> How it all started in the eighties

In the early nineteen eighties, two specialists at the University Hospital in Maastricht (Dr Cees Rein van den Hoogenband and Professor Co Greep), were pondering about the functional treatment of joint injuries. Together they were looking for a derivative method of the successful Coumans tape bandage in order to treat joint injuries in a functional way. Both were convinced that there had to be a simpler and more user friendly alternative for the patient. But how could this be achieved? The answer lay in developing a product using textiles, elastic straps and support features. Thus in 1986 Nea International BV was set up.

> Unconventional and valuable

Now, Nea is a wholly owned subsidiary of Ofa Bamberg GmbH and we see ourselves as a strong and growing company, involved in the area of orthopaedic braces under the brands of Push and Push Sports. We have a great history of creating unconventional solutions for protecting and supporting the human body; allowing people to be able to move about in a healthy and comfortable way. The value of Nea to our stakeholders comes from making people aware of our effective, sustainable and appealing products and making them available to the general public and athletes. Our products are represented and promoted through a network of distributors in approximately thirty countries spread across the world. Please have a look at our Distributors page to get a complete overview.

> Continuous innovation

How do we create unconventional solutions and value? Our internal team of developers, which consists of human movement scientists, movement technologists and industrial designers is continually striving to improve product innovation, quality and the performance of our products. This internal team combined with an external knowledge network, provides a mix of specialists who are constantly in search of new opportunities and innovations in the area of orthopaedic braces. Our external knowledge network consists of scientists, specialists and technical staff from the world of orthopaedic surgery, sport medicine and physiotherapy. The knowledge network acts as a board of advisors for new initiatives and offers support during the development process.

> Quality standards

A sound business operation is based on quality products and services. Our commercial operation is fully defined in a quality management system that is ISO 13485 and ISO 9001 certified. With these certificates we can guarantee the development and production of safe and effective orthopaedic braces and also our ability to continuing to meet the highest possible product quality. Nea has also met the standards to bear the European CE kite mark since 1997. Our push for innovation and a healthy interest in research and development, combined with ISO 13485 and ISO 9001 certification, guarantees that our products are reliable, based on the most recent know-how and experience in the world of orthopaedics.