“Hospitals possess deep clinical knowledge, but we don’t have all the expertise needed to develop cutting-edge digital solutions. That’s why collaboration with private partners is vital,” according to Pekka Kahri, Technology Officer at Helsinki University Hospital (HUS), whose role is to bridge innovation and implementation. We talk about how to bridge innovation and implementation.
Could you briefly introduce yourself and share the journey through the Finnish health sector that led to your current role at HUS?
My background is in engineering; I graduated in the late 1990s with a focus on medical technologies. I started my career in the healthcare industry, working for a family-owned business for about a decade. After that, I transitioned to innovation funding with a national agency, then held roles within central government.
For the past ten years, I’ve been involved in healthcare, first at the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare as Director of Information Services, and now at HUS. This varied experience has given me a broad perspective, allowing me to see healthcare from the standpoints of industry, government, and clinical practice. It’s also helped me develop the “language” needed to bridge those sectors and foster collaboration.
What exactly is your role as Technology Officer involved at Helsinki University Hospital?
I work within the strategy and development department, focusing on long-term initiatives that can significantly impact the organization. My core responsibilities include identifying large-scale projects, building partnerships, securing external funding – often from EU programs – and coordinating multi-organization collaborations. I’m not directly responsible for IT procurement or deployment, which our IT department handles. Instead, my role is to lay the groundwork for innovation, especially in areas where no ready-made solutions exist. This involves bringing together clinical teams, IT experts, and external partners to co-develop solutions tailored to real clinical needs.
What does a typical day look like for you? What kinds of projects or conversations are you involved in?
My days are quite dynamic but generally revolve around project coordination and engagement with clinical teams. For example, we're currently leading a major EU-funded project that promotes data collaboration among children’s hospitals across Europe. This includes working closely with our pediatrics department, five other European hospitals, and five technology companies.
Much of my time is spent keeping these networks active, ensuring progress, planning for sustainability, and ensuring successful projects become part of regular operations after funding ends. I also spend time identifying new needs and ideas within the organization and connecting the right people to develop them further.
One of your key goals is fostering public-private collaboration. Why is this so important for healthcare innovation?
Hospitals possess deep clinical knowledge, but we lack all the expertise to develop cutting-edge digital solutions. That’s why collaboration with private partners is vital. When we work together, we can co-develop solutions that align with clinical realities rather than adopting off-the-shelf technologies that may not fit our context. It’s a mutually beneficial relationship: the industry contributes technical and business expertise, and we provide deep clinical insight. This ensures that innovation is both relevant and practical.
How does that collaboration work in practice? How do you connect hospital leaders, clinicians, and external partners?
We use several mechanisms. At the policy level, we have a permanent advisory board that includes industry representatives and meets three to four times a year under the leadership of a hospital executive. This ensures ongoing strategic dialogue.
On the operational level, we run formal programs with written agreements, bringing together companies and clinical teams through workshops and presentations. Sometimes the initiative comes from a clinician identifying a problem; other times, companies approach us with a new technology. We also support clinical trials and the evaluation of new devices or software. The key is strategic commitment, dedicated facilitators, and transparent processes that make collaboration seamless.
Finland seems to embrace both top-down and bottom-up innovation.
Absolutely. We need both. From the top down, leadership must commit to engaging with private partners. From the bottom up, we depend on the initiative of individual clinicians and teams. When both levels align, you get robust, sustainable innovation. We keep the idea pipeline open, assess proposals based on strategic and operational criteria, and allocate resources accordingly.
Can you share some recent examples of impactful public-private projects at HUS?
One major initiative focuses on evaluating new cancer medications. Many enter the market with limited evidence of effectiveness in real-world settings. We launched a project involving five cancer hospitals across Europe, in partnership with Siemens Healthineers and IQVIA. Siemens provides AI tools for analyzing CT scans, while IQVIA offers natural language processing to extract structured insights from clinical notes. The aim is to use real-world hospital data to evaluate treatment outcomes, enhance data use, and support regulatory decisions. This EU-funded project is closely integrated with our cancer clinicians and data engineers.
Another example is our work on the European Health Data Space (EHDS). Finland has advanced legislation for the secondary use of health data, but cross-border collaboration remains a challenge. We're piloting federated analytics. It’s an approach that allows hospitals to analyze data collectively without physically sharing sensitive patient data. This is a cornerstone of the EHDS and is also championed by the European Medicines Agency.
AI is a hot topic in medicine. How is HUS approaching its deployment in clinical settings?
We've worked with AI, particularly machine learning, for several years. Some applications, especially in imaging, have moved into production. We focus on identifying clinical use cases where AI delivers clear value relative to the investment. Given budget constraints, we have to be selective. Reliable AI requires high-quality data, linking to our investment in data infrastructure and participation in EHDS initiatives. Ultimately, clinicians must see tangible benefits from digital tools, or the motivation to maintain high-quality data diminishes.
You serve as a bridge between innovation and implementation. Why do you think every hospital should have a role like yours?
Innovation often falls between the cracks of traditional hospital structures designed for defined responsibilities. My role is more like that of a “free agent,” able to pursue less-defined but high-potential activities. Without a dedicated role for innovation, hospitals risk having solutions imposed on them from outside, missing the opportunity to shape those solutions to their needs. Having someone focused on technology and innovation ensures that hospitals remain active participants in the innovation process.
Looking ahead, how do you see public-private partnerships evolving in healthcare?
The future depends on our ability to deliver results and share them transparently. These projects are ambitious and inherently risky. Not all will succeed, and that’s fine. Success relies on trust, mutual respect, and an understanding of the different priorities of healthcare providers and industry. In the Nordics, public healthcare prioritizes patient outcomes, while companies must build sustainable businesses. Finding common ground is essential, and often it's the trust built between individuals that makes collaboration work.
What is your vision for the future hospital in the next five to ten years?
Digital transformation is fundamentally about changing how we deliver care. It's not just about adopting new tools; it’s about rethinking workflows, empowering patients, and evolving clinical roles. AI and generative tools will help clinicians synthesize information, but real change must be driven by clinical teams. Experimentation will be key: testing small innovations, learning from them, and scaling what works. Five years is a short time in healthcare, but I believe we’ll see deeper integration of digital tools, smarter use of data, and a stronger culture of continuous improvement.
