“Thuasne’s CSR strategy is designed to be highly pragmatic and based on achievable, measurable objectives that will enable the Group to make tangible progress.”
Delphine Hanton, CEO, Thuasne
Embedded in Thuasne’s DNA from the very beginning, Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is now fully integrated into its business strategy. The approach reflects the Group’s mission as an industrial company, providing medical devices and innovation that benefit public health. Suppliers, partners, employees, patients, and healthcare professionals – Thuasne works with all its stakeholders to make an ever-bigger contribution to the 85 countries where it operates.
A historic responsibility
Since it was founded in 1847, Thuasne has been acutely aware of its role in society, given its healthcare activities and its obligations in terms of product quality and patient safety. Several of its production sites in Europe and the United States have obtained quality certifications and the Group is also involved in the ‘Standard 100 by Oeko-Tex®’ certification process for certain products to guarantee the absence of toxic chemicals.
“Today, our commitments are going much further, as we are now giving the same level of priority to environmental, social and governance issues,” underlines Joachim Dehmel, CEO of Thuasne Germany and project leader for the Group’s CSR strategy. An audit that began in June 2022 will help to establish a three-point action plan devoted to the environment, social and human rights, ethics and responsible purchasing. “Our approach is designed to be highly pragmatic, based on achievable, measurable objectives,” adds Delphine Hanton, CEO, Thuasne.
Environmental performance: a priority
Reducing the Group’s environmental impact is a priority today, with the focus on cutting water and energy consumption by replacing light fittings and energy-intensive machinery for instance. Meanwhile, effective waste management measures have boosted the recycling rate to more than 60%. Progress is also being made to reduce carbon emissions and preserve natural resources by optimizing logistics and the use of raw materials.
Lastly, Thuasne is also working on eco-design for its products. “We have a pilot project under way using the Ecolizer methodology and have carefully defined our approach to eco-design in detail,” says Joachim Dehmel, “so that it can be introduced to all our R&D and innovation programs.”
An ethical company in a positive ecosystem
Formalized in a charter created in 2019, ethics is another CSR priority for the Group. The charter covers sensitive areas such as competition law, anti-corruption, and the protection of confidential, sensitive data – a fundamentally important issue given the growing use of connected devices in healthcare. It also sets out rules for the well-being of employees and preventing discrimination.
At the same time, a similar approach is expected of the company’s suppliers and service providers. By choosing partners that are committed to reducing their environmental footprints and improving their social impacts, Thuasne is helping to create a virtuous circle within its ecosystem, a circle that provides many socio-economic benefits for the regions where it operates.
Giving employees a sense of purpose
The Group’s CSR strategy is also based on a cross-departmental process to raise awareness among employees and provide them with relevant training. “Every employee, whatever their level in the organization, needs to be involved in these issues,” says Joachim Dehmel.
For Delphine Hanton, it’s an approach that “gives employees a sense of purpose in their work and helps to foster innovation, togetherness and motivation.”
