The event kicked off with a welcome from Daniel Eriksson, founder and CEO of the Nordic Center for Sustainable Healthcare (NCSH), followed by a presentation from KitNewCare’s Coordinator Brett Duane, Associate Professor in Public Dental Health at Trinity College Dublin (TCD), who outlined the project’s objectives and progress.

At the core of the event was an interactive working session where participants actively engaged in activities to categorise, contextualise, and refine technical information on sustainability solutions, preparing them for application in the project’s next phase.

A series of new technical solutions were highlighted across key areas:

• Solutions in water sustainability included technologies like the reuse of wastewater (dialysate) as fertiliser, using urea for hydrogen generation or as a direct fuel source, and dialysis machines equipped with autoflow capabilities for optimal water management.
• Innovations in energy efficiency featured solar-assisted hemodialysis and heat exchangers to capture and reuse energy, illustrating ways to minimise the carbon footprint in kidney care processes.
• Waste management solutions included central acid delivery systems using dry concentrate powder, reducing packaging waste, and the reuse of dialysers to decrease single-use plastic dependency.
• Sustainable transport solutions focused on non-assisted home dialysis, reducing transport needs and supporting environmental goals through fewer resource-intensive trips.

The event brought together front-line experts and partners committed to tackling environmental challenges in kidney care through innovative solutions. Among KitNewCare’s partners, Karin Gerritsen, internist-nephrologist and clinical scientist at UMC Utrecht, shared practical challenges in kidney care along with an overview of potential technologies that could enhance the sector’s sustainability. Some companies, both project’s partners and other industry leaders, shared updates on their advancements. Aquaporin, for instance, introduced nature-based water treatment technology potentially transformative for dialysis processes.

Additionally, Diaverum, a global leader in renal care, offered a comprehensive analysis of the environmental impacts of kidney care and KitNewCare’s role in addressing technical advancements.

The session concluded with a systemic analysis of sustainability within kidney care, providing valuable insights into some of the best available technical solutions to improve environmental performance in the field.

Reflecting on the collaborative efforts at the event, Diego Angelino, International Projects Coordinator at NCSH, remarked:

“The systemic approach to sustainability is a key success factor for the KitNewCare project. During the IC, in Malmö, the participants were able to connect the challenges and potential solutions in a complementary and multi-dimensional way to expand the impact and prepare the next phase of the project.”

The KitNewCare Innovation Challenge exemplified a collaborative and integrated approach, advancing the sustainability agenda in kidney care and setting a solid foundation for future project developments.