- Only 30 days to go until the start of the games in Innsbruck, Austria on January 13
- GE helps young athletes and medical personnel on-site with its revolutionary pocket-size VscanTM ultrasound imagina technology
- Georg Knoth, CEO of GE Austria: "Supporting great talent is key to success in the future. In sports and in business."
Innsbruck, Austria -- December 14, 2011 -- As a Worldwide Olympic Partner, GE (NYSE: GE) is proud to be actively supporting the first ever Winter Youth Olympic Games, which will take place from January 13 to 22, 2012, in Innsbruck, Austria. The regional capital of Tyrol already hosted the Winter Olympic Games in 1964 and 1976 and is now set to welcome the Olympic Family for the third time.
A total of 1,059 top athletes between the ages of 14 and 18 years from more than 60 countries will compete in the games. "This get-together of young talents from all around the world is not only an incredible sporting experience, but also a great intercultural learning experience for everyone involved," says Georg Knoth, CEO of GE Austria. "As a truly global corporation GE embraces the Olympic values of excellence, respect and friendship. The Olympic Games bring together people with different talents from different backgrounds and nationalities. We know the importance of diversity and how crucial it is to support young talents. Their development is the key to success in the future. Thus, we are proud to be part of the first Winter Youth Olympic Games."
Also GE's very own young talent will play an active role in the games, as apprentices from GE Energy's Gas Engines business participate in carrying the Olympic flame to Innsbruck. GE's Gas Engines business produces gas-fueled engines, generating sets, CHP modules, organic rankine cycle (ORC) waste heat recovery systems and accessories. With a host of technical innovations in three product groups --- Jenbacher gas engines, Waukesha gas engines and Heat Recovery Solutions --- GE is setting standards with respect to fuel flexibility, efficiency and low emissions. GE's gas engines are powered not only by natural gas but also by a wide range of alternative gases including digester biogas, landfill gas, coal mine gas, flare gas and sewage gas --- on behalf of customers in more than 80 countries.
The head offices of GE's Gas Engines business and its main production facility for Jenbacher gas engines are located in Jenbach, Austria, where more than 1,400 of 2,600 employees are located. In addition, GE Healthcare Austria is the specialist for diagnostic imaging systems and world market leader in Woman's Health 3D/4D Ultrasound. The manufacturing site in Zipf, Austria, with about 250 employees acts as the global "Center of Excellence" in this field.
During the Winter Youth Olympic Games GE showcases a selection of its products and solutions in the heart of Innsbruck. Visitors and participants will be able to experience GE's innovative technologies and gain insights into the work the company does in Austria and around the globe at the GE pavillion located on Maria-Theresienstrasse. Here, GE Energy's Gas Engines business is displaying one of its latest power generation product innovations: a model of the new flexible and efficient J624 gas engine, which achieves a approximately 10% higher output than the previous version (4.4 megawatts instead of 4) and offers an electrical efficiency of 46.5%, an increase of about 1%-point. Improved efficiency is critical for the competitive cost of electricity and for the reduction of CO2 emissions in a carbon-constrained environment. Furthermore, GE Healthcare is showcasing its Voluson S8 diagnostic tool, the latest innovation from the market leader in the field of prenatal diagnosis, the Optima MR430s(TM) MRI, and the pocket-size Vscan(TM) ultrasound imagina system. The GE pavilion is open everyday from 10:30 a.m. until 10:00 p.m. between January 12 and January 22.
One GE innovation that will not only be showcased but also be made available to the game's medical personnel is the portable Vscan(TM) ultrasound device, which is just a little bigger than a regular smart phone. This technology enables physicians to quickly diagnose athletes' injuries where they happen. Five Vscan(TM) units will be in use during the Youth Olympic Games in Innsbruck. The same technology will also be provided during the 2012 Olympic Games in London.
Moreover, GE's Jenbacher gas engines and other advanced energy technologies are being deployed to help London prepare for next year's Olympic Games and subsequent economic development opportunities. GE-London 2012 Olympic Games energy initiatives include: Supplying its ecomagination-qualified Jenbacher CHP technology to power two innovative, natural gas and biomass-fueled energy centers being built in the Olympic Park and Stratford City developments. The centers will provide 10 MW of reliable and efficient power, heating and cooling for the London 2012 Olympic Games and Paralympic Games. In particular, the energy centers will help the Olympic Delivery Authority towards its target of a 20 percent reduction in CO2 emissions through the use of renewable and alternative energy sources compared to traditional heating, cooling and power generation equipment. The energy facilities also will support new buildings and communities developed after 2012.
About GE and the Olympics
GE is the exclusive provider of a wide range of innovative products and services that are integral to staging a successful Olympic Games. GE works closely with host countries, cities and organizing committees to provide infrastructure solutions for Olympic venues including power, lighting, water treatment and transportation. GE also supplies local hospitals with diagnostic imaging equipment and healthcare IT solutions like ultrasound, MRI and electronic medical record technologies to help doctors treat athletes. For more information, visit www.ge.com/olympicgames.
GE's Olympic Games partnership was launched in January 2005 and an extension to the partnership was announced in July 2011 to take it until 2020, including the 2014 Olympic Winter Games in Sochi, Russia, the Games of the 2016 Olympiad in Rio, the 2018 Winter Games in Pyeongchang, South Korea and 2020 Summer Games.
About GE
GE (NYSE: GE) works on things that matter. The best people and the best technologies taking on the toughest challenges. Finding solutions in energy, health and home, transportation and finance. Building, powering, moving and curing the world. Not just imagining. Doing. GE works. For more information, visit the company's website at www.ge.com.
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