Sonova looks to Asia-Pacific to jack up volume on growth
18/05/2026 10:35
By Anastasiia Kozlova and Amir Orusov May 18 (Reuters) - Sonova's SOON.S chief said on Monday the Asia-Pacific region would be a key growth engine for the hearing aid maker, as it seeks to boost its share in underpenetrated markets to reach its ambitious mid-term goals. The Swiss hearing aid developer plans to roll out more tailored solutions for the region over the next two to three years, CEO Eric Bernard told Reuters. These Asia-specific offerings, spanning products and distribution models, are expected to deliver good profitability, he added. Early signs of progress are already visible, Bernard said, highlighting "very high" double-digit percent sales growth in Japan over the last few months driven by market share gains and high selling prices. The Asia-Pacific has remained a relatively small contributor for Sonova, bringing in around 10% of sales since its latest platform launch in 2024. This partly reflects a historically lighter strategic focus on the region, according to the CEO who took the post in September. But low hearing‑aid adoption rates, rising incomes and ageing populations are expected to drive patient growth, creating significant long-term potential. Key markets include China, Japan and Australia, while India and Southeast Asian countries represent longer-term opportunities, Bernard said. "Asia could definitely bring new growth," Morningstar analyst Max Jousma told Reuters, noting that success would depend on adapting pricing and product offerings to local markets, where price levels are typically lower than in Sonova's core Western markets. Analyst Urs Kunz from Research Partners said that while "made for Asia" solutions would require investments and likely put some pressure on margins, it was the right approach—were Sonova not to tap into this potential, someone else would. (Reporting by Amir Orusov and Anastasiia Kozlova in Gdansk, editing by Milla Nissi-Prussak) ((Anastasiia.Kozlova@thomsonreuters.com; Amir.Orusov@thomsonreuters.com))