System transformation in medtech to meet future healthcare demands: innovation and governance models

Purpose and goal

Healthcare providers need more precise treatment methods, better evidence-based treatments, integration between technical systems, and control of processes / spaces to reduce the risk of infection in hospital environments. Digitization creates innovation opportunities for medtech companies in these areas, but also results in systemic changes that must be managed. The goal of the project is therefore to work out a better way to lead and organize for digital transformation in medical technology companies.

Expected effects and result

We focus on how the system for management, organization and follow-up - the governance system - affects digital and physical development initiatives. Challenges arise when digital and physical initiatives are to be handled in the same organizational system because they cannot be evaluated on the same grounds. As an effect of the governance model being set up for physical products, a perceived inertia is created in the impact of digital products / services. We expect to find ways to deal with this inertia.

Planned approach and implementation

The challenges surrounding incomparability and prioritization can be found at everything from the board level to the working group level in the organizations. To understand the conditions for this and to be able to test alternative models, we want to study the phenomenon at several levels over time. We give special focus to the management of digital innovation projects as the challenges become real in their discussions with decision-makers at different levels.