This article is an English version of a publication originally published by Katapult. In the article, project leader Iris Davina shares how ZorgTechNext integrates care technology into education and professional practice, moving beyond pilots toward sustainable implementation.
The original Dutch version of this article can be read on the Katapult website: Zorgtechnologie? Gewoon werk
Care Technology? Just Part of the Job
For years, the healthcare sector has been under pressure, yet a positive shift is taking place. Technology is no longer seen as an “annoying extra” that has to be added on top of existing work. Instead, it is increasingly becoming a natural part of everyday practice — and that is exactly where relief can be found. Within the RIF‑PPS ZorgTechNext, this mindset goes even further. Here, they no longer explicitly talk about care technology at all. It is embedded in everything they do.
Iris Davina, Project Leader of ZorgTechNext, talks about how technology can move beyond the pilot phase, how to engage people who may initially be reluctant, and what happens when learning, working and innovation come together.
Can you tell us about ZorgTechNext? How is the collaboration structured?
Iris: “ZorgTechNext is not a new project for us, but a scale‑up of a successfully completed public‑private partnership. This meant that the collaboration was strong from the very beginning. We work together with ROC van Twente, Saxion, healthcare organisations such as Livio and Aveleijn, Bonhoeffer College, TechYourFuture, and of course TZA Twente, which plays an important connecting role.
We have made very clear agreements about who does what, where responsibilities lie, and how we ensure that we keep connecting with each other — because with so many partners, it’s easy to start working in silos. That’s why we keep things as simple as possible. We have a number of fixed meeting moments — four times a year with internal and external steering groups — and we maintain short lines of communication in daily practice. If something comes up, we simply call each other. That combination of structure and flexibility ensures that the collaboration is not only well organised, but also continues to work effectively.”
And what is your role within this collaboration?
“I work as the Project Leader of ZorgTechNext from ROC van Twente. My background is in healthcare — I studied Social Work and later Health Psychology and Technology. That combination really comes together perfectly here. I make sure everything connects.
We work with three work packages, each with its own focus and dedicated work package leaders. I oversee the whole programme, monitor progress and ensure that what we plan is actually implemented in practice.”
What are the work packages that form the basis of ZorgTechNext?
“We operate along three lines. The first focuses on integrating care technology into education. We really started at the foundation: the qualification profiles. What is already included about technology, and how is that applied in practice? After that, we trained people within each education team — tech ambassadors — who guide their colleagues and students.
The second line focuses on the professional field. The challenge here is not just knowledge, but implementation: how do you ensure that technology doesn’t remain unused on a shelf, but is actually applied? We often work with tailored approaches, such as in‑company training programmes.
The third line consists of learning communities, where students, teachers and health and social care professionals come together — not to talk, but to actively work on real‑life challenges from practice. It is this combination that gives ZorgTechNext its strength.”
How do you engage professionals in rapid technological developments?
“By not talking about technology at all. Because the moment you say: ‘Today we’re focusing on care technology,’ you lose a large part of your audience. But when you show what it delivers — reduced workload, better care, more time for clients — the conversation immediately changes.
We work a lot with tech ambassadors: people from within practice who take others along. We also create spaces where people learn from each other, such as in the learning communities. There, knowledge sharing and recognition play a major role. Collaborating on embedding care technology from different professional perspectives is highly motivating.”
What is the impact of those learning communities?
“What we already see is that people find each other more easily. Knowledge is not only shared, but also accelerated. When something works well in one organisation, others don’t have to reinvent it. It also generates energy — people participate voluntarily, despite the pressure in healthcare. That says a lot about the value they experience.”
Looking back, what is your most important achievement so far?
“That care technology is no longer treated as a separate topic. When I started, we still had standalone courses on care technology. By now, it is fully integrated — in education, in professional practice, and in daily routines. Students now say: ‘It’s just part of the job.’ The same applies to professionals: they see it as a logical element of their work. That shift — from something new and exciting to something normal — is something I’m truly proud of.”
What is your biggest challenge?
“Sustainability. We’ve set many things in motion, but the key question is how to ensure they last. How do organisations not only embrace technology, but truly embed it in their policies and ways of working?
This involves not just practical challenges such as time, funding and capacity, but also a mental shift. Technology needs to be part of how you look at care itself. And additionally: how do we keep the learning communities alive, so people continue to connect even after the project ends? That is my biggest challenge for the coming period.”
How did you experience the peer review?
“Very positively. It’s incredibly valuable to have external experts take a critical look. Not just to hear what’s going well, but especially to receive challenging questions. It keeps you sharp. It really felt like working with ‘critical friends’ — people who understand what you’re doing, but who also challenge you to improve. For us, it confirmed that we’re on the right track, while also encouraging us to keep developing.”
