The 68th EUHA Congress, held in Hanover from October 16-18, 2024, brought together approximately 8,700 participants, surpassing attendance expectations. As the world’s largest hearing acoustics industry event, the congress featured over 130 exhibitors, 26 expert presentations, five tutorials, a specialized “Future Friday” program, free admission for trainees and students, and the new EUHA Live Area.
The congress opened with speeches from Beate Gromke, President of the European Union of Hearing Aid Acousticians (EUHA), and Gregor Dittrich, Board Member of the German Association of the Hearing Aid Industry (BVHI). A notable moment was the visit by Dr. Andreas Philippi, Lower Saxony’s Minister for Social Affairs, Labour, Health, and Equality, who emphasized that “successful communication, social participation, and fair educational opportunities are only possible if hearing impairments are corrected.”
The partner country Denmark was represented by Peder Søgaard-Pedersen, Director of Dansk Industri, who gave a welcome address on behalf of Denmark’s industrial sector.
Engagement at the EUHA Live Area
The new EUHA Live Area served as a central hub for networking and dialogue throughout the congress. The Live Area’s stage offered additional programming, complementing the main congress sessions and drawing a high level of participant engagement.
Industry Showcase and Knowledge Symposium
The industry exhibition featured innovations from over 130 exhibitors across 19 countries, with Germany, China, Denmark, and France as the leading exhibitor nations. Approximately 230 trainees and students attended, engaging in guided tours and gathering information.
The EUHA Knowledge Symposium commenced the scientific lecture series, featuring presentations by 38 national and international speakers. Professor Torsten Dau from the Technical University of Denmark opened the symposium with a presentation on new trends in technical compensation strategies for hearing aids. EUHA Vice President Eva Keil-Becker awarded EUHA sponsorship prizes to outstanding contributors, including Maren Harries, M. Sc., who won first prize for her research on a new speech material for the Freiburg one-syllable test.
Other prize winners included Dr. Martin Orf and Alina-Sophie Bockelmann, B. Sc. The FDHA Foundation Prize was awarded by Prof. Dr. med. Karin Schorn to Prof. Dr. Annette Limberger from Aalen University for her interdisciplinary contributions.
Future Friday Focuses on Trends in Hearing Care
Future Friday featured presentations on current trends in retail and healthcare technology, with speakers including Theresa Schleicher on consumer behavior, PD Dr. Benedikt Höing on AI in cochlear implant care, and Sergi Rotger-Griful from the Eriksholm Research Centre on communication challenges for those with hearing loss. Prof. Dr. David Matusiewicz concluded the day with insights into the digital transformation within the healthcare sector.
The EUHA Congress 2024 provided participants with access to innovative products, the latest scientific knowledge, and opportunities for direct engagement, creating a valuable experience for all attendees. The next EUHA Congress will take place in Nuremberg from October 22-24, 2025.
Source: EUHA
