High-tech eye lasers made in Switzerland. More than 20 years ago, the owner-managed company Ziemer Ophthalmic Systems AG, based in the Berne Seeland region, began providing eye surgeons with high-quality products. The company started with a diamond knife and soon developed an automatic blade. It then took the groundbreaking step – moving away from the blade – to successfully produce an eye laser device. The Med Tech manufacturer has since vaulted to the level of global companies and is now a recognised leader around the world for Femto laser technology. The company is regarded as the global market leader in selected areas of laser surgery. The company recently manufactured its one thousandth eye laser at its production facility in Port in the canton of Berne – an achievement it wants to celebrate with all employees. 

The company Ziemer Ophthalmic Systems AG employs approximately 220 people – 190 of whom at locations in Port and Brügg in the canton of Berne – and is a market leader in eye surgery.

The femtosecond lasers developed and produced by Ziemer offer a safe and highly effective treatment of the cornea and lens of patients. Most surgical procedures that until a few years ago were still being done manually with a scalpel can now be done with the highest precision using a laser. Cataracts can now be treated in a highly standardised procedure with the Ziemer laser FEMTO LDV Z8 using imaging techniques and computer-aided laser technology. The use of femtosecond lasers enables operations on the lens of the eye and the cornea to be safe, gentle and precise. The pioneering road from blade to laser was very challenging and could only be mastered thanks to strategic foresight and operational creativity. Ziemer is one of a handful of firms that have fundamentally changed the ophthalmology market and are helping to shape the road ahead. More than four million eyes worldwide have undergone surgery with Ziemer lasers.

Ziemer is driving the story – and the success goes on. The company recently manufactured its one thousandth eye laser. This is an impressive number, as lasers are a high-end product sold solely to specialists (eye surgeons). Ziemer operates in a market with global companies for competitors. Thanks to its technology leadership, the company in Port has succeeded in positioning and asserting itself in this environment.

A celebration for the number 1000. The company held a celebration on 31 January 2019 for all employees to thank them for their dedication and loyalty – factors that have played a crucial role in the company’s success. A further event for the public is planned for the handover of the one thousandth laser device.

Despite its huge international exposure – the company exports 98% of its products – Ziemer has remained a family-run company with strong local roots. The company is a firm believer in Switzerland as a business location and looks to the future with optimism.

Ziemer works with local distribution partners in more than 40 countries around the globe. In Germany and the US, the company has its own distribution and service network. In addition, it has its own representative office in Taiwan. The good cooperation with many international partners makes it possible to respond very flexibly to country-specific issues, to draw on specialised market knowledge and to offer direct customer support. Local market experts not only provide customers with quick and competent support, but they also deliver the Swiss company’s expertise and innovation precisely and promptly to the end customer. 

Going forward, the highly innovative products will also give Ziemer the opportunity to successfully compete in the global market with multinational companies. “Innovative work doesn’t just happen in your own company. The efficient interaction of all actors in the innovation process is crucial for market success. To boost our innovative strength and the viability of our research going forward, we have placed a greater emphasis on actual clinical and medical needs. At the same time, we redesigned our research and development work last year to make it even more innovative and effective,” says Frank Ziemer, CEO and president of the company.

Ziemer Ophthalmic Systems AG was founded in 1998 by Frank Ziemer, who continues to run the company today. He was named entrepreneur of the year in 2011 by Ernst & Young in the category “High-Tech and Life Science”. 

You can find more information about the eye laser device (FEMTO LDV) online at www.ziemergroup.com.

Contact:
Ziemer Ophthalmic Systems AG 
Allmendstrasse 11 
2562 Port
Switzerland