The 2026 award recognizes Ingeborg and Erwin Hochmair for their contributions to cochlear implant technology.
Med-El founders Ingeborg and Erwin Hochmair have been named laureates of the 2026 Queen Elizabeth Prize for Engineering (QEPrize) for their contributions to cochlear implant technology. The prize, one of the world’s most notable engineering honors, recognizes the design and development of modern neural interfaces.
The Hochmairs are honored alongside Graeme Clark and Blake Wilson for their work on cochlear implants, a technology that converts sound into electrical signals to stimulate the auditory nerve. The laureates for neural interface technologies, who also include innovators in brain-computer interfaces and deep brain stimulation, will share a £500,000 prize. The announcement was made at the Science Museum in London.
Engineering and Clinical Application
The Hochmairs began their research in 1975 at the Technical University of Vienna, which led to the development of a microelectronic multichannel cochlear implant implanted in 1977. Their work focused on signal processing, implant miniaturization, and long-term biocompatibility, which became the foundation for Med-El.
“This honor recognizes not only a technological achievement, but a belief we have held from the very beginning—that engineering, guided by compassion and scientific integrity, can fundamentally change lives,” says Ingeborg Hochmair, co-founder and CEO of Med-El, in a release. “Cochlear implants were once considered impossible by many. Today, they demonstrate what can be achieved when engineers, clinicians, and users work together with a shared purpose.”
Erwin Hochmair, co-founder of Med-El, adds, “From the earliest experiments, our goal was to create a neural interface that could work in harmony with the human auditory system over a lifetime. This recognition by the Queen Elizabeth Prize for Engineering affirms the importance of long-term thinking, scientific persistence, and engineering solutions that truly serve people.”
Future of Hearing Technology
The company stated the award reinforces its mission to address hearing loss and improve quality of life through technology.
“This recognition strengthens our resolve to keep pushing boundaries,” says Ingeborg Hochmair in the release. “Our mission has always been to overcome hearing loss as a barrier to communication and quality of life. At Med-El, we will continue to invest in research, accessibility, and technologies that help people participate fully in life, wherever they are.”
Featured image: Ingeborg Hochmair (L) and Erwin Hochmair, co-founders of Med-El, during the Queen Elizabeth Prize for Engineering announcement event. Photographer: Jason Alden/QEPrize
