As part of our Road to Basel series leading up to health.tech 2026, we turn our attention north to a region that has quietly become a global benchmark for digital health. The Nordic countries are showing how technology, when rooted in trust and collaboration, can make care not only smarter but profoundly more human.

When we think of the Nordics, we often imagine vast expanses, snow-covered landscapes, and communities scattered across thousands of islands and forests. Yet, in one of the world’s coldest regions, something remarkably human is happening: technology is making healthcare warmer, closer, and more personal than ever before.

In northern Sweden, where a hospital can be four hours away, nurses and doctors now connect with patients through secure digital platforms. What began as a necessity to bridge isolation has become a new standard of care. As one clinician from Norrbotten described, “Digital health is no longer an exception. It’s how we stay connected as a community.” (WHO,2023) Across the Nordic region, governments, hospitals, and startups are designing a system where smart doesn’t mean distant. The focus is not only on data and devices, but on trust, inclusion, and access. It’s a mindset where healthcare is preventive, not reactive and where innovation starts with empathy. Smart hospitals in cities like Stockholm or Helsinki are integrating sensors, AI, and predictive analytics to monitor patient well-being, optimize staff flow, and anticipate clinical risks.(HealthTechMagazine,2025) Meanwhile, rural clinics use telemedicine and wearable data to deliver “hospital-at-home” models allowing patients to recover surrounded by family, rather than fluorescent lights. (WHO,2023) This success didn’t happen by chance. It’s the result of two decades of collaboration, shared governance, and ethical data use. Initiatives like the Nordic Digital Health Evaluation Criteria (WHO,2024) ensure every new health app or device meets strict standards of safety, stability, and usability before reaching patients. And at the policy level, the WHO Regional Digital Health Action Plan (2023–2030), inspired in part by Nordic cooperation, calls for an equitable, data-driven model of healthcare for all Europeans.

Still, challenges remain. Digital literacy gaps persist, and not everyone has the same access to reliable connectivity. (WHO,2023) But in the Nordic mindset, those gaps are not barriers they’re invitations to innovate together.At its core, the Nordic model shows us that smart care isn’t about replacing the human touch it’s about amplifying it. It’s about transforming cold systems into warm networks of connection. As Europe prepares

for its next decade of health innovation, perhaps the lesson from the North is simple: technology can be intelligent, but care must always be kind.

Sofie’s story (WHO,2024) from Sweden’s remote north reminds us that digital health isn’t about distance it’s about connection. It shows how empathy, data, and innovation can coexist to make care truly human. At health.tech 2026 in Basel, we’ll continue that conversation exploring how the Nordic experience can guide Europe toward smarter, fairer, and kinder healthcare systems.