Össur invests £5.3M in Scotland to develop new prosthetics

Prosthetic technology manufacturer Össur has announced it will continue to invest In Scotland through the development of new myoelectric prosthetic hand and arm solutions.

The company is set to invest £5.6 million over a three-year period in which will it develop new prosthetics at its Touch Bionic operations.

Acquired by Össur in 2016, Touch Bionics has worked closely with Scottish Enterprise receiving support in areas such as product development and through its investment arm, the Scottish Investment Bank.

Össur investment is being supported by a £1.3 million grant from Scottish Enterprise to help Touch Bionics deliver on its R&D projects and to enable four new high value R&D jobs at its facility in Livingston.

Welcoming the announcement during a visit to Touch Bionics, Scottish government minister for Business, Innovation and Energy, Paul Wheelhouse, said: “Scotland has built a strong international reputation for innovation and the creation of high value jobs. Our aspiration is to continue leading innovations in life sciences and our Programme for Government saw business Research & Development grants boosted by 70%.”

During the visit, Wheelhouse met with university student Patrick Kane, who wears an i-limb prosthesis from Touch Bionics. A Torchbearer for the London 2012 Olympics, Patrick was eager to learn about the product development that will be coming out of the Livingston facility.

Hugh Gill, vice president of Research & Development for Touch Bionics solutions, said: “Encouraging companies to invest in innovation and increase their international reach is a priority for us, and Touch Bionics with its ground-breaking work in prosthetic technology is a fantastic example of this, helping enable people to perform everyday activities with ease.”

Michael Cannon, head of Innovation and Enterprise Services at Scottish Enterprise, said: “Össur’s decision to invest in this ground-breaking technology in Scotland is testament to the strength of its highly skilled and innovative workforce, manufacturing expertise and forward thinking, ambitious leadership team. Over the years, we’ve watched this successful company grow from strength to strength and I’m delighted to see it secure this important investment to help it continue to achieve its full growth potential in Scotland.”