Scandinavian Journal of Public Administration | 2026
Authors: Hämäläinen A.; Jaakola J.; Lydahl D.; Thygesen H.; Bjornsdottir K.; Nickelsen N.C.M.
DOI: 10.58235/sjpa.51277
Journal: Scandinavian Journal of Public Administration
Year: 2026
Publisher: University of Gothenburg School of Public Administration
Document Type: Article
Open Access: All Open Access; Gold Open Access
Cited by: 0
Based on a thematic content analysis of 63 key policy documents from the five Nordic countries, we discuss national strategies about introducing welfare technology to care for older persons. We argue that the Nordic care regime is a central research context in two senses: 1) the tradition of strong states and extensive social rights, and 2) the transformation of welfare states through marketisation and digitalisation, which also underpin welfare technology policies. We contribute to care policy research by contrasting the Nordic strategies and definitions and by identifying friction emerging within and across them. Our analysis shows that, while the overall image of WT policy is rather similar between the Nordic countries, the Danish, Finnish and Norwegian policy documents show signs of the earliest implementation. While the rest of the countries have implemented pilot-based, regional approaches, Denmark has seen a more centrally driven development. Our analysis also identifies friction in the welfare technology policies, portrayed as overly optimistic expectations; contested national rollouts; and financial resources designated for pilots and acquisition but not for maintenance costs. We argue that the notion of friction may support inter-stakeholder communication by providing cues to and making sense of the complexity of welfare technology innovation. © 2026 Antti Hämäläinen, Joni Jaakola, Doris Lydahl, Hilde Thygesen, Kristín Bjornsdottir, Niels Christian Mossfeldt Nickelse
care of older people; country comparison; policy analysis; technologisation of care; welfare technology