Peristeen® Small meets the demands of patients, parents and nurses

Peristeen rectal catheter Small is the name of a new child-friendly catheter for the Peristeen Anal Irrigation system. The catheter, which has just been launched, will help children with bowel problems and their parents, as well as nurses.
Until now, children have had to use the same size catheter as adults when irrigating.

Small rectal catheter

"What convinced me that we needed a new system was when one of my patients, a 10-year-old girl, asked for another system herself," says Edith Ekkerman, head nurse at the VU university medical center (VUmc) in Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
"She really wanted to gain independence from her mother, who had to help her irrigate. With the new Peristeen catheter, the girl can irrigate alone thanks to a balloon that holds the catheter in place - she'll be independent, which is important for her and her mother."

Small and simple

The product is a smaller version of the existing Peristeen catheter. "This smaller size of the Peristeen rectal catheter has been requested for years and we're really happy that we're finally ready to launch it," says Berit Arboe Marthedal, International Product Manager, Bowel Management.

Size is an issue

Coloplast Director for Bowel Management Lena Ehmsen visited VUmc in October 2009 to see how Peristeen Small could help nurses and end-users. "Around 150 children at VUmc are irrigating but none of them with Peristeen," Lena says. "They are currently using an electric pump system, which is bulky and noisy. What makes Peristeen Anal Irrigation so special is the simplicity of the system. It’s easy to use, no electricity is needed, and the system can be brought on travels,” Lena continues. 
VUmc's Edith Ekkerman is "thrilled that Coloplast has introduced the small Peristeen catheter - it's just what we need."
The product has been launched in Germany, Sweden, UK, Italy and the Netherlands, and the feedback has been very good.

Coloplast is a major sponsor of the 2010 World Wheelchair Rugby Championships, which take place on 17–26 September in Vancouver, Canada.

“We are sponsoring the tournament because we wish to give people with disabilities an opportunity to play sport at a high level, and because wheelchair rugby is a very competitive and exciting sport. 
"Our sponsorship supports the tournament and contributes to the general development of the sport,” says Nicolas Nemery, Vice President for Continence Care Marketing in Coloplast.

Qualifications for the championships have just ended. The European countries played for their six qualification spots at the 2009 European Championships, which were recently held in Denmark. The America zone and Asia-Oceania zone championships were also held this autumn.

The following nations qualified for next year’s world championships: Belgium, Sweden, Germany, Great Britain, Poland, Finland, USA, Canada, Argentina, Australia, New Zealand and Japan. 
A complete schedule of the matches along with statistics, rules and team information will be available on the official site of the tournament: www.2010wwrc.com. 

Wheelchair rugby facts:

Wheelchair rugby sees athletes competing in armoured wheelchairs in order to take the ball across the opponents’ goal line. Wheelchair rugby is one of the fastest growing parasports in the world. It is currently played in more than 25 countries, of which many have well-organised national leagues. 

The World Championships are held every four years where the 12 best teams in the world compete for the overall championship. The upcoming championships are hosted by the Canadian Wheelchair Sports Association and BC Wheelchair Sports Association.
It is the first time that the championships will take place in the country where wheelchair rugby originated. The sport was invented in 1977 in Winnipeg and has since then spread all over the world. 

Coloplast full year report 2008/09: EBIT-margin up 4%-points

Coloplast’s full year announcement reveals a vast increase in profitability. In 2008/09, the company realised EBIT of DKK 1,395m equal to an EBIT margin of 16% against 12% last year. In Q4, 2008/09 profit was DKK 406m equal to an EBIT margin of 18%.

“We have become more efficient and more profitable during the year, so I am very pleased with the results, especially the Q4 is very strong,” says Lars Rasmussen, President & CEO.

In line with Coloplast’s expectations, the 2008/09 organic revenue growth was 6%, which is also the general market growth. Q4 growth was 7%.

“I’m pleased with the strong increase in profitability, but we still want higher growth. Now that we have profit under control we have a solid basis for fulfilling that ambition,” says Lars Rasmussen.

In 2009/10 Coloplast expects an organic revenue growth of 6-7%. Based on constant exchange rates revenue growth in DKK is expected to be 4-5%. Coloplast expects an EBIT margin in constant exchange rates of 17-18% and in DKK of 16-17%.

Stoma clubs and ostomy care guidelines on their way
Access to Healthcare, Coloplast’s donation program, has recently launched two projects in China.
One project will create clubs where ostomates will be trained in better care and how to bring awareness to authorities - who can increase access to products and care - while another will provide guidelines for standardising ostomy care.

Stoma clubs

In China, people with ostomies don't have much opportunity to meet each other. There are also very few trained stoma care nurses, and no single standard of treatment or care for ostomates. 

Through raising awareness, stoma clubs can improve these problems.
The clubs will train a minimum of 500 ostomates in three regions of China in  better care and how to bring awareness of ostomy care issues to authorities, who can increase access to products and care.
The International Ostomy Association and Chinese professor and doctor Desen Wan applied to Access to Healthcare for funding to form the clubs.

National guidelines

The second project is the establishment of national guidelines for ostomy treatment, which will standardise and improve ostomy care in China. It will also work with hospitals and associations in order to create government awareness.

The first step in establishing guidelines is getting an overview of the current situation, so the project will begin by conducting a nationwide survey. 
The survey results will inform the guidelines, which will be developed by a board of healthcare professionals and government officials, and promoted to 40 key hospitals in China. Furthermore, the guidelines will be the foundation for an education seminar, a booklet, and a website.
The China Nursing Association applied for Access to Healthcare funding, and is in charge of the project. It will also work on getting a stoma care speciality for nurses officially recognized by the Chinese government. This should create more positions at hospitals. An increased number of stoma care nurses will increase awareness in hospitals and make life easier for Chinese ostomates.

Access to Healthcare

Access to Healthcare is Coloplast's donation programme, aimed at increasing the availability, and improving the existing quality, of intimate healthcare in developing countries.

Anal irrigation system is helping even more people

Peristeen®, Coloplast's anal irrigation system, is now available in France, where it will make life easier for people with faecal incontinence and/or constipation.

"Up until now, patients with spinal cord injuries in France have used different methods to clean their bowels. Peristeen® Anal Irrigation is not only a new product there, but a whole new method preventing the risk of having a leakage," says Berit Arboe Marthedal, International Product Manager, Bowel Management.

Giving confidence

Peristeen® Anal Irrigation works by introducing luke warm tap water into the bowels using a rectal catheter, helping patients regain control over their bowels and giving them the confidence to live life as they want to.

Doctors and nurses in France have expressed great interest in the product, and an important part of the launch includes a team of product specialists who will train nurses in rehabilitation centres and hospitals.

Coloplast supports Copenhagen Communiqué on Climate Change and the United Nations’ Seal the Deal! campaign.
Along with over 700 business leaders around the world, Coloplast CEO Lars Rasmussen has signed the Copenhagen Communiqué on Climate Change and the United Nations’ Seal the Deal! statements.
The Copenhagen Communiqué and Seal the Deal! statements urge world leaders to reach a global agreement on climate change at the coming UN Climate Summit in Copenhagen (COP15). Both statements push for a global sharing of burdens, such as higher taxes on emissions.

Taking climate change seriously

Commenting on why Coloplast signed up to the statements, Lars Rasmussen said, "Being a responsible company, it’s only natural for Coloplast to emphasise to world leaders that by signing the Copenhagen Communiqué  and Seal the Deal we take climate change seriously, and that we would like to contribute by being actively responsible in limiting CO2 emission.
"We’d also like to make it clear that any coming deal must be global. Climate change is a global problem, and needs to be resolved through an agreement which applies to all countries."
The COP15 conference is taking place in Copenhagen, Denmark, between 7-18 December 2009.

Coloplast looking for more best-in-class business students
Following the success of the 2009 Master Thesis Programme, we are now looking for students to take part in the 2010 Programme.
We want to find tomorrow's business leaders, who can challenge, inspire and drive a superior commercial agenda. 
If admitted to the program, we'll give you:

• A real life business case to work on
• Full access to internal data
• An internal sponsor, who will challenge you and help navigate the organisation
• Presentations to a Challenger Board (Global Marketing Vice Presidents and Directors)
• Office space, including laptop, at the global HQ in Humlebæk
• Reimbursed travel expenses

Don't just take our word for it

Participants from the 2009 Programme have now gone on to find employment with the likes of Novo Nordisk, Mærsk Line, InsidePeople as well as Coloplast.
Here's what some of them said:
"Working with Coloplast has been a great experience. We’ve been treated so well and the resources allocated to the programme have really made the process of writing our master thesis much easier than expected."
Anette Mølby; 2009 participant, now at CoCoCo
"Through the programme, I learned that Coloplast is a very successful and highly ambitious company with an inspiring working environment. But more importantly, I got to know and experience the people behind the business, all the way up to top management. This was very positive for me and the main reason, why the programme resulted in a position at Coloplast!"
Philipp Schanz; 2009 participant, now at Coloplast
"Writing my thesis at Coloplast has really equipped me for the world of business. I really feel that I have developed a strategy in true collaboration with the management in a large, Danish company and you also learn a lot from spending 10 days in Mexico with the local subsidiary."
Jacob Torpe Winter; 2009 participant, now at InsidePeople

Brad Mikkelsen is a pioneer within wheelchair rugby, and currently president of the International Wheelchair Rugby Foundation. He spoke to us during a recent visit.

The 2009 Wheelchair Rugby European Championships take place in Denmark between 14-17 October 2009. Head Coach of the Danish national team is Brad Mikkelsen, who is also the president of the International Wheelchair Rugby Foundation (IWRF).

What are the prospects for the sport in general?

"The sport is growing rapidly. Every year we get more countries starting to play. It started out with three countries: Canada, US and Great Britain. In 1995, we held our first World Championship in Switzerland and from then on we just grew, particularly in Europe.”

What should we expect from this year’s European Championship?

"The competition is tough... very close actually. There are four teams competing on a really high level: Sweden, Great Britain, Finland and Germany. The rest of the teams are coming in really close. It is going to be more exciting than ever. I coach Denmark, and they stand a fairly good chance of qualifying for the World Championship in Canada next year."

What role does Coloplast have in this?

“Coloplast has for a long time been a reliable sponsor for wheelchair rugby globally, and has in this way contributed to the development of the sport. Another side to this is that Coloplast’s products make it easier to compete. Most guys I know use them. When being strapped in a chair, you really need to have confidence in the products you are using. They must be convenient, quick and reliable - and Coloplast’s products fulfil all this.”

Why should people come and watch the tournament?

“I think most people will be impressed by the game. It is a fun game to watch and as I said the competition is stronger than ever, so I expect some really interesting games.”

About Brad

Nationality: American
Age: 53 years
Career:

• 1978-93: North Dakota Wallbangers
• 1993-present: Denver Harlequins
• 1988-1999: Commissioner at United States Quad Rugby Associations (USQRA)2002-present: President of IWRF
• 1999: TIRR (Houston) Hurricanes
• 2007-present: Head Coach of the Danish national team

Nominations: 1999: Inducted in USQRA’s Hall of Fame
Additional information: User of SpeediCath®

Discreet urine bag now available for the SpeediCath® Compact catheter

SpeediBag™ Compact is a discreet urine bag that fits the SpeediCath Compact catheter. Together, they make a discreet solution for women that is safe, and easy to use and dispose of.

"The solution is making life easier for the users when they are away from home and there is no toilet at hand. After use, the catheter is simply pushed into the urine bag, which can then be emptied and tied, or the user can dispose of it later," says Sasja Gaardboe Chalmas, Coloplast Product Manager.

Feedback from end-users testing the bag is promising: "We like going for picnics, but it can be a problem finding a toilet. Now I can easily catheterise," says Gudny, who suffers from paraplegia.

Another user, Anne Lise, who has sclerosis could have saved some money if she had had SpeediBag before: "Our old mobile home had no toilet. We only bought a new because I couldn't get to the toilet in time in the mornings."

Less impact on the environment

SpeediBag™ Compact and SpeediCath® are phthalate- and PVC-free. Both products are packed compactly, helping to reduce the amount of waste in packing as well as making for easy storage.

Access to Healthcare co-sponsors master's degrees in stoma care nursing in Mexico with Universidad Panamericana

Access to Healthcare, Coloplast's donation programme, is co-sponsoring 12 master's degrees in stoma care nursing in Mexico. The programme is dedicated to giving people in developing countries access to better intimate healthcare.
The recipients of the scholarships will be required to conduct community workshops after completing their degrees. Through these workshops, over 3,000 nurses, doctors, ostomates, and relatives will be trained in stoma care.
The project is underway and students are now being recruited.

Committed to making a difference

"Having this project in place for Mexico gives a clear message to local stakeholders that Access to Healthcare is truly committed to making a difference through education and partnering," says Paulina Escobedo from Coloplast in Mexico.

Escobedo continues, "In addition, this project enables the development of health care professionals who will become champions for reimbursement needs, which is crucial in order to offer ostomates in Mexico the same quality of life and opportunities as in many other countries."

A year in the community

The project will run for three years. Students will spend two years attaining their master's degrees and one year conducting community workshops.

The degrees will be earned at the Universidad Panamericana, one of the top five private universities in Mexico. Also participating in the project are the Mexican Wound Care Association, World Council of Enterostomal Therapists, Colorectal Surgeons Association and the Burn Care Association.
Over 300 Mexican hospitals are aware of this initiative.

Coloplast’s interim financial statements for the first three quarters of the fiscal year 2008/09 remain in line with the positive profit trend of the 1st half year.

Operating profit (EBIT) was DKK 989 million, an increase of 11% compared with last year.
”I’m pleased that we’ve improved our profitability since last year, but then again it’s necessary in order to compete internationally,” says CEO Lars Rasmussen. “The improvement in profitability is largely a result of increased cost-consciousness among managers and employees at all levels of the organization.”
Sales increased by more than 5% over last year, reaching DKK 6,558 million for the first nine months of this fiscal year.
”Coloplast’s growth is as expected, considering that we are finalizing a major restructuring in Germany and in our Wound & Skin Care business,” says Lars Rasmussen. “But in the long term, we want higher growth.”
Based on the Q3 results, Coloplast revises the company’s guidance for 2008/09. The company now expects a profit margin of 15-16% in DKK, compared with earlier expectations of 15%. Coloplast still expects organic revenue growth of 6%.

Coloplast takes another step towards having all its production sites environment, health and safety (EHS) certified.

Coloplast's manufacturing site in Zhuhai, China, has just received the OSHAS 18001 health and safety certification from Denmark's national standardisation body, Danish Standard, after receiving its ISO 14001 environmental certificate last year. The Zhuhai site is now fully certified and maintaining high standards in environment, health and safety.

Not required by law

"This certification is not required by law and is not that common in China," says Oluf Damsgaard Henriksen, Environmental & Climate Specialist in Coloplast. "But of course, we want to keep the same high standards all over the world."

Zhuhai's certification is the latest in a long line of certifications at all Coloplast production sites. All sites in Denmark and Hungary have already been fully certified, with work underway for remaining sites elsewhere in the world.

New US headquarters demonstrates our ambition says Coloplast CEO Lars Rasmussen.

Coloplast US has today opened the doors for its new 16,500 square-metre headquarters in Minneapolis, Minnesota. As well as being a great place to work for 400 employees, CEO of Coloplast Lars Rasmussen believes the new building underscores Coloplast's ambitions in the US market.

"We have high growth rates in the US market, and the new headquarters is a clear statement that we are determined to pursue further growth there," said Lars Rasmussen, CEO of Coloplast.

Good location

Lars Rasmussen continues, "Minneapolis is attractive for us because we can find the highly specialized labour and knowledge we need, and also because we already have many employees in the region following our acquisition of Mentor."

Most of Coloplast's North American activities are centred in and around Minneapolis, which has a large number of firms specializing in medical equipment. The new HQ will be a meeting place for the many end users, nurses and doctors who work with Coloplast on a regular basis.

The site includes a premier research and development centre, and by 2010 a research laboratory and training rooms will be available for doctors and nurses to enhance existing products as well as find new, innovative product solutions.

State-of-the-art

The building's design features include natural lighting for 95 percent of employees, riverfront views, open offices, a state-of-the-art energy management system including the collection and treatment of storm water.

It was built for Coloplast by Minneapolis-based Northmarq, in partnership with Kraus-Anderson and RSP Architects.

Minneapolis is located in the state of Minnesota, where Coloplast also has sites producing catheters and skincare products.

Coloplast's revolutionary sling for male stress urinary incontinence elevates and compresses the urethra.

Men suffering from stress urinary incontinence (SUI) can look forward to improved management of their condition with the launch in the United States of America of a new incontinence sling called Virtue.

The sling is the first to both elevate and compress the urethra, a key step towards achieving continence. Existing SUI treatments either elevate or compress but not both together.

Popular with patients and doctors

"Our trials so far reveal patients experiencing significantly less urine leakage. And unlike with other treatments, such as the implantable, artificial urinary sphincter, the patient is not required to manipulate a device in order to urinate," says Joel Chechik, Global Director of Marketing, Men's Health for Coloplast US. Chechik continues, "Doctors like using Virtue because it is much less invasive than existing treatments, and comes in a complete kit which typically takes around 20 minutes to implant."

Yelena Tropsha, Coloplast US's Director of R&D adds, "Sling therapy has so far been most effective for patients with a mild to moderate condition of SUI. With Virtue, we see doctors treating patients in the moderate-to-severe category with considerable success. We recently heard that a patient with severe SUI had gone from six to one incontinence pad a day after receiving a Virtue sling operation."

Elevation and compression

Stress urinary incontinence often affects men who have had all or part of their prostate removed and occurs when abdominal pressure increases, such as when you cough, laugh or jump, having a significant impact on quality of life.

Urethral elevation is essentially a realignment, returning it to its pre-prostatectomy position and supporting the man's natural anatomical structure, while compression of the urethra helps provide the resistance necessary to ensure bladder control.

Long-term solution

The sling is implanted via a single small incision that allows its "arms" to be routed through the patient's tissue. It is sometimes tacked with a suture. After a short time, the tissue heals and "scars" into place, anchoring the the sling's mesh and creating a long-term incontinence solution.

The Virtue male sling is available in the US now, and it is hoped the product will be available around the world soon.

Coloplast’s interim financial statements for the fiscal year 2008/09 confirm the positive trend of the 1st quarter.
Operating profit (EBIT) was DKK 642m, an increase of 16% compared to last year.
The increased profit means that Coloplast’s profit margin for H1 2008/09 increased to 15% compared to 13% for the same period last year. Consequently, Coloplast is getting closer to the company’s long-term goal of a profit margin of more than 20%.
“The H1 result shows that we have taken some important steps in the right direction. Profit has improved significantly as a result of the organisational changes and efficiency measures undertaken, which is of course very satisfactory,” says CEO Lars Rasmussen.
Sales are also increasing, with Coloplast reaching an organic growth of 6% in spite of lower-than-expected sales in Germany.
”Coloplast is generally doing well in all markets except Germany where we still see challenges. Excluding the German market, our organic growth is 9%, which is well above the general market growth,” says Lars Rasmussen.
He underlines that Coloplast is currently working at improving the situation in Germany.
”Recently we appointed a new management team in Germany. Together with the new management we have adopted an action plan that will bring us back on track. We must admit, though, that the situation is very challenging.”
Based on the H1 results, Coloplast has revised the company’s guidance for 2008/09 and now expects an organic revenue growth of 6% and a profit margin in fixed currencies of around 16% and of around 15% in DKK.

SenSura^® range extended with a more discreet urostomy bag.

SenSura urostomy range, the latest addition to Coloplast's popular SenSura range of stoma products, has just been launched. It complements the existing open and closed bag assortment available in SenSura 1-piece, SenSura Click and SenSura Flex, which have made life easier for people with colostomies and ileostomies. The new bag will do the same for people with urostomies.

By combining SenSura's revolutionary double-layer adhesive with a unique multichamber bag that collects liquid and holds it in a series of small chambers, the new bag is both secure, comfortable and discreet.

Slimmer and secure

"It's a similar principle to the plastic bags you make ice cubes with," explains SenSura International Product Manager Teri Challier.

"Because the liquid is held in chambers, the bag is slimmer, less noticeable and makes less splashing sounds. Compare that to how a normal plastic bag bulges when filled with water and you can see the difference."

Max Jeeninga, an end-user in Holland has already tested and evaluated the product, is enthusiastic about the sense of security SenSura urostomy gives him: "This is a total improvement on what I had before. I can set off on a journey without being afraid of leaks."

Stent capabilities

Another feature of the bag is its stent management capabilities, a development which came about through Coloplast listening to stoma care nurses and then responding to their comments. Patients who have undergone a urostomy operation have temporary stents to check that their urostomy is functioning properly just after the operation. It had been problematic for nurses to get the stents into previous urostomy bags but SenSura urostomy range has been designed to allow the easy insertion of the stents without the need to break any welding in the bag.

SenSura Xpro

The bag is also available with the new SenSura Xpro adhesive. Like SenSura, it has the double-layer technology but is more erosion-resistant offering extra protection against aggressive output. This is sometimes a requirement for people with an ileostomy or urostomy as their output can sometimes break down normal adhesives too quickly.

SenSura urostomy products are already available in Holland, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and France. They will soon be available throughout the rest of Europe, Asia, and North America.

Important for Coloplast that the result of the healthcare reform is out.

The United Kingdom's Department of Health has concluded a healthcare reform process that will mean a two per cent reduction in reimbursement prices for stoma and continence appliances.

Lars Rasmussen, commenting on the announcement, said, “What is important is that a settlement has been reached, and we now know what to expect. That is the main thing, both for management and our team in England, who have been following this process closely.”

Coloplast CEO pledges support for users after healthcare reform

Mr Rasmussen added that the company will do its best to minimize negative implications of the reform for end-users: "Price reductions are never desirable, because they can impact the range of offerings we provide our end-users. However, we will do our utmost to ensure that the changes brought on by the reform will not negatively affect our users in England."

Changes will affect financial results in 2009/2010

The changes are expected to reduce Coloplast's revenue and EBIT by GBP 3-4 million per year from 2010, when the reduction comes into effect. A price increase mechanism for the reimbursement of items will be reintroduced six months after the implementation of the price reduction.

Coloplast's financial expectations for the financial year 2008/2009 are not affected.

Master thesis programme aims to attract best students to Coloplast.

A new Master Thesis Programme just launched by Coloplast is the only programme of its kind for business students in Denmark.
"By giving successful applicants to the Programme their own office space, laptop, and full access to our data before they write their theses, we're offering something no other company in Denmark currently provides for students," says Rasmus Hannemann Møller, Head of Strategy and Portfolio for Continence Care in Coloplast, and one of the people behind the Programme.
"It's a great start to a student's future career before it's even underway," he adds.

Reaching out to the best

As well as immersing the students in the commercial heart of Coloplast, they are also mentored by employees on the company's Unique Potentials programme, get to travel and meet key people from other parts of the organisation, and receive feedback from the top commercial managers they have to report their progress to each month.

"Graduate students typically aim to get into large companies or consultancies. What we're doing is reaching out to the best students before they graduate, offering them help not only with their studies, but also in establishing them as excellent candidates for jobs within Coloplast," Møller continues.
The Programme was started as part of an idea to increase Coloplast's profile within Denmark's Copenhagen Business School. 
Rasmus Hannemann Møller hopes to expand the scope of the Programme to the whole of Denmark and then internationally. "We are a global company and there's no reason why we couldn't give the best students in other countries similar opportunities with our companies outside of Denmark."

That something extra

A significant number of highly skilled students at the top of their class applied for the Programme, but Coloplast only took in six, emphasising the company's determination to take only the best. The students work in pairs on a thesis, which is common practice in Denmark. "When deciding on an applicant, we look at their grades, what their thesis is about, and any past work experience. But we also look for that something extra, something that shows their drive and determination. For example, one of the applicants was also a semi-professional footballer in Germany."

The current programme began in February 2009. Applicants for the 2010 Programme will be able to apply towards the end of this year.

A new policy on climate gas reduction is the first step towards Coloplast lowering its climate gas emissions.

The policy, which was approved by Coloplast's Executive Management in February 2009, gives the go-ahead for the reduction of emissions to begin in earnest.
"We've been measuring our energy use every quarter for over ten years now," says Lone Stubberup, Director for Environmental, Health and Safety Development in Coloplast, "but knowing more about the impact of greenhouse gases combined with current global financial problems means we should be doing more to reduce emissions for the good of the environment as well as saving money."

"Our target is to continuously reduce our emissions of climate gases"Lene Skole, Executive VP and CFO of Coloplast. Download the policy (pdf)

Improving reporting

The new policy will allow existing environmental reporting to be improved, which until now has mostly been based upon production waste and the consumption of energy and water. "There are numerous sources of climate gasses besides energy," explains Stubberup. "Business travelling, production of raw material - such as the polymer and cardboard - and the transportation of products are just some of them. We have a lot of data to collect."

The data is needed to determine quite precisely a target to reduce emissions by. The first mapping of CO2 emissions has been completed using the recognised Greenhouse Gas Protocol standard and an improved reporting system will be introduced for handling the continuous data collection. The first set of figures from the reporting system is expected by the end of the year.

Saving energy and money

For Coloplast to reach its long-term business targets without reducing its emissions would not be ideal. The challenge is to separate CO2 emissions from economic growth. 

Lone Stubberup says, "We should be able to reach our business targets and reduce our emissions. We have devised a strategy to achieve this, which includes some things we can do quickly like investigating energy efficiency in our existing buildings, ensuring new buildings are built to be energy-efficient, and reducing business travel in favour of video conferencing."
She adds, "We're not required to reduce our emissions by law but as well as the obvious environmental and financial benefits, we feel making reductions is a collective responsibility, hence our response."

A Coloplast-sponsored website that helps people with stomas discuss and upload innovative solutions related to their condition is a big hit with users.

innovationbyyou.com, an independent website sponsored by Coloplast, is proving extremely popular among people with stomas, registering over 700 users, 200 hundred message posts, and receiving nearly 80 innovative ideas in its first week-and-a-half.

The site was launched on the 16^th February 2009 and connects stoma patients around the world with each other and gives them a forum to suggest innovations in stoma care.

Different perspectives

"It's innovation from the perspective of people with stomas who might stand in front of the mirror and think about what they need to do to improve their life," says Peter Kragh, Director of Innovation, Ostomy Care Marketing at Coloplast and who has been closely involved with the development of the site. The site is run by people with a stoma and Coloplast is providing sponsorship in the form of technical expert knowledge, and awards.

Innovation tools

innovationbyyou.com has tools to help users, such as instructional videos on how to draw your idea.

"Users can submit their ideas but also discuss ideas with other users. In this way, you can get many different perspectives on a problem, and sometimes two or three different but related problems can come together and find a single solution. Users become co-innovators."

Innovation co-development

Kragh sees analogies between stoma-innovation.com and other user-driven innovation websites, such as the do-it-yourself T-shirt maker threadless.com, or open-source computer programming. "It's about the people that use the product being part of its development. They have what I call 'sticky information', that unarticulated experience that can really make a difference to a product and in-turn a user."

stoma-innovation.com has some useful tools to help people express themselves. For example, a series of videos give a fast overview of how to sketch, helping people to draw what they mean if they cannot quite find the right words. In the same vein, users can also upload videos of their idea.

The site is currently running a competition whereby the person who submits the best solution as judged by a panel of experts wins €1000. There are also prizes for best solutions as voted for by the site's community.

Users responsible for the best solutions are likely to be invited to take part in further innovation projects at Coloplast.

Visit the website