Date: Dec 03, 2014 Source: PR Newswire (
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SALT LAKE CITY, Dec. 3, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- This weekend, a handshake marked the opening of Blackrock Microsystems LLC's new European headquarters in Hanover, Germany.
But this was no ordinary handshake. Instead, Olaf Lies, the Lower Saxony minister of economics, labor, and transport, grasped an amputee's bionic hand developed and manufactured by German prosthetics firm Ottobock. Blackrock's revolutionary brain and peripheral neural interface technology enables intuitive control of such next-generation prosthetics.
"Our new European headquarters affirms our status as a global leader for neuroscience and neural engineering tool and system solutions," said Professor Florian Solzbacher, Ph.D., president of Blackrock Microsystems. "What's more, our proximity to Hanover's booming neuroscience and technology hub will facilitate partnerships with leaders in a wide range of fields, from prosthesis development to cochlear implants."
Ottobock is among Blackrock's first German partners. The two firms intend to team up on joint projects to explore neuroprosthetics technologies that advance on the technology on display at this weekend's opening.
The Medizinische Hochschule Hannover is another Blackrock partner. This medical school is a leader in ear, nose, and throat medicine -- and will work with Blackrock to explore improvements of cochlear implants.
The new Hanover office will allow Blackrock to better serve its European customers and development partners with exceptional local service and support. It will help accelerate development of new polymer-based devices, state-of-the-art electrodes, data-acquisition systems, and brain-interface technology for neuroscience professionals throughout Europe. As the only global distributor of FDA- and CE-approved electrode systems, the company is more prepared than ever before to respond to clinicians and researchers around the world.
"Blackrock is one of the most innovative neuroscience technology companies in the world," said Prof. Prof. h. c. Dr. med. Thomas Lenarz from the MHH. "Together, we will work to bring groundbreaking new technologies and treatments to patients suffering from hearing loss and other debilitating conditions."
For a video of the handshake, see here.
About Blackrock Microsystems LLC
Blackrock Microsystems, based in Salt Lake City, was founded in 2008 and has become the world's leading provider of technology in the neuroscience, neural engineering, and neural prosthetics space. The Company's technology has been at the core of worldwide innovations in Brain Machine Interfaces, implantable bionic technologies and epilepsy diagnostics. www.blackrockmicro.com
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SOURCE Blackrock Microsystems, LLC
