Ingeborg J. Hochmair was born in Vienna, Austria. Her upbringing instilled in her a strong value for education and innovation, laying the foundation for her future endeavors in engineering and medical technology. This early environment shaped her determination to address real-world problems through technological solutions.

Ingeborg Hochmair pursued her education at the Vienna University of Technology, where she excelled in electrical engineering. Her academic pursuits provided her with a deep understanding of the principles and applications of electrical engineering, setting the stage for her later work on the development of innovative medical devices. She earned her doctorate in 1979.

Together with her husband, Erwin Hochmair, Ingeborg Hochmair founded MED-EL, a company dedicated to the research and development of innovative hearing implant systems. This marked a significant turning point in her career, transitioning from academic research to the practical application of her engineering skills to address the needs of individuals with hearing loss. MED-EL quickly became a leader in the field.

Ingeborg Hochmair led the development of one of the world's first microelectronic multichannel cochlear implants. This groundbreaking invention represented a significant advancement over previous single-channel devices, offering improved sound perception and speech understanding for cochlear implant users. This innovation established her as a pioneer in the field of hearing technology.

Throughout the 1990s and 2000s, Ingeborg Hochmair continued to drive innovation at MED-EL, leading to the development of new cochlear implant technologies and the expansion of the company's product portfolio. Under her leadership, MED-EL established a global presence, providing hearing solutions to individuals with hearing loss around the world.

In 2013, Ingeborg Hochmair, along with two other pioneers in the field, received the prestigious Lasker-DeBakey Clinical Medical Research Award for her contributions to the development of the modern cochlear implant. This award recognized her decades of dedication to improving the lives of the hearing impaired and solidified her legacy as a leading innovator in medical technology. The award is often called 'America's Nobel prize'.

Ingeborg Hochmair remains actively involved with MED-EL, continuing to contribute to the development of cutting-edge hearing implant technologies. Her ongoing dedication to research and innovation ensures that MED-EL remains at the forefront of the field, providing advanced hearing solutions to improve the lives of individuals with hearing loss worldwide. She is a role model for scientists and engineers globally.