A dirty or torn surgical glove can cause a life-threatening infection, which is why Mölnlycke wants its double gloves to be used in every surgery in the future. The company’s conquest of Finland is being orchestrated from Vierailukeskus Joki, and Joki has left the global company buzzing with excitement.
New business requires new types of partners, networks, and a new way of thinking.
Although Mölnlycke is a large, global manufacturer of healthcare solutions, a startup was essentially born within it when surgical gloves were spun off into their own business unit a little over a year ago.
There is significant growth potential in the gloves, and the goal for the future is to have the company's gloves used in every surgery performed in Finland. This requires a lot of hard work, new thinking, and good partners. Vierailukeskus Joki and the opportunities it offers have become one of the most important partners.
– The very first time we visited Joki, we had a strong 'aha' moment that this partnership would take us far, says Lena Bäckman, Business Director for Gloves at Mölnlycke.
Now that the collaboration is in full swing, the entire international company is absolutely thrilled about Joki.
– Our headquarters is in Gothenburg, and one would think you could find similar places in Sweden, but no. Joki is completely unique in terms of its technology, versatility, and networking opportunities, Bäckman praises.
– My international colleagues always want to come back to this topic and say, ”Please tell me again about the Zoki,” Bäckman laughs.
Joki is also an excellent partner in terms of location, as Turku is now becoming the headquarters for Mölnlycke’s entire glove business.
– I think this region was the most natural choice for our operations. Turku is the cradle of biomedicine; the area is home to many significant pharmaceutical companies and drug development, as well as many important educational institutions and universities. In addition, we would like to be a value-based procurement partner for the new Southwest Finland wellbeing services county.
When it comes to surgical gloves, it’s not just about the product itself; in the big picture, health, safety, and hand well-being are at the center of everything. Hands are a surgeon's most important instrument, and a drug handler might be holding a solution worth thousands of euros in their fingers. It is easy for a glove to get a hole, but if it is small, it is not easy to detect. However, a hole can cause an infection for either the doctor or the patient, or skin contact with an unwanted substance for the handler.
– For a child, an elderly person, or, for example, a cancer patient, an infection can be a life-threatening condition, so this is a really big issue, Bäckman says.
She explains that the special feature of the double gloves produced by the company is an indicator system that alerts the user if a hole occurs in the glove. It is clearly visible and signals to the user that it is time to change into a new, intact pair of gloves.
– Of course, there are other double gloves on the market, but the specialty of our product is how widely and clearly the hole stands out. In addition, the comfort of the glove is in a league of its own.
In the pharmaceutical industry, product launches and demonstrations have until now often been handled in a traditional style: through meetings, presentations, and legwork. However, Mölnlycke, with its strong digital strategy, has decided that from now on, new product launches will only be done digitally.
The first new product launch for the Finnish market was filmed at Joki for an entire day.
– It’s great that Joki has skilled partners like Rajupaja. It was really easy to work with them, and with their expertise, the launch becomes an interesting and even entertaining entity that is something completely different from a traditional Teams meeting, Bäckman praises.
In the future, Joki will sometimes also allow you to pop over to Malaysia, where all of Mölnlycke’s gloves are manufactured. Since the main raw material for the gloves is the rubber tree that grows in Malaysia, it makes the most sense to process the raw material into the finished product in the same country rather than transporting it elsewhere.
– Previously, buyers might have been flown to Malaysia to see the plantations or the factory. However, such flights are no longer responsible practice, so we prefer to show customers here in Finland how things are done via video.