Southern Thuringia will soon be producing innovative products for “keyhole technology”: W.O.M. World of Medicine GmbH is investing EUR 10 million to build a production center in Sonneberg. It will be creating 14 jobs in short order but could eventually employ up to 100 people at the site. W.O.M. specializes in products for minimally invasive surgery. These kinds of operations – in which incisions are kept to a minimum – simplify treatment for medical personnel and speed up recovery for patients. Devices used in laparoscopic, or “keyhole”, surgery include cameras, insufflators, medical pumps and sterile tubing systems. Sonneberg is conveniently located on the border between Thuringia and Bavaria and is near business centers in central Germany and the Bavarian region of Franconia. W.O.M. is a member of the Boston-based Novanta Group, which has global sales of USD 600 million and employs more than 2,000 people. (hw)
