Becoming Part of the System: Navigating the network landscape of the public healthcare sector as a small innovative healthtech firm
(2026) MIOM05 20261Department of Industrial and Mechanical Sciences
Production Management
- Abstract
- This study explores how small innovative healthtech firms become embedded
within the Swedish public healthcare system. While healthcare systems
increasingly seek digital innovations to address rising demands and resource
constraints, a gap remains in Sweden between digital innovation capabilities
and their implementation in healthcare.
The study adopts an exploratory, abductive research approach guided by
Business Network Theory and Institutional Theory, and uses a qualitative
multi-method design. The research combines semi-structured interviews
with documentary analysis to investigate how healthtech firms navigate
interactions with public healthcare actors, institutional structures, and
competing logics. The empirical context... (More) - This study explores how small innovative healthtech firms become embedded
within the Swedish public healthcare system. While healthcare systems
increasingly seek digital innovations to address rising demands and resource
constraints, a gap remains in Sweden between digital innovation capabilities
and their implementation in healthcare.
The study adopts an exploratory, abductive research approach guided by
Business Network Theory and Institutional Theory, and uses a qualitative
multi-method design. The research combines semi-structured interviews
with documentary analysis to investigate how healthtech firms navigate
interactions with public healthcare actors, institutional structures, and
competing logics. The empirical context combines perspectives from both
the public and private sectors to provide a comprehensive understanding of
the Swedish public healthcare system as a market environment.
The findings show that embedding is not a linear market-entry process
but a dynamic, relational process shaped by dependencies among actors,
resources, and activities. Moreover, competing institutional logics relating
to state, market, innovation and professionalism influence opportunities and
constraints throughout the embedding process. The study identifies different
pathways through which firms establish legitimacy and access, including
collaboration with public healthcare providers, partnerships with established
suppliers, and engagement with other market actors.
The thesis contributes to research on healthtech innovation by providing
a processual understanding of how start-ups navigate complex healthcare
networks and institutional environments. It also extends business network
and institutional perspectives by illustrating how innovative firms actively
adapt to and shape the structures surrounding them. (Less) - Popular Abstract
- Sweden is full of healthtech innovation, but new digital healthcare solutions do not always become part of everyday care. This thesis explores why promising companies often struggle to enter the Swedish public healthcare system, and what it actually takes to become part of it.
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
https://lup.lub.lu.se/student-papers/record/9242316
- author
- Nilsson, Frida LU and Åkerström, Maja LU
- supervisor
- organization
- course
- MIOM05 20261
- year
- 2026
- type
- H2 - Master's Degree (Two Years)
- subject
- keywords
- Healthtech, Public Healthcare, Business Networks, Institutional Logics, Innovation, Embedding Process, Swedish Healthcare System
- other publication id
- 26/5358
- language
- English
- id
- 9242316
- date added to LUP
- 2026-06-23 16:05:11
- date last changed
- 2026-06-23 16:05:11
@misc{9242316,
abstract = {{This study explores how small innovative healthtech firms become embedded
within the Swedish public healthcare system. While healthcare systems
increasingly seek digital innovations to address rising demands and resource
constraints, a gap remains in Sweden between digital innovation capabilities
and their implementation in healthcare.
The study adopts an exploratory, abductive research approach guided by
Business Network Theory and Institutional Theory, and uses a qualitative
multi-method design. The research combines semi-structured interviews
with documentary analysis to investigate how healthtech firms navigate
interactions with public healthcare actors, institutional structures, and
competing logics. The empirical context combines perspectives from both
the public and private sectors to provide a comprehensive understanding of
the Swedish public healthcare system as a market environment.
The findings show that embedding is not a linear market-entry process
but a dynamic, relational process shaped by dependencies among actors,
resources, and activities. Moreover, competing institutional logics relating
to state, market, innovation and professionalism influence opportunities and
constraints throughout the embedding process. The study identifies different
pathways through which firms establish legitimacy and access, including
collaboration with public healthcare providers, partnerships with established
suppliers, and engagement with other market actors.
The thesis contributes to research on healthtech innovation by providing
a processual understanding of how start-ups navigate complex healthcare
networks and institutional environments. It also extends business network
and institutional perspectives by illustrating how innovative firms actively
adapt to and shape the structures surrounding them.}},
author = {{Nilsson, Frida and Åkerström, Maja}},
language = {{eng}},
note = {{Student Paper}},
title = {{Becoming Part of the System: Navigating the network landscape of the public healthcare sector as a small innovative healthtech firm}},
year = {{2026}},
}