According to the World Health Organisation, more than 1.5 billion people in the world suffer from hearing loss, including around 7 million in Italy. This is a figure that is destined to increase. In fact, by 2050 it is estimated that the total could reach around 2.5 billion. Noise pollution is the second most important environmental cause of health problems, right after air quality. In fact, prolonged exposure to sounds above 85 decibels can cause hearing loss.
The leader in services and solutions for hearing care is Amplifon, founded in Milan in 1950 by the British general Algernon Charles Holland, who decided to start a company to assist people suffering from hearing problems that arose during the Second World War. With 10,000 shops, over 20,000 employees in 26 countries and around one million customers each year, today the company controls 13% of the world market for hearing care and generates approximately 2.5 billion euros in revenues.
CDP supported Amplifon with 100 million euros as part of a broader operation carried out with the European Investment Bank to finance innovation and measures to improve the customer experience.
Among others, these resources will be used to develop new digital solutions that allow users to adjust their hearing aids remotely without having to physically go to the shop, and to perform automatic hearing tests themselves. Moreover, a tool will be developed to collect real-time data on the functioning of the devices, transmitting any anomalies to audiologists who will thus be able to provide a better service to customers.