Determining the Attractiveness of the Norwegian Health Tech Cluster

Abstract

With the rising societal challenges we are facing, health tech is getting an increasingly central role in battling them. Yet, the industry remains as unknown for many. The strengthened centrality has led to an establishment of several national and international health tech clusters, among them in Norway. The purpose of the following study has been to investigate how the Norwegian health tech cluster scores on the various dimensions presented in The Emerald Model. The findings have been derived with the intention to compare them to the 2011 study by Amir Sasson, to determine whether, and how, the cluster has evolved in relation to the state presented by Sasson. Through the use of in-depth quantitative data, the analysis revealed that the Norwegian health tech cluster has positively developed on several dimensions of The Emerald Model. In particular, the findings revealed that the cluster has improved significantly on cluster attractiveness and knowledge dynamics. The development in cluster attractiveness is mainly due to the strengthened value creation of the firms in the cluster, as well as the regional proximity of their location. Knowledge dynamics has been positively affected by the activities and initiatives that the cluster organization, Norway Health Tech has initiated over the last decade. However, the cluster is yet to transition from emerged to developed, mainly as a result of two strong challenges: The structural barriers connected to the lack of a national market for health tech products and services, and the absence of competent owners and private capital. Specific recommendations directed towards the cluster firms and the public institutions have been presented to somewhat help overcome the challenges. The related strengths and limitations of the study are thoroughly discussed, in addition to presenting possible areas to further investigate in potential future studies. Keywords: Cluster, cluster attractiveness, diagnostic, global knowledge hubs, health tech, health ICT, medtech, specialized subcontractors, The Emerald Model