Exploring the Potential for Metal Additive Manufacturing in Swedish Healthcare : A study of Swedish metal-AM companies from a TOE framework perspective

Sammanfattning

The potential of additive manufacturing (AM) within healthcare has been recognized due to its ability to produce complex and patient-specific products. Despite the compatibility of metal-AM technologies within healthcare, and the existence of metal-AM companies in Sweden, only a limited number of actors currently provide metal-AM products for medical applications. This study therefore aims to investigate why more Swedish metal-AM companies have not entered the healthcare market and to identify the factors that hinder or enable such an expansion. To address this, interviews were conducted with Swedish metal-AM companies currently operating in industries outside healthcare, as well as with external actors involved in healthcare innovation. The empirical findings were analyzed using the Technological-Organizational-Environmental (TOE) framework in order to identify factors influencing market entry. The results indicate that technological factors are not perceived as the primary barrier. Instead, the companies’ existing technical expertise and experience from other advanced industries are viewed as enabling factors for healthcare applications. However, several organizational and environmental challenges were identified, including resource gaps, the need to adjust production models, unclear market demand and strict regulatory requirements. Partnerships and collaboration with healthcare actors, medtech companies and innovation organizations emerged as important enabling factors for facilitating market entry into the healthcare sector. In addition, the study proposes potential strategies that may support future market entry for industrial AM companies. The findings provide practical insights for industrial actors and policymakers, offering a strategic foundation to support the broader implementation of metal AM in Swedish healthcare.