2_9_ScanMag_74_March_2015_Text_Q9_Scan Magazine 1 09/03/2015 23:15 Page 61
WE SPE LF CIA AR LT E IN TEC HEM NO H RW NO E: AY LOG Y
Everyday life –better with welfare technology LFH represents providers of welfare technology to the Norwegian market, who want to contribute to innovation in the health sector. “Our solutions make everyday life easier for both patients and nurses, and therefore it is important to create an increase in the demand for welfare technology,” says LFH’s CEO, Trond Dahl Hansen. “We want to know what kind of challenges the buyer wants to solve.” Text & Photos: The Norwegian Trade Association for Health and Welfare Technology
A great challenge for LFH’s welfare technology group is the lack of technological knowledge in the health sector, especially in the municipality sector. “We have to contribute to an increase in technological knowledge. This will make everyday life better for the patients, and we will get the best result when all the stakeholders in the sector cooperate,” continues Dahl Hansen. A need for a well-functioning market for welfare technology “We often find that welfare technology pilots are started in different Norwegian municipalities, but they almost never end up in commercial operations,” states Dahl
Hansen. Too often test projects for welfare technology are started without the municipality really defining the needs they want to address. Pilot projects are carried out without a real demand for the technology, seen in retrospect. “We are very satisfied with the establishment of the national programme for welfare technology in Norway, but on the other hand we are disappointed with the lack of government funding in the national budget for 2015.” In a hearing in the health and social committee in the Parliament, LFH suggested that the funding should be increased to NOK 100 million. “There is a need for an existing and well-
functioning market for welfare technology in Norway,” says Dahl Hansen. Better relations between municipalities and the industry The Norwegian Directorate of Health has taken the initiative for developing contact and dialogue between municipalities and the industry in relation to welfare technology. LFH is engaged as the project manager for the programme “KomNær”, which objectives are to share knowledge of solutions and focus on innovative public procurement based on dialogue between the municipalities and the supplier market. One of the main targets for the programme is to develop arenas for dialogue and sharing of knowledge.
For more information, please visit: www.lfh.no
Issue 74 | March 2015 | 61