Nil Medical AB has been awarded one of Sweden’s most prestigious design prizes, Utmärkt Svensk Form 2025, for the infusion vest, Nil Medical Vestpack.
“It feels fantastic that Vestpack, which has been designed and developed with children’s best interests at heart, is being recognized in this context as well. I am deeply honored to receive this award, which carries such a proud history,” says Martin Hanberger, CEO and founder of Nil Medical AB.
After a 23-year hiatus, Svensk Form’s most prestigious award, Utmärkt Svensk Form (Excellent Swedish Design), is being relaunched today on September 16. The award will be presented this evening at the Nationalmuseum in Stockholm by H.R.H. Prince Carl Philip, patron of Svensk Form.
Most relevant and outstanding Swedish design
Unlike many other design awards, Utmärkt Svensk Form is not open for applications. Instead, the selection is based on extensive monitoring of the design field conducted by Svensk Form, along with an expert jury, and nominations from the public and regional associations. The result is a collection of works that reflect what is most relevant and outstanding in Swedish design today. The jury evaluates the entries from multiple perspectives, including conceptual strength, artistic quality, sustainability, social relevance, and craftsmanship, among others. The scope ranges from everyday objects such as textiles and furniture to advanced material solutions, technical innovations, and site-specific environments.
The journey started in 2011
The infusion vest Nil Medical Vestpack, designed and developed by the Umeå-based company Nil Medical AB, is among this year’s award recipients. In total, twelve contributions representing the foremost and most significant in Swedish design will receive Utmärkt Svensk Form 2025.
The journey behind the Vestpack started in 2011 when Martin Hanberger, a master student at the Umeå Institute of Design, embarked on a collaboration with the pediatric oncology department at Norrlands Universitetssjukhus in Umeå. The goal was to make long-term cancer treatments more bearable for children and young people.
Jurys citation for the Nil Medical Vestpack
”Nil Medical Vestpack demonstrates how design can improve lives. The vest has been developed for children and young people who need to carry medical equipment in their daily lives, replacing traditional IV poles with an ergonomic and discreet garment. By integrating tubes, pumps, and fluids safely and practically, it allows patients the freedom to move, play, and live more normally even during treatment. Developed in close dialogue with healthcare professionals, patients, and families, this is a solution in which every detail has been carefully balanced to create security, freedom of movement, and dignity. The vest is easy to use, safe to wear, and manufactured with sustainability in mind.
Nil Medical Vestpack is more than an assistive device. It is a system for independence and quality of life, a strong example of how design can contribute to a more resilient society—where design not only solves problems but also creates meaning, care, and human presence”.
For more info, please contact:
Martin Hanberger, CEO & founder, Nil Medical
Email: martin.hanberger@nilmedical.com
Telephone: +46-072-560 56 60
Umeå Biotech Incubator (UBI) is one of Sweden’s state-of-the-art business incubators within the life sciences. We help researchers to use their data to the benefit of patients and citizens, improving their health. We support and train entrepreneurs in the fields of pharmaceuticals, diagnostics and medical engineering, and act as a bridge between academia, medicine and the business community.
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