Costumer (Hospital)
- Hospital seeks to take greater responsibility
- Environmental sustainability tracking is a problem due to fragmented procuring models
Source →
Solidcare
Connecting the dots
This bachelor’s thesis explores how hospitals can promote staff well-being and meet ESG goals by reframing footwear as an institutional responsibility. While uniforms are centrally managed, footwear remains
a personal expense, resulting in inconsistencies in comfort, safety,
and sustainability.
The project introduces Solid Care,
a Product-Service-System developed with Solid Gear and nurses at Rigshospitalet. The system combines recyclable mono-material footwear with a hospital-integrated procurement and personalisation service, supporting both individual needs and institutional strategy.
By shifting footwear from an externalised cost to a managed asset, the project illustrates how strategic design can drive systemic change in complex, service-driven environments
Context
10 weeks
March 2025
Bachelor thesis
Umeå Institute of Design
In collaboration with
The central Hospital of Copenhagen 2027
Research & Trend Forecasting
Understanding the Healthcare System of Tomorrow
The Central hospital of Copenhagen is expanding, not just its infrastructure but also its vision for the future. Regulations and market trends push the administration to account for the full societal and environmental impact of their operations, making ESG compliance a top priority. Meanwhile Nurses are departing the workforce in increasing numbers and patient satisfaction is low. Can these diverse stakeholder Value wishes be unified in a economically, environmentally and socially sustainable future vision that makes the hospital a meaningful workplace for nurses and safe and trusted healthcare provider for patients. And what opportunities does it present for the private sector, catering to the public healthcare sector of Scandinavia?
End-User (Nurse)
- No one shoe fits all, the functions needed depends on the department
- There is a generational gap in technological literacy
- Improper footwear can have a negative effect on insurance claims
- Footwear is the only part of the uniform that allows self-expression and even Supports patient interaction
Source →
Manufacturer (Hultafors)
- Hultafors Group aims to build synergy across its 17 brands
- Solid Gear footwear is last brand manufacturing in Asia.
- Solid Gear is struggling to bring footwear production to Europe
Source →
The Scandinavian footwear Market 2025
Market Research
Understanding todays footwear market
The Scandinavian footwear market is projected to grow steadily by 2025,
with women’s footwear as the largest segment, this is especially relevant since 88% of nurses in Scandinavia are women.
The high rates of online shopping and product returns suggest strong consumer engagement and openness toward new purchasing models. While returns are often seen as negative they also reflect
a mature and active e-commerce market. One ready for a circular footwear service like Solid-Care. Competitor research revealed a saturated footwear market when focusing solely on product sales.
To differentiate Solid Gear, I explored alternative business models and found that a shift toward a service-oriented approach opened a far less competitive landscape.
82%
Percent of Northerners shop online at least ones a month
Source →
The Product
Color Material Finish
Rather than institutionalising footwear through top-down control, Solid Care enables hospitals to take responsibility while allowing staff to personalise fit and style
Mono-material Thermoplastics
Starting by defining the product’s end of life purpose, the shoe was designed for mechanical recycling.
The Service
Lifecycle management & Procurement Platform
A hospital-integrated procurement
and personalisation platform, allowing caregivers to select styles and fit from
a curated collection while enabling traceability and recycling. It also comes with a integrated product passport.
The System
Footwear Is an Individual Responsibility
Currently procurement is fragmented which makes it impossible for the hospital to track the environmental
impact of footwear used by their employees.
The Current System
The Future System
Footwear Is Institutionalised
as Part of the Uniform
The future system allows institutions
to internalise procurement shifting footwear from an overlooked individual expense to a managed institutional asset enabling ESG compliance
Impact
Value created on a Systemic level
Re-thinking the value chain to unlock new product strategies and build stronger brand equity across the Hultafors Group portfolio. Downcycling footwear used at the hospital into other products in their portfolio like handtools. Co-developing technologies to achieve organisational Synergy
WILLIAM BO ROSKÆR
Solidcare Footwear
The system combines recyclable
mono-material footwear with a hospital integrated procurement and lifecycle management platform, supporting both individual needs and institutional strategy. By shifting footwear from an externalised cost to a managed asset, the project illustrates how strategic design can drive systemic change in complex, service-driven environments.
This bachelor’s thesis explores how hospitals can promote staff well-being and meet ESG goals by reframing footwear as an institutional responsibility. While uniforms
are centrally managed, footwear remains
a personal expense, resulting in problems related to comfort, safety, and sustainability. The project introduces Solid Care, a Product-Service System developed with Solid Gear Footwear and nurses at the central hospital of Copenhagen.
Context
10 weeks
March 2025
Bachelor thesis
Umeå Institute of Design
Client
Reframing Footwear as a Strategic Tool for Staff Well-being and Environmental Sustainability
The central Hospital of Copenhagen 2027
Research & Trend Forecasting
Understanding the Healthcare System of Tomorrow
The Central hospital of Copenhagen is expanding, not just
its infrastructure but also its vision for the future. Regulations and market trends push the administration to account for the full societal and environmental impact of their operations, making ESG compliance a top priority. Meanwhile Nurses are departing the workforce in increasing numbers and patient satisfaction is low.
Can these diverse stakeholder values be unified into an economically, environmentally, and socially sustainable future vision, one that makes the hospital a meaningful workplace for nurses and a safe, trusted healthcare provider for patients? Furthermore, what opportunities might such a vision create for private sector companies serving the public healthcare systems of Scandinavia?
Stakeholder Insights
Costumer (Hospital)
- Hospital seeks to take greater responsibility
- Environmental sustainability tracking is a problem due to fragmented procuring models
Source →
End-User (Nurse)
- No one shoe fits all, the functions needed depends on the department
- There is a generational gap in technological literacy
- Improper footwear can have a negative effect on insurance claims
- Footwear is the only part of the uniform that allows self-expression and can even Supports patient interaction
Source →
Manufacturer (Hultafors)
- Hultafors Group aims to build synergy across it’s 17 brands
- Solid Gear footwear is the last brand in hultafors portfolio still manufacturing in Asia
- Solid Gear is struggling to bring footwear production to Europe
Source →
The Scandinavian footwear Market 2025
Market Research
Understanding todays footwear market
The Scandinavian footwear market is projected to grow steadily by 2025, with women’s footwear as the largest segment, this is especially relevant since 88% of nurses in Scandinavia are women. Scandinavia’s high rates of online shopping and product returns suggest strong consumer engagement and openness toward new purchasing
models. While returns are often seen as negative
they also reflect a mature and active e-commerce
market. One ready for a circular footwear service like
Solid-Care. Competitor research revealed a saturated footwear market when focusing solely on product sales.
To differentiate Solid Gear, I explored alternative business models and found that a shift toward a service-oriented approach opened a far less competitive landscape.
82%
Percent of Northerners shop online at least ones a month
Source →
The Product
Mono-material Thermoplastics
Starting by defining the product’s end-of-life purpose, the shoe was designed for mechanical recycling.
Collar
Linning
Heelcap
Stabilizer
Jacquard Engineered Mesh
Breathable toe box
Sock liner
Step in comfort
Midsole
Shock absorption
Outsole
Non-slip
Color Material Finish
Rather than institutionalising footwear through top-down control, Solid Care enables hospitals to take responsibility while allowing staff to personalise fit and style
The Service
Product Catalogue
Profile
Subscription
Product Passport
Lifecycle management & Procurement Platform
A hospital-integrated procurement and personalisation system, allowing caregivers to select styles and fit from a curated collection while enabling traceability and recycling.
The System
The Current System
Footwear - Individual Responsibility
Currently procurement is fragmented which makes it impossible for the hospital to track the environmental
impact of footwear used by their employees.
The Future System
Footwear - Institutionalised as Part of the Uniform
The future system allows institutions to internalise procurement shifting footwear from an overlooked individual expense to a managed institutional asset enabling ESG compliance
Six Months
=
5T
Plastic recycled
90%
Bio based TPU’s
24h
48h
7days
48h
6months
24h
7days
48h
30% Closed Loop
70% Open loop
70% Open loop
30% Closed Loop
The Impact
Value created on a Systemic Level
Re-thinking the value chain to unlock new product strategies and build stronger brand equity across the Hultafors Group portfolio. Downcycling footwear used at the hospital into other products in their portfolio like hand-tools. Co-developing technologies to achieve organisational Synergy
86T
CO₂ Saved
