Expanded strategic collaboration to shape the next era of connected Acute Care

As hospitals face increasing clinical complexity, operational pressure and are driven by a clear vision for the future of healthcare delivery, Dräger and B. Braun are deepening their strategic collaboration. The companies aim to advance the digital transformation of acute care environments. Building on proven interoperability initiatives, such as Silent ICU, the partnership sets a clear ambition: to create a clinically trusted, connected ecosystem that supports better care delivery and more efficient workflows. At the core of this collaboration is a shared commitment to standards-based interoperability. Leveraging the internationally recognized IEEE/ISO 11073 Service-oriented Device Connectivity (SDC) standard, the companies aim to enable secure, real-time device communication across intensive care – from adults to neonates – and perioperative settings. This approach lays the foundation for seamless integration of medical technologies, from patient monitoring, ventilation and anesthesia to infusion therapy. At the same time it enables to unlock data across systems without restricting hospitals to proprietary systems.

“Our shared ambition is clear. We want to build the clinically trusted ecosystem for connected acute care. SDC gives us the standard and the technical tools. This partnership enables the combined clinical expertise and the technical capability to turn medical device interoperability into real therapeutic progress”, says Toni Schrofner, Board Member Medical Division at Dräger. 

“Connectivity is no longer an IT topic — it is a clinical necessity. By combining our strengths, we are transforming infusion therapy from a standalone function into an integral part of a connected care environment. Our focus is not only on technology, but on delivering tangible improvements for patients, clinicians, and hospital operations. In this way, we move from isolated solutions toward integrated systems that support better decisions and more efficient care. We are a true partner to our customers and set new standards in medical care through innovation”, says Markus Strotmann, Board Member, B. Braun SE.

Creating a Vendor independent Ecosystem

The ecosystem is built to remain open for integration and visualization with third-party systems, ensuring hospitals retain flexibility in their technology landscape and procurement strategy. At the same time, the partners will jointly develop selected innovations that leverage the full potential of deep integration – particularly in therapy control and advanced decision support. This reflects a shared belief that meaningful digital transformation in healthcare depends on collaboration, open standards, and trusted partnerships rather than isolated solutions.

Building on Proven Interoperability

The collaboration builds on a strong track record. A first milestone was the introduction of the crossvendor interoperability solution “Silent ICU,” developed together with partners like Ascom. This solution demonstrates how standards-based connectivity can transform the care environment — reducing unnecessary acoustic alarms at the bedside while ensuring reliable information flow to clinical staff. The next phase of the partnership expands these principles beyond alarm management into broader clinical use cases across ICU and perioperative care, with the aim of connecting processes more end-to-end and making relevant data available where it is needed.