How Mölnlycke Health Care is driving circular innovation in Healthcare

In 2024, Mölnlycke Health Care was named Sweden’s winner of the Capgemini Nordic Sustainability Tech Award for their groundbreaking work in digitalization and circular design in healthcare. We spoke with Caterina Camerani, Global Corporate Sustainability VP at Mölnlycke Health Care, to learn more about their journey, the impact of winning, and their advice for future nominees.

What inspired you to apply for last year’s award with your sustainability tech solution, and how has winning the award impacted you since then?

“We applied because we wanted to highlight how digitalization and circular design can accelerate sustainability in healthcare — an industry that is traditionally resource-intensive. The Capgemini Nordic Sustainability Tech Award was a great platform to share our progress, learn from others and inspire to innovate with sustainability in mind. Winning the award was a strong external recognition and a confirmation that we are on the right track in our strategic direction. It boosted internal pride in our teams, and demonstrated how sustainability dovetails with technology to create added value.”

What advice would you give to sustainability tech innovators considering submitting their nomination for this year’s Sustainability Tech Award?

“Be bold and clear about the change your solution is driving. Connect your innovation to real-world impact — whether it’s cutting emissions, reducing waste, or supporting system-level transformation. And don’t underestimate the power of storytelling; explain your ‘why’ as clearly as your ‘how’.”

How has the award helped you gain visibility, partnerships or funding for your project?

“The award raised our profile both within and outside the healthcare sector. It created opportunities to engage with other innovators, and customers who share our focus on sustainability through technology. It also strengthened our credibility in ongoing discussions with partners and stakeholders, supporting both innovation and commercial offers.”

What do you think sets a strong nomination apart in the award?

“What stands out is a clear link between the technology and a measurable sustainability impact — paired with scalability and the ability to integrate into real-world systems. A strong nomination also shows that the solution is not just a technical fix, but part of a broader shift toward resilience, circularity, and informed decision-making.”

What has happened since last year, what´s next for your project and how do you see it contributing to a more sustainable future?

“Since last year, we’ve continued embedding Life Cycle Assessments and digital tools into product development, enabling better decisions for both us and our customers. We’re scaling circular design across more product categories and investing in partnerships to decarbonise healthcare supply chains. We’ve initiated a circular economy pilot project to explore how closed-loop solutions can reduce waste and generate value across the product lifecycle — a crucial step towards shifting the healthcare sector from linear to circular models. 
 
We’ve also recently published a white paper on holistic impact assessment, launched at the CleanMed conference, to promote a broader understanding of environmental, social and economic trade-offs in healthcare. Together, these initiatives strengthen our ambition to support a more sustainable, resource-smart healthcare system — where data, design, and collaboration drive lasting positive change.”