Finnish Healthtech Sets Its Sights on Global Growth
Healthtech Export Day 2026 attracted a full house of 200 professionals, innovators, investors, ecosystem partners and international experts to Terkko Health Hub in Helsinki. Guided by the theme "Together for Global Growth", the event focused on the opportunities and challenges of international expansion. This year the Danish examples of innovative procurement processes raised lot of interest in the audience.
Organised by the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland, Ministry of Social Affairs and Health, Healthtech Finland and Health Capital Helsinki, the event combined company case studies, market insights and ecosystem expertise into a compact programme focused on one central question: what does successful healthtech internationalisation look like in practice?
Opening the event, Helsinki Mayor Daniel Sazonov highlighted the importance of innovation and international growth for the future competitiveness of both the city and the country. His remarks set the stage for a day of discussions that repeatedly returned to the idea that global success rarely happens by chance. It requires strategy, partnerships, persistence and a deep understanding of the markets being targeted.
A century-long lesson in export persistence
Tanja Tomula, Director of Sales and Marketing at Lojer, reminded the audience that long-term export success is built on relationships as much as innovation. Drawing on Lojer's journey from a Finnish machine workshop founded in 1919 into one of Scandinavia's leading healthcare equipment manufacturers, she highlighted the importance of local expertise, trusted partners and a strong understanding of healthcare markets.
Winning in the world's most demanding market
For many Finnish healthtech companies, the United States represents both the greatest opportunity and the greatest challenge. Visa Sippola, CEO of Surgify Medical, shared lessons from the company's expansion into the U.S.
Surgify's tissue-selective drilling technology addresses challenges in neurosurgery, spine surgery and ear, nose and throat (ENT) procedures. Sippola emphasised that success depends not only on innovation but also on local presence, clinical evidence and strong partnerships. Today, Surgify operates through a nationwide distributor network in the U.S., demonstrating how Finnish innovations can succeed when supported by effective market execution.
Starting with healthcare needs, not technology
From Denmark, Brian Holch Kristensen, Head of Innovation at Bispebjerg & Frederiksberg Hospital, presented a model that starts with identifying clinical needs rather than promoting technologies.
Through the "Needs Factory" approach, healthcare professionals, procurement teams and companies work together to define real challenges before selecting solutions. Kristensen showed how this method has improved innovation in areas ranging from patient monitoring to virtual care, underlining the importance of solving genuine healthcare problems.
Lessons from neighbouring markets
Juha-Matti Ranta, CEO of Medanets, shared practical lessons from expanding digital health solutions across Nordic and nearby markets.
His message focused on the realities of public healthcare sales, where procurement processes, stakeholder engagement and long decision-making cycles require patience and persistence. Success depends on understanding local healthcare systems and building relationships well before purchasing decisions are made.
Looking beyond human healthcare
Kirsi Kulvén, Director of Veterinary Business at Icare Finland, highlighted the growing veterinary healthcare market as an attractive international opportunity for healthtech companies.
While veterinary medicine shares similarities with human healthcare, Kulvén noted that it has distinct customer needs, evidence requirements and commercial models. Companies that are willing to develop dedicated veterinary strategies may find significant growth opportunities in this rapidly expanding sector.
Building trustworthy AI for healthcare
Johanna Furuhjelm, Director of the Centre for AI Innovation at Karolinska Institutet, discussed how trustworthy AI can help bridge the gap between research and clinical practice.
She emphasised that successful health AI requires not only technological innovation but also testing, validation and regulatory readiness. Furuhjelm also highlighted TEF-Health, a European initiative that helps health AI companies bring reliable solutions into real healthcare environments.
A common thread: collaboration
As the event ended, Saara Hassinen, CEO of Healthtech Finland, looked ahead to the next steps for Finland's healthtech ecosystem. Yet by that stage, a common thread had already emerged from every presentation.
Whether discussing surgical innovation in the United States, healthcare procurement in Denmark, software exports in the Nordics, veterinary healthcare markets or the future of artificial intelligence, speakers consistently returned to the same themes: collaboration, evidence, trust and persistence.
For the fourth consecutive year, Healthtech Export Day brought together key Team Finland actors and the wider health ecosystem to discuss how Finland can unlock even greater growth from one of its most successful export sectors. The event demonstrated the value of bringing companies, public sector organisations, investors, researchers and international partners together around a shared ambition for global growth.
The networking area remained full until the final minutes of the event, as participants exchanged ideas, explored partnerships and continued discussions that had begun on stage. The atmosphere reflected a sector that is increasingly international in outlook but deeply collaborative in practice.
If one conclusion stood out from the event, it was this: Finland already has the expertise, innovation and ambition needed to compete globally. The challenge now is to convert those strengths into international growth, market by market and partnership by partnership.
Anmari Korpinen
Health Capital Helsinki