Getinge’s Experience Center in Rastatt turns 20 years old

Twenty years after its inauguration, Getinge’s Experience Center in Rastatt, Germany, remains unique in the medtech industry. This one-of-a-kind knowledge hub offers a growing number of international visitors the opportunity to experience Getinge’s complete product portfolio and the value it brings to health care providers all over the world.

“It is a really great location to come together with our customers,” says Stephanie Bertsch, who manages the Experience Center in Rastatt. “Our regular workshops enable hands-on training programs and personal exchange of experience and knowledge in a real-life setting.”

The center, located in the German town of Rastatt opened in 1999. Originally, it was a Surgical Academy designed for performing live surgical interventions.

“The patients came from a nearby hospital and the first procedure was a knee operation. Approximately one hundred surgical interventions followed during the first two years. Many of them were broadcasted live, both to the auditorium within the center and to hospitals as far away as the United States,” shares Stephanie.

Eventually, the center in Rastatt developed into an international knowledge hub where Getinge presents its complete product range and solutions in a real-life setting. The number of visitors has grown steadily; from 8,000 in 2002 to around 25,000 in 2018.

“The Experience Center is a very unique place where we offer our customers the opportunity to get hands-on with functional operating room, full equipped intensive care units and state of the art sterile supply department. This center enables us to demonstrate our solutions and discuss our value proposition,” says Raghed Hanna, Director of Global Business Development at Getinge.

Customer programs

The Experience Center is hosting regular workshops and customer events on different topics with participants from all over the globe.

For example, a patient positioning workshop has been a popular event on the agenda ever since the Experience Center was inaugurated. It began as a way to present Getinge’s operating tables and train nursing staff in how to use them. Over time, the workshop was increasingly adapted to suit day-to-day requirements in an operating room.

“These workshops are still a very popular professional development option. Over the years, the number of courses has increased from four workshops per year to around one a month and approximately 250 to 300 participants per year,” explains Raghed.

Getinge also invite customers to different scientific forums to listen to their needs and speak about the latest trends coming directly from key opinion leaders such as Getinge Hospital Engineering Forum, Getinge Infection Prevention Forum and Getinge Partner Day.

Raghed adds:

“Our events are really appreciated and we receive positive feedback from the participants who says a visit provides valuable experiences. We at Getinge feel the same way; it truly is a great place to work closer together with both customers and partners.”

During the upcoming year several exciting events will take place in the Rastatt Experience Center, such as the opening of a new Hybrid OR. Stay tuned for updates in all Getinge news channels.

Do you want to visit any of Getinge’s Experience Centers? Visit getinge.com to learn more.