The presentation will introduce a Nordic research network in health and welfare technology (HWT). The research network has around 80 members from all the Nordic countries and aims to consolidate knowledge, research, higher education, and experiences in health and welfare technology with a user perspective. The network was established in 2019 and now consists of 80 researchers from all the Nordic countries. The purpose of the presentation is to inform about ongoing activities in the network and to link more researchers to the network. The network also wants to be a contributor with knowledge about HWT for the authorities in the Nordic countries.

Globally, healthcare, and social care are facing a shift in which digitalisation and HWT will play an increasingly important role in specific healthcare, home care, and disability practice, but also to obtain more efficient patient-focused processes and facilitate prolonged independent life. To cope with this, an understanding of what change processes are to be focused on and how these are to be implemented, as well as demands placed on staffs' new competencies, is needed. This applies in different contexts such as healthcare, home care, social care, disability care, and educational/pedagogics.

HWT, focusing on the users’ perspective, is not yet an established research area in the Nordic region. This network facilitates coordinating such research and strengthening, expanding, consolidating, and disseminating the knowledge and research evidence in the Nordic countries. We base this on the Nordic context as similar social welfare systems have developed. Shared experiences in the area of HWT will benefit the Nordic countries, both at the citizen, personnel, supplier, organizational, and political levels. Another area where the research network can contribute is higher education.

The HWT-network are supported by and collaborate with the Nordic Welfare Centre (NVC) that has as its mission to contribute to the development of welfare initiatives in the Nordic region. In addition, the partnership work closely with the Norwegian Center for E-health Research (NSE) and representatives from the governments in the Nordic countries.