Elisabet Haapakoski
Tereza Hanzová
Tuija Jalanko
Anni Aikala
Hanken School of Economics
Martin Fougere
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The product is a wood-based material combining wood chips and biopolymers to replace traditional cast material and application. The material is ecological and can be fully recycled thus reducing waste (SDG 12 – Responsible consumption and production), removes the need to use fresh water when applying the cast (SDG 6 – Clean water and sanitation) and is easy and faster to use, providing more time to treat other patients (SDG 3 – Good health and well-being).
The innovative woodcast material is used for both human and animal applications to replace traditional casts and is also used in therapy. The innovation was created in 2005 in Helsinki University and combines wood chips and biopolymers to create easily moldable material that can be used for treating fractures instead of traditional casts. By adjusting the biopolymers, it is possible to create different levels of hardness to treat different kinds of fractures. The material is heated to become moldable and allows creating a custom-made cast for each patient much faster than through the traditional process.
The initial inspiration was to develop a more sustainable solution to replace materials that are harmful for the environment. The woodcast material has been developed and then thanks to a surgeon’s suggestions, it was decide it to use it for fracture treatment and therapy. Improving patient experience and increasing the effectiveness of the treatment was also a strong inspiration behind the innovation. There have not been any innovations when it comes to casts since the 1970’s, and the traditional casting process is time consuming and produces environmentally harmful waste. It also requires specific usage of facilities and consumes more fresh water. Introducing new innovative material and application creates a significant opportunity to reduce environmental impact, improve the effectiveness of healthcare and improve the patient experience.
The first long-term effect of the innovation is the increased patient well-being. The product is applicable to different types of fractures with a self-adhesive textile that makes the cast comfortable. Thus, they have been able to develop a product that is more comfortable to wear, lighter, has a low profile, and can be taken off so that the patient can go to shower, which increases the well-being of the patient.
The second long-term effect is the increased effectiveness of the healthcare practice associated with fractures and splints. The cast doesn’t need to be taken off during X-rays and adjustments can be made in the existing cast by heating it up and remolding. This improves the patient flow in the hospital as nurses and doctors don’t need to go into the cast room frequently and patients spend less time in hospitals. The cast can also be done at bedside. All this helps the hospitals to treat more patients without compromising the standard of care.
The third long-term effect of the innovation is the positive environmental and economic impact. The cast material is reusable and recyclable. Compared to plaster cast (the traditional cast), which is a general waste that hospitals need to pay for, Woodcast is biodegradable waste that hospitals don’t need to pay for or at least not that much. Moreover, as this product does not need water at all, water usage decreases significantly. Of course, the heating system requires electricity, but hospitals are moving more towards green electricity. Thus, there is a win-win effect of sustainability and having economic benefits.
The innovation of Dassiet is the creation of a new product for the medical market. There are no competitors that would be making cast applications from wood. The competition Dassiet is facing is the traditional cast-making business, as well as the casts made of plastic. However, these options are less environmentally friendly and cannot be used in the same magnitude as Dassiet product, thus, they opened a new investment opportunity for a completely new product within the cast market.
As the product is easy to implement in the existing operations of hospitals, they have been able to expand quite rapidly to new markets. They started with Finnish hospitals, then moved to Nordic countries and Baltic region, then European markets, and recently to Middle East and North American area. Moreover, especially in Europe, the hospitals have a pressure to use more eco-friendly materials, and Dassiet has been able to benefit from this as their product is sustainable as itself, but also reduces waste generated and water use. As the material can be widely used, they have also expanded to the veterinary market. As this product is new in the human medical side, it is also new in the veterinary side.
Because of the innovative product and rapid expansion to new geographical markets and veterinary side, the company has been able to expand as well. The revenue growth has been steady throughout the life of Dassiet, as the product is superior within the business as well as with the sustainability aspect. This has also led to expansion of the business with hiring new employees in different fields of the organization.
This innovation benefits the environment in ways that were touched upon in previous parts: it reduces waste by being recyclable and reducing waste generated from traditional cast application, it reduces the use of water as it does not need water at all, and the production of the material is sustainable as they use wood from sustainable forestry sources. They are also paying attention to sustainable logistics solutions, as they make the shipments usually by ground and water and are avoiding shipping by air. They are using recycled cardboard for shipments. Dassiet is continuing to develop more environmentally friendly materials and solutions. Right now, all of the materials or processes can’t be completely environmentally friendly, as they need to take into account patient applications, such as the textile, where not all materials can be completely sustainable. The plastic bags are also used for the existing systems of the hospitals, so that they can work with the current infrastructure.
The Dassiet innovation benefits the society in terms of improved healthcare and patient well-being. As discussed, the product is more comfortable for the patient, which is a central idea of the company: make the best situation out of the unfortunate event of a fracture or a sprain. Moreover, the hospitals can provide faster care for the patients because of the quick application of the product. Dassiet is continuing to develop the product and hospital aspect based on customer feedback.
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Michael Lindroos, Clinical Technology Officer
Dassiet is a fast-growing health and mobility company that focuses on sustainable products in healthcare. The company designs and manufactures sustainable immobility & mobility solutions for both human and animal orthopedic patients.