Every year, the Swiss Technology Transfer Report 2025 published by swiTT (Swiss Technology Transfer Association) lists projects that have made the leap from academic research to a commercial product. moovly is featured in the 2025 edition!
What is moovly?
moovly is an innovative addition to traditional physiotherapy. Using virtual reality headsets, patients immerse themselves in virtual worlds, move actively around the room and interact with virtual objects. Meanwhile, the therapist uses a smartphone to monitor the patient’s experience at all times and can adjust the settings to suit individual therapy goals and performance levels.
Where and how did moovly come about?
moovly was not developed on the drawing board but by the research team at Kinder REHA Schweiz. The concept was developed in close collaboration with therapists. Young patients with movement disorders and their parents were also involved in the development process. The focus was always on a clear goal: to find a new way to practise walking activities relevant to everyday life.
Commercialisation of moovly
A good idea from research does not automatically make for an approved medical device. To make moovly available to as many patients as possible, unitectra oversaw the transfer of the research findings (technology transfer) to compliag AG. We acquired the software licence from the University of Zurich and have been manufacturing moovly® as a medical device in Switzerland since January 2025; we are continuously developing it further and marketing it. From 2026, we plan to seek approval and begin distribution in the EU. This also involves offering moovly at an attractive price.
As the authorised manufacturer, we assume full responsibility for quality management, regulatory requirements and market surveillance. In doing so, we bridge the gap between research and practice. Our aim is to ensure that promising innovations do not disappear into a drawer, but reach the people they are intended to help.
Practical benefits
For children and young people with movement disorders, gait training with moovly® becomes a motivating experience: Chasing a badger, collecting apples, picking doughnuts or playing the drums on virtual mushrooms are activities that ensure every therapy session is different and that the focus is playfully on movement, not on the exercise itself. This not only makes therapy more enjoyable, but has also been shown to boost motivation to keep at it consistently.
Outlook
What began in selected physiotherapy practices and hospitals in Switzerland continues to grow: by taking part in the therapie MÜNCHEN 2026 trade fair, we will be presenting moovly® in the EU for the first time. Physiotherapists, occupational therapists and sports therapists from southern Germany, Austria and Switzerland will, for the first time, be able to see for themselves the possibilities that moovly® offers.
Our inclusion in the Swiss Technology Transfer Report 2025 is a wonderful endorsement for us: it demonstrates that the path from university research, through carefully supported technology transfer, to an approved medical device works when research, clinical practice and industry work closely together.
You can find more information about moovly at moovly.ch
Source: swiTT – Swiss Technology Transfer Association, Swiss Technology Transfer Report 2025, Case Study : moovly – Rehabilitation and Physiotherapy using VR.