices, Hearing Implants, Diagnostic Instruments and Personal Communication.

— workforce —

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At year-end 2016, the Group had 12,671 employees of whom 1,516 were employed in Denmark.

— ownership —

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William Demant Holding is listed on Nasdaq Copenhagen. The Oticon Foundation is the sole owner of the investment company, William Demant Invest, who holds the majority shares of William Demant Holding.

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OWNERSHIP STRUCTURE 

The Oticon Foundation is the majority owner of William Demant Holding through the investment company William Demant Invest.

In addition to William Demant Holding, William Demant Invest holds significant positions in the medtech companies Össur hf. and Vitrolife AB, as well as the real estate company Jeudan A/S and the wind farm Borkum Riffgrund 1 in the North Sea off the German coast. Össur is listed in Iceland and Copenhagen, Vitrolife in Stockholm and Jeudan in Copenhagen.

the oticon foundation

The Oticon Foundation, or William Demants og Hustru Ida Emilies Fond, is a commercial foundation whose main purpose is to secure and expand the commercial activities of William Demant Holding and William Demant Invest and to donate money to charitable causes.

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The father of William Demant, Hans Demant founded the company in 1904. And he had a good reason: His wife Camilla suffered from a severe hearing loss, and Hans was determined to help her and others in her situation. From personal experience, Hans Demant knew about the complex psychological problems that people often experience when they have difficulty communicating.

In 1910, after his father passed away, William Demant took over the business and quickly proved to be an energetic businessman. He was both visionary and personally engaged in treatment of hearing loss, and in 1957, he created William Demants og Hustru Ida Emilies Fond. The foundation was established to ensure that Oticon would continue as a business based on humanistic philosophy. Today, this foundation is known as the Oticon Foundation.

The Oticon Foundation's statutes declare that income must be used to support the needs of people with hearing loss as well as relevant organisations. The Foundation’s income derives from its investment in William Demant Invest.

The Oticon Foundation sponsors social and educational programmes, publications, conferences, cultural activities and campaigns for researchers, hearing care professionals and the general public.

If you want to read more about the Oticon Foundation and its activities please visit www.oticonfoundation.com

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OUR LOGO

Designed when the holding company was established in 1997, the kite in William Demant's logo symbolises the qualities a holding company with many companies in its portfolio must possess: an excellent overview, a clear vision and clever steering. Furthermore, a strong and tight line makes the kite airworthy.

eriksholm research centre

Eriksholm Research Centre pursues audiological discoveries with the potential to significantly enhance end-user benefits in future hearing care. Research is carried out in close collaboration with academic research institutions, clinicians and people with hearing loss. Being part of Oticon ensures that the scientific insights are applied in solutions which empower people with hearing loss.

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Eriksholm Research Centre is located in Elsinore, 50 km from William Demant's headquarter. The location away from the company´s headquarter facilitates the mind-set and working environment necessary for carrying out good long-term and in-depth research, but at the same time there is a constant flow of people and ideas between Eriksholm and the headquarter.

A very broad spread of topics is being investigated at Eriksholm, well organised under three strategic, mega-trend inspired research themes: Cognitive Hearing Science, eHealth, and Advanced Algorithms.

A strong culture of scientific enquiry characterizes Eriksholm

Eriksholm engages in close collaboration with academic research groups from all over the world, and the vast majority of Eriksholm's research is published and presented at academic conferences. This reflects the fact that the researchers at Eriksholm are more concerned with understanding and discovery than with direct product development. Nevertheless, knowledge gained at Eriksholm feeds strongly into the innovations made in product development teams at headquarter.

A strong culture of scientific enquiry characterizes Eriksholm. Questions are never too complicated to ask. The atmosphere is one of individual learning and challenge, but with a strong team spirit. Research staff disciplines include audiology, psychoacoustics, acoustics, signal processing and anthropology.

In addition to the permanent staff, Eriksholm always has a number of MSc or PhD students.

Senior scientist Thomas Lunner appointed as Fellow

By his significant research in connecting hearing with cognition, BrainHearingTM, Eriksholm scientist Thomas Lunner has shown that hearing aids can reduce listening effort and provide the brain with better conditions to make sense of sound, thus putting less strain on the brain. Based on the research collaborations Thomas Lunner has been part of driving, William Demant company Oticon has created features in the Opn hearing aid, which significantly improves how much people can remember from speech heard in noise, thus empowering the end-user to stay active, involved and engaged. 

The unique benefits of 20% reduced listening effort, 20% better recall of the conversation and 30% better speech understanding with an Oticon Opn hearing aid would not have been possible without Thomas Lunner’s contribution. Read more about the honoring of Thomas Lunner.

For more information please visit www.eriksholm.com