Hegau-Jugendwerk Collaborates with Cognishine
The Hegau-Jugendwerk (HJW) in Gailingen, Germany, is constantly exploring new avenues to improve therapeutic options for the benefit of its patients - and is therefore increasingly integrating innovative digital technologies into everyday clinical practice. For the first time, the HJW has entered into an international innovation partnership and is collaborating with the Israeli digital health company Cognishine. Using a versatile intervention platform, Cognishine offers speech-language pathologists, occupational therapists, and other healthcare professionals a digital training method that can sustainably improve therapeutic care.
The joint pilot project aims not only to integrate this new digital platform into everyday speech therapy practice but also to further develop it in collaboration with HJW specialists to meet the specific needs of young neurological patients. The therapeutic benefits are to be demonstrated through an accompanying study. The goal is to establish Cognishine as a permanent digital component tailored to the HJW’s therapeutic needs, which can be used in both individual and group therapy as well as for self-training.
“We first learned about Cognishine and its German team at a trade show where our therapists were in attendance. After initial contact and testing the platform, we decided to integrate Cognishine into our daily speech therapy practice because it cleverly translates visually engaging digital therapy materials into therapeutic logic, and as a leading clinic in the treatment of children and adolescents with neurological conditions, we can contribute our expertise to the further development of the software for the benefit of patients,” says Marcus Kaiser, Head of Interdisciplinary Therapies. Cognishine also opens up the possibility of post-hospital care over a certain period of time. Furthermore, the platform offers further potential applications in other therapeutic areas, Kaiser notes looking to the future.
According to Nicole Franken, Head of the Speech Therapy Department at HJW, Cognishine creates new opportunities for a broader patient population. The tool previously used was primarily suited for patients with aphasia, an acquired speech disorder resulting from conditions of the central nervous system. With the new platform, patients with other conditions can now also be treated, such as dysarthria (a neurologically based motor speech disorder) or children with speech development disorders. Digital practice is particularly appealing to young patients, as it combines skill acquisition with a high fun factor. The incentive to practice using mobile devices is significantly greater than with paper worksheets, and motivation for self-training is much higher. Additionally, the platform offers the advantage that therapists can tailor exercises precisely to individual patients.
International Funding
Cognishine is an Israeli startup that has been active in Germany since 2025 through a subsidiary in Cologne. In Israel, it has, among others, a strategic partnership with ALYN Hospital in Jerusalem, a leading hospital for pediatric rehabilitation.
To establish similar structures in Germany, the first joint pilot project in the country has now been launched in collaboration with the Hegau-Jugendwerk in Gailingen, a leading institution for the neurological rehabilitation of children, adolescents, and young adults.
“Germany is a key market in Europe for Israeli health tech companies. We deliberately sought out a partnership with Hegau-Jugendwerk because our approach of combining innovation and clinical excellence in rehabilitation is exceptionally well implemented here,” says George Frey, Managing Director of Cognishine Germany.
The pilot project is generously funded by the Foreign Trade Department of the Ministry of Economy and Industry of Israel. The joint funding application from HJW and Cognishine was approved at the beginning of this year. The funding will be used to purchase hardware and software. Speech-language pathologists will be equipped with additional devices to enable flexible use of Cognishine in daily therapy. In addition, the HJW will receive support for staffing. “We are very pleased about the funding because it enables us to use third-party funds to provide additional therapeutic capacity and the necessary technical equipment for the project, and to test innovative approaches together with Cognishine in everyday clinical practice,” explains Barbara Martetschläger, Commercial Director of the HJW. The project will conclude in the first quarter of 2027.
About the Hegau-Jugendwerk
The Hegau-Jugendwerk in Gailingen is a specialized neurological hospital and rehabilitation center for children, adolescents, and young adults. It is committed to interdisciplinary, holistic care and innovative approaches in neurorehabilitation. The HJW is a subsidiary of the Konstanz District Health Association (GLKN).
About Cognishine
Cognishine develops digital, evidence-based therapy modules to structurally supplement speech therapy, occupational therapy, and interdisciplinary rehabilitation programs. The goal is to make therapy effective, scalable, and relevant to everyday life - in clinical settings and beyond.
Press contacts:
Hegau-Jugendwerk
Andrea Jagode
Corporate Communications
Hegau-Jugendwerk GmbH
Kapellenweg 31 - 78264
Gailingen
Email: andrea.jagode@hegau-jugendwerk.de
Phone: 07734/939-208
https://www.hegau-jugendwerk.de
Cognishine Germany
Lara Buttler
Product Management & Sales DACH
Cognishine Therapy & Education Dtld. GmbH
Im Mediapark 5 - 50670
Cologne
Email: lara.buttler@cognishine.com
Phone: +49 (0) 1522 4421348
https://www.cognishine.com/de
