OTTO BOCK HEALTHCARE PRODUCTS GMBH

Their core work

Otto Bock Healthcare Products is the Austrian arm of Ottobock, one of the world's leading manufacturers of prosthetics, orthotics, and rehabilitation technology. Within H2020, they focus on developing and validating advanced upper and lower limb assistive devices — from intuitive prosthetic hand control systems to spinal exoskeletons for back pain prevention. They bring deep expertise in translating robotic and sensor-based prototypes into clinical-grade products that real patients can use. Their role in projects consistently centers on end-user testing, product integration, and bridging the gap between lab research and market-ready medical devices.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

Otto Bock's early H2020 involvement (2015-2016) centred on broader rehabilitation robotics — assisting neurological patients with reaching/grasping (RETRAINER) and developing exoskeletons for occupational back pain (SPEXOR). From 2016 onward, their focus sharpened decisively toward prosthetic limb technology, first by coordinating INPUT on intuitive arm prosthesis control, then joining OneHAND on a comprehensive user-centred approach to hand prosthesis treatment including virtual reality. The trajectory shows a clear move from general rehabilitation devices toward specialized, patient-journey-oriented prosthetics with digital health components.

Otto Bock is moving toward digitally-enhanced prosthetic solutions that address the full patient journey — expect future work combining VR training, intuitive control interfaces, and treatment standardization.

How they like to work

Otto Bock primarily joins consortia as a participant (3 of 4 projects), contributing industry expertise in product validation and end-user testing, though they demonstrated coordination capability with INPUT. With 25 unique partners across 9 countries, they maintain a broad European network rather than relying on a small circle of repeat collaborators. Their participation pattern suggests they are sought out as the industrial partner who can ground academic prototypes in real manufacturing and clinical requirements.

Otto Bock has collaborated with 25 distinct partners across 9 European countries, indicating a well-connected position within the assistive technology research community. Their network likely spans universities, clinical centres, and robotics labs working on rehabilitation and prosthetics.

What sets them apart

Otto Bock brings something rare to any consortium: they are not a research lab or SME — they are a global-scale manufacturer of prosthetics and orthotics with direct access to patients, clinicians, and production lines. This means prototypes developed in a project have a realistic path to market through their existing distribution channels. For any consortium working on assistive devices, prosthetics, or rehabilitation technology, Otto Bock offers credibility with reviewers and a genuine exploitation route that few partners can match.

Highlights from their portfolio

• INPUT
  Their only coordinated project — focused on intuitive prosthesis control with structured end-user verification, showing R&D leadership beyond their usual industry partner role.
• OneHAND
  Most recent project (2020-2024) addressing the complete patient journey for upper limb amputees, integrating virtual reality — signals their current strategic direction.
• SPEXOR
  Diversified their portfolio beyond prosthetics into spinal exoskeletons for occupational health, demonstrating breadth in wearable assistive robotics.