Is Denmark where it’s at for medtech?

The organisers of a Danish healthtech event believe the country is unique as a hub for innovation.

Healthcare professionals from more than 30 countries are expected at the WHINN - Week of Health and Innovation taking place in Odense this October.

Huge investment in health technology, hospitals and robotics, together with public-private partnerships and a high rate of adaptation, form the basis for the growing interest in Denmark as the health technology laboratory of Europe, according to the organisers of the event. As the number of carers decreases and the number of patients grows, there is an increasing need to come up with health technology solutions for the future

Christian Graversen, executive director of the Danish health technology business cluster, Welfare Tech explains the interest in the country, and the event: "With technological giants such as Apple and Philips on the list of participants, there is no doubt that WHINN is fast becoming big business. That's why it's important for us to reach out to Europe and the rest of the world, while taking care of everything that makes Denmark unique."

Danielle Siarri from InnoNurse, is also a nurse and an influencer in the field of international nursing: "I've visited Denmark on a previous occasion to study Danish health innovation, because the technology here is some of the most advanced in Europe. It's clear that the open collaborative culture with public-private partnerships helps create a favourable environment for health innovation, and I'm sure things will just accelerate when participants from so many countries flock together."

The sensory technology company, Wavecare is one of the companies currently experiencing the potential of reaping the benefits of the innovation-friendly Danish healthcare system. After more than 10 years of development and impact measurement across the public sector, Wavecare claims it is facing a global breakthrough with its so-called 'Sensory Delivery Room'. Using stress-reducing sound and light concepts, it reduces the number of emergency caesarean sections and the duration of births. One of Wavecare's two partners, Bjoern Wennerwald says: "In the past three years Wavecare has installed sensory delivery rooms in 10 Danish and Chinese hospitals, and last year the company made a profit for the first time. Now we're ready to realise the business element, and that means that health professionals need to experience the concept."

The sensory delivery room is just the first in a series of products in the pipeline, which are based on soothing sound and light concepts. The overseas markets are said to be responding positively to the combination of measurable efficiency, Scandinavian quality and Danish skills in the fields of acoustic technology and lighting design. Wennerwald says that sensory delivery rooms are just the start:

"For almost three years we've been working on the reduction of coercion in psychiatry, focusing on dedicated sensory rooms to promote de-escalation and reassurance. Results have been convincing in this area too. So far there have been 30 installations, and there are more in the pipeline."