Our news

Next week, project partners in the Horizon Europe project KitNewCare are meeting up in Malmö.

The kick-off on March 4th and 5th welcomes around 50 researchers and leaders to southern Sweden.

Rapidus has shared the news (in Swedish)

KitNewCare will run for four years and bring together 19 different European partners under the umbrella of 6 million euros. Based on the resource-intensive care of kidney diseases, the lessons learned and the project results are intended to be extended to wider healthcare practices. 

Read the project press release >>

The 'KitNewCare' project is co-funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of HADEA. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.

We are happy to welcome one more Nordic addition to the NCSH network: DMedical from Norway!

"Founded in 2005, DMedical is a Norwegian company working in various healthcare areas like hygiene, surgery, waste management, and rehabilitation. We work closely with top manufacturers in Europe, the USA, and Asia to offer our customers affordable, high-quality products.

At DMedical, we carefully choose products that go beyond industry standards, ensuring our customers get top-notch quality without harmful materials and with excellent production standards.

To emphasize our commitment to ethical and sustainable practices, we collaborate with organizations like Ethical Trading Norway, Green Dot Norway, Eco-Lighthouse, and the Nordic Center for Sustainable Healthcare. These partnerships highlight our dedication to maintaining high ethical and environmental standards in our operations.

DMedical is devoted to providing outstanding healthcare solutions, guided by a commitment to excellence, integrity, and responsibility to our clients and the wider community."

Visit our new member's website to get in contact and learn more:

• To DMedical

The NCSH network is open to actors worldwide in the area of sustainable healthcare. 

Become a member

Our International Projects Coordinator, Diego Angelino, visited Stockholm last week to take part in The Future of Ukraine Summit 2024.

Next to Region Stockholm and KI Innovations, Diego took a seat in the panel discussion on innovations in healthcare, introducing the first day of the summit. The purpose of the summit is to bring together Ukrainian startups with Nordic innovators, investors and startups in order to benefit from the competence, skills, innovations and development in both ecosystems. 

We are grateful for the invitation and look forward to the next steps on this collaborative journey!

Images: Utveckling och innovation Region Stockholm

These first weeks of February 2024, we at NCSH are presenting the preliminary results and recommendations from our hospital audits on-site in November 2023, to the administrations of the Uttar Pradesh and Himachal Pradesh states in India. The purpose is to define the next steps needed to develop 'Green Hospitals' in the regions, in collaboration with our partner Mamta Health Institute for Mother and Child (MAMTA HIMC).

Meeting with the administration of Uttar Pradesh, 6 February 2024.

MAMTA about the on-site audits and meetings: “The Govt. of HP Health Department is charting a sustainable path with the launch of 'Green Hospital', an innovative initiative in collaboration with MAMTA & Nordic Center for Sustainable Healthcare. Honoured to be part of the discussion, as we convene under the leadership of the Secretary of Health to shape the future course of action for a healthier and greener tomorrow.”

The visit to India – as well as its aftermath – is further part of the NCSH model to establish a baseline for more sustainable hospitals and healthcare in low- and middle-income countries, using the Nordics as a reference point.

Alongside November's audits at the health facilities in Himachal Pradesh and Gorakhpur (Uttar Pradesh), we were also invited to rewarding meetings with the Health Department officials in Shimla and the officials at the Health Department in Lucknow – discussing energy and climate-smart solutions for their vast number of hospitals and the many new ones being built soon. The interest in Nordic experience in the area is evident, made even clearer by the fact that NCSH's and MAMTA's visit were featured in a national Indian newspaper.

Johannes Brundin, who together with Daniel Eriksson represented our NCSH team in India, summed up the trip to India in November: “After more than a week in Himachal Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh, we have gathered a lot of experience and impressions. Climate change being a challenge in both India and the Nordics, we look forward to collaborating with Mamta Health Institute for Mother and Child and hospitals in both states on sustainable healthcare.”

Want to know more about the opportunities ahead in India? Reach out to us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

NCSH is happy to announce that we are a partner in the Horizon Europe project 'KitNewCare: Pioneering Transformation in Kidney Healthcare Sustainability Across Europe'

A new EU-funded project – KitNewCare – aims to help health and care systems better embrace environmental sustainability and climate-neutrality, with a focus on kidney care. The project runs from January 2024 to December 2027.

At the heart of this initiative is a pressing issue: healthcare systems are significant contributors to carbon emissions, accounting for approximately 5–11 % of the total at global level. Within this context, kidney care emerges as an ideal candidate for systemic change due to its substantial disease burden, resource footprint and well-defined care pathways and ecosystem.

KitNewCare tackles the challenge head-on, identifying and addressing the major health, environmental, financial, and social hotspots in healthcare. The project goes beyond the traditional focus on building energy use – where carbon reduction has been historically concentrated – targeting the broader aspects of products, services and pathways that form a significant part of the carbon footprint. The project employs a systematic approach to pilot and benchmark interventions, holistically assessing their effectiveness, and aligning with major EU initiatives which call for the development, implementation, and upscaling of sustainable solutions throughout the healthcare landscape.

"The KitNewCare project represents a pivotal step towards aligning kidney care with sustainable healthcare goals, both at national level and in line with the EU Green Deal's objectives," stated Brett Duane, Project Coordinator and Principal Investigator at Trinity College Dublin. "Our vision is to revolutionise healthcare practices by introducing sustainable technologies and methodologies that minimise environmental impact without compromising patient care. By embedding social responsibility and environmental consciousness into our work, we aim not only to improve patient outcomes but also pave the way for a more sustainable healthcare sector. We believe that KitNewCare, with the expertise of our European partners, will serve as a beacon of sustainability, inspiring others to adopt sustainable practices and foster a greener healthcare future."

A key element of KitNewCare's approach is the involvement of a range of stakeholders – including patients, healthcare professionals, NGOs, industry partners, and policymakers. Integral to this approach is the development of training and capacity-building materials, as well as policy briefs and recommendations. The former aims at providing training in sustainable skills to different health and care professionals across the EU. The latter will provide guidelines to support ongoing and future policy strategies and agendas to decarbonise the EU healthcare system.

Furthermore, the establishment of a Sustainability Network will ensure the implementation and upscaling of the project’s innovative approaches beyond its duration. The project commits to establishing evidence-based governance mechanisms, supported by life cycle assessments (LCAs), providing healthcare professionals tools for benchmarking and measuring sustainability improvements.

Ultimately, KitNewCare aspires to set new standards in kidney care – delivering high-quality, cost-effective, accessible, and sustainable solutions, including technical innovations. The project's end vision extends beyond kidney care, aiming to influence other medical fields and contribute to a more sustainable future for the entire healthcare system.

Contacts

Project coordinator:
Brett Duane, Trinity College Dublin, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Lead Project Manager:
Anita Griffin, Trinity College Dublin, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Communication Manager:
Cesar G. Crisosto, ICONS, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Co-funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of HADEA. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.

Co-funded by UK Research and Innovation. 

For more details about NCSH's participation, contact our International Projects Coordinator: Diego Angelino (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.).

Continued collaboration for green hospitals in India

NCSH is proud to be part of the ICAIM 2024 "Leveraging Information Technology for Sustainability in Agriculture and Healthcare – Women Empowerment", taking place in Mumbai on February 10th–11th. In a joint effort together with Mamta Health Institute for Mother and Child, one of the focus areas will be how green hospitals transformation can improve women's access to maternal health services in India.

About ICAIM 2024

In an intensely connected world, where information is barely a click away, the importance of ignorance being a bliss has no standing. With an ocean of information, ideally the world should be empowered enough to have nil existence of any sort of negativity. However, the facts are different. Today every individual needs support to prove their existence. Every individual needs Empowerment.

Empowerment is the level of independence bestowed on an individual or community which enables them to exhibit their interests and become stronger and confident to take charge of their rights freely and responsibly. An empowered nation is a representation of empowered individuals in that nation.

The global statistics claims that the ratio of men to women is literally 1:1. However, this ratio does not reflect the empowerment aspect. Even today women are considered unequal to men. Whether it is job front or the home front, women are deprived. There is evident need for improvement in social, political, health, financial and educational status of women. There is need for Women Empowerment.

Women are an integral part of every domain, including healthcare and agriculture. There are several women who have made history in general and in healthcare and agriculture domains in specific. Yet, there are cases where large population of women and children are deprived of basic nutritional and health facilities.

It is time that Women should be given equal status and empowered to build nations that converge into a world filled with positivity and prosperity.

Information Technology (IT) will play a pivotal role to empower women. ICAIM 2024 focuses on the leverage of IT for empowering Women across every stratum.

Our International Projects Coordinator, Diego Angelino, will be taking a seat in a panel discussion at the 2nd Future of Ukraine Summit in Stockholm, February 15th.

Find information about how to participate

The topic of the panel discussion is "Healthcare innovation: Collaborating with startups to advance patient care and treatment", aiming to contribute to the development of a resilient and sustainable healthcare sector as well as to foster the possibility for business development of Ukranian startups. What are the obstacles, but more importantly the way forward, for the startups when finding the costumer in the Swedish ecosystem? The discussion will be centred around:

• The presentation explores Sweden's aspiration to take the lead in utilizing digital technology to enhance healthcare and how the adoption of digital tools such as video consultations, e-prescriptions, and AI-driven services can help us to get there.
• Gain insights into the startup ecosystem from both public and private perspectives, including how large companies scout startups to get inspired by.

The summit

'The Future of Ukraine' is a two-day summit where stakeholders gather to discuss ideas of Ukraine's economic rebound.

Date: 15–16 February 2024
Location: CONVENDUM Fleminggatan 18, 112 26 Stockholm, Sweden

In 2019, the local association of Doctors for the environment formed in Skåne, Sweden – today, we are happy to welcome them as a new member in the NCSH network!

"Läkare för miljön Skåne (Doctors for the environment Skåne) is a part of the national organization defending our environment both locally and globally to prevent illness, ensure the necessary conditions for health and improve quality of life. The healthcare sector itself stands for a significant impact on the climate, making a just transition our priority to align with our oath as doctors to 'first do no harm'.

With our work we want to stimulate greater awareness for health questions in the climate debate and educate health care workers to take responsibility and step up their game. As the Lancet countdown just stated again in their annual report 'climate change is the greatest global health threat facing the world in the 21st century, but it is also the greatest opportunity to redefine the social and environmental determinants of health'. In 2015, countries committed to limit global warming to 'well below 2 degrees Celsius' as part of the landmark Paris Agreement. We have a long way to go to reach this goal.

Please join us in this shared mission and feel free to reach out for questions or cooperation."

Find contact details and more information via Skåne (Läkare för Miljön):

• To the website

To join the NCSH network, send an email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Read about the membership

You can now watch the recording of the webinar "Bridging Britain and Sweden: Concrete Synergies for Energy and Climate-Smart Healthcare" from January 24th on NCSH's Youtube channel.

Together with the speakers, we explore British and Swedish particular needs and cutting-edge solutions in the realm of energy and climate-smart healthcare.

Watch it here

Webinar highlights:

• Needs and challenges: Discover current challenges faced by the healthcare sector in Britain – as well as from a Swedish perspective – on the country's journey toward sustainable healthcare. Gain insights into the needs in the domains of energy and climate-smart healthcare.
• Solutions from Sweden: Hear from leading companies based in Sweden as they present innovative and practical solutions tailored to the needs of healthcare institutions. Learn how these solutions can be implemented to enhance sustainability.
• Collaborative opportunities: Explore the possibilities for collaboration between healthcare providers and solution providers, and learn from success stories. Identify synergies that can drive the transition to energy-efficient and climate-smart healthcare in both countries.

Content

(Moderator) Diego Angelino, International Project Coordinator | Nordic Center for Sustainable Healthcare

Presenting a Nordic-British Strategic Partnership
Daniel Eriksson, CEO and Founder | Nordic Center for Sustainable Healthcare
Rachel Stancliffe, CEO and Founder | Centre for Sustainable Healthcare

Rethinking the Operating Theatre
Dr Anne Symons, Senior Research Fellow in Healthcare Design and Healthcare Architect | UCL (University College London)
Prof. Ian Eames, Professor of Fluid Mechanics | UCL (University College London)

Hospitals as Energy-Plus Buildings – From a Swedish Perspective
Anna Vesterberg, Unit Manager Technical Development | Regionfastigheter, Region Skåne

Engineering's Role in a More Sustainable Healthcare System – How Engineering Innovations Can Contribute to the Sector's Needs
Dr Helen Meese CEng, Chair Biomedical Engineering Division | Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE)
Dr Laura Kent, Public Affairs and Policy Advisor | Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE)

Optimising Hospitals' HVACR Systems – Enhances Efficiency, Saves lives, Reduces Costs, and Improves Sustainability
Niklas Berglöf, Head of Sales and Marketing | ClimaCheck

Better Operating Theatre Air Quality & Comfort – Less Energy
Peter Ljubetic, International Sales Director | Avidicare

Ecosystem Exchange: Life Sciences – A Sustainability Focused Business Exchange Within the UK Medical and Pharmaceutical Industry
Anna Crona, Head of Business Services | The Swedish Chamber of Commerce for the UK

The webinar is part of the project Platform for Internationalisation: Energy and Climate-Smart Healthcare, funded by the Swedish Energy Agency.

Photo: Canva

What role can engineers play in supporting the national and global transition to sustainable healthcare? 

Exploring this matter is our new member and international partner from Britain: Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE).

"The Institution of Mechanical Engineers is a leading international engineering membership organisation with over 115,000 members in 140 countries.

Our mission is 'to improve the world through engineering' and we provide the opportunity for our members and the wider engineering community to meet, exchange ideas and innovate.

We develop and support engineers to develop their skills throughout their careers so they be at their best for a more inclusive and sustainable world. We look to maximise the positive impact engineers have on society through publicising their work, informing public opinion and influencing policy."

Find more details about IMechE's work on their website:

• Visit Institution of Mechanical Engineers

To join the NCSH network, send an email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Read about the membership