Sony and Olympus have launched Sony Olympus Medical Solutions, a medical business venture that aims to align Sony's cutting-edge electronics technologies in areas such as digital imaging with Olympus' manufacturing and R&D expertise in the area of medical products including lenses and optical technologies in order to bring high-quality medical care to as many people as possible, and contribute to medical advancement worldwide.

Sony Olympus Medical Solutions plans to develop, design, manufacture, and market new innovative medical products such as surgical endoscopes and related systems and also plans to establish a new medical and imaging systems solutions business to deliver comprehensive solutions for operating rooms worldwide.

The new venture’s logo symbolizes the integration between the two companies and the innovation Sony Olympus Medical Solutions aims to bring to the field of medical surgery resulting in comfort and wellness to patients, doctors and people all over the world.

“At Sony, we are targeting the medical business for mid- to long-term growth, and we have been engaged in several initiatives to expand this business,” said Kazuo Hirai, president and CEO, Sony. “By integrating these with Olympus' wealth of knowledge and expertise in medical technologies and business, I am confident the new company will bring innovation to the medical industry and achieve great success.”

Hiroyuki Sasa, representative director and president, Olympus, said, “In establishing this joint venture with Sony, a world leader in imaging technology, we have taken a step toward the future of medical treatment. The medical business is a driver for profit and growth at Olympus, and we have targeted the ‘drastic growth of our surgical business’ as a key strategy. By combining the two companies' technologies and taking maximum advantage of the resulting synergies, I believe we will be able to make a contribution to world medical progress through innovative new medical devices developments that Olympus could not achieve on its own.”