Virotea’s virtual care training has achieved national reach

In 2022, Karlstad Municipality carried out the first procurement using the Demand Acceleration methodology. The result was a unique VR solution, ViroteaEd, which trains health and social care staff in meeting people with cognitive challenges.

Since its launch in Karlstad two and a half years ago, ViroteaEd has spread rapidly to nearly 40 public and private care providers. In addition, three further public procurements have been carried out using the Demand Acceleration methodology – in Hammarö, Helsingborg, and a second one in Karlstad.

The film below provides insight into what happened in Karlstad – and how both the methodology and the solution have made a difference.

From pilot in Karlstad to national reach

Unlike traditional procurements, Demand Acceleration is built on users and businesses jointly exploring how an organisation’s needs can be met – in a way that also results in a solution that can be disseminated to others.

– One of the central ideas behind Demand Acceleration is precisely that the services developed are also given the conditions to spread further. When the public sector develops solutions in-house, or owns and manages them, it often becomes difficult to reach beyond a single municipality or region. By using procurement as a tool, we instead open the door for innovations that can grow and create greater value, says Lina Svensberg, Innovation Manager at DigitalWell Arena.

How procurement becomes a tool for innovation

Karlstad Municipality’s experience shows that public procurement can be more than a purchasing process – it can be a tool for driving innovation. Demand Acceleration is a methodology for doing precisely this, with the potential to transform how new digital solutions emerge and are used across Sweden.

That the very first service would achieve such success still exceeds all expectations, according to Lina Svensberg:

– Even though we at DigitalWell Arena saw the potential of the methodology, the development has been incredibly gratifying. The support from Karlstad Municipality has been absolutely crucial in developing the framework – from procurement experts to the engagement of the operations. Had they not dared to test it in a live procurement, there would have been a significant risk of getting stuck in theory. And the journey continues. Several new procurements are already in the starting blocks, in areas far beyond health and social care. The Demand Acceleration methodology has also attracted international interest, including through UNECE, the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe.