On 14 April, findings from the TechConnect project were presented at Curtin University’s Centre for Transformative Work Design (CTWD), following an invitation from its director, Sharon Parker. Around 20 participants attended in person, with the session also recorded for wider distribution across the network. The seminar brought together researchers interested in a shared question: why advanced digital technologies often fall short of expectations in everyday professional work.

The presentation, delivered by Christoffer Andersson and Anette Hallin alongside Chris Ivory from Mälardalen University, drew on insights from the TechConnect project, which examined how digital technologies are used in European healthcare settings and why expected benefits are not always realised.

Across 12 case studies in four hospitals, a consistent pattern emerged: difficulties rarely stem from the technology alone, but from how it interacts with the realities of clinical work.

• Digital tools often assume simplified versions of complex work processes
• Professionals must adapt their routines to fit system requirements
• Value emerges only when technology aligns with broader organisational systems
• A systems perspective on digital work

A central message of the seminar was the importance of viewing technology use through a systems thinking lens. Rather than focusing on individual tools, attention should be given to how work is organised, coordinated, and supported across teams and settings. The session reinforced a growing recognition that digital transformation depends as much on work design as on technological innovation, technology delivers value through the conditions in which people use it.