the European Symposium on Pediatric Cochlear Implantation 2025

It is a pleasure and great honor to host at behalf of the Hannover Medical School, Department of Otolaryngology, the European Symposium on Pediatric Cochlear Implantation 2025 in Hannover. Hannover has started the cochlear implant program in 1984 and has implanted up to date more than 10,000 patients. It is the largest cochlear implant program within the world. The first child was implanted 1988 and from there on the concept of specialized centers for rehabilitation has been developed and distributed worldwide. The center has make significant contributions to the development of the field, both in the field of cochlear implantation in children and adults. The whole research and development chain was build up including the NIFE (Integrated Research Institute for basic Implant Research), the Fraunhofer Institut for applied research, the VIANNA for several product development in close collaboration with R&D teams of the main manufacturers among the clinical research being done in the German Hearing Center and the Department of Otolaryngology itself. The whole team has more than 200 co-workers working in the clinical service, development and has a strong connection to the Cochlear Implant Center for children being the leading rehabilitation center for children with cochlear implants. We are very honored to host the important European Symposium on Pediatric Cochlear Implantation 2025 again in Hannover after the first event in 1996. It will be the possibility to demonstrate the fast development over these three decades with the enormous impact on the life of deaf children and their families but also the change that has happened in the field of teaching, rehabilitation, diagnosis and concepts of care with the buildup of networks of multidisciplinary interinstitutional networks. Hannover is an ideal location for this type of meetings due to the good travel connections to all major hubs in Europe by air, train and car as well as the conference facilities, which will provide first class venue for this type of international meeting with the expected number of participants. We focus on well-selected topics presented by keynote speeches and focus sessions, educational sessions, training workshops and a large industry and scientific exhibition. The meeting shall promote, forcer the issue of optimized and quality issued care using cochlear implants for hard of hearing children. On behalf of the local scientific committee, I am convinced that we will be able to provide an outstanding international meeting with many participants from all countries across Europe as well as other continents. We are glad and proud to host you and all our colleagues in the pioneering city of Hannover’s with respect to the field of cochlear implants.