Healthcare is changing faster than ever. By 2025, hospitals face rising costs, staffing challenges, and increasing pressure to deliver better outcomes with tighter budgets. In this new reality, suppliers can no longer rely on transactional sales they must become true partners.

In this first part of our series, we explore why hospitals are seeking strategic collaborations, how partnerships are evolving, and real-world examples from Europe that show efficiency and shared outcomes are now the “new currency” of healthcare supplier relationships.

The case for partnership 

Strategic supplier partnerships align with the goals of modern healthcare institutions. A McKinsey analysis highlights the growing importance of "beyond the product" partnerships between medtech companies and healthcare providers. These partnerships are designed to go further than supplying equipment by integrating service innovation, software capabilities, and operational collaboration. Such models enable medtech suppliers to help hospitals reduce costs, enhance service quality, and co-create solutions that meet clinical and operational goals.[1] 

Similarly, recent research highlights how co-creation in Health 4.0 serves as a powerful driver of innovation in healthcare. Collaborative development between suppliers and providers—enabled by technologies from the Fourth Industrial Revolution—enhances both the efficiency and personalization of services. A 2023 study presents a co-creation matrix to analyze different levels of stakeholder involvement, using the Italian medical platform Paginemediche.it as a case to illustrate how partnerships improve outcomes and accelerate value delivery.[2] 

These partnerships shift the focus from product features to shared outcomes. Healthcare providers gain access to digital capabilities, service-level guarantees, and co-developed tools that support efficiency and patient care. Suppliers, in turn, establish deeper, longer-term relationships grounded in strategic alignment and mutual performance. 

The new currency of the relationship 

MedTech Europe VIP model

One publicly available framework that exemplifies this direction is MedTech Europe's Value of Innovation and Partnership (VIP) model. This model encourages value-based partnerships between medtech companies and healthcare providers, where shared goals focus on improving patient outcomes, enhancing efficiency, and reducing long-term costs. It proposes incentive structures that reward the delivery of value rather than the volume of devices sold, thus creating a foundation for more sustainable, transparent, and impactful collaborations. [3] 

Belgium’s MICA Program

In Belgium, the MICA Program (Monitoring Intensive Care Activities), led by the Ministry of Health and the Intensive Care College, exemplifies this trend. The MICA Program aims to encourage the use of quality and performance indicators in Belgian ICUs. Indicator management improves the quality of intensive care medicine and the safety of Belgian patients. Its Epimed Monitor integrates clinical and epidemiological data for real-time benchmarking, supporting ICU decision-making and resource optimization.

The MICA Program plays a pivotal role in fostering collaborative partnerships between healthcare providers and vendors. By integrating advanced data systems and promoting shared performance metrics, MICA creates an environment conducive to vendor-provider collaboration. [4]  

These examples underscore that efficiency, not just innovation, is the new currency of successful vendor relationships. 

Do you want to explore strategies and real-world examples of successful healthcare supplier partnerships, co-creating value and improving patient care? - Discover part 2 starting October 3rd.

At Living Stone, we’re experts at marketing strategy, including branding en positioning. Contact us today and find out how we can help you with the branding & positioning of your organization. Contact Anne-Mie Vansteelant anne-mie.vansteelant@livingstone.eu  

Disclaimer on Content Development 
This blog post was developed using generative AI (ChatGPT) based on detailed prompts and editorial guidance from the Living Stone team. It draws upon presentations delivered during a session of Ghent HealthTech Tuesdays #9 at WATT the Health in May 2025 and incorporates insights tailored to the strategic and commercial needs of marketing and sales professionals in the healthcare technology sector. The final text has been curated and refined by human editors to ensure clarity, relevance, and alignment with market expectations. All referenced sources have been verified for credibility at the time of publication. 

End Notes 

[1] McKinsey & Company. "Creating 'Beyond the Product' Partnerships Between Providers and Medtech Players." 2022. https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/operations/our-insights/creating-beyond-the-product-partnerships-between-providers-and-medtech-players 

[2] Laurisz, N., Cwiklicki, M., Zabiński, M., Canestrino, R., & Magliocca, P. (2023). "Co-Creation in Health 4.0 as a New Solution for a New Era." Healthcare, 11(3), 363. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9913923/ 

[3] MedTech Europe. "Access to Medical Technology Innovations: A Proposal for a Value of Innovation and Partnership (VIP) Model." 2021. https://www.medtecheurope.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/access-to-medical-technology-innovations-a-proposal-for-a-value-of-innovation-and-partnership-model.pdf 

[4] MICA Program. "How can data help in the management of my ICU?" https://www.micaprogram.be