It is vitally important that any public private cooperation is initiated as early as possible in the process, in order to achieve the most efficient utilisation of resources. Cooperation with the private sector can take a variety of forms:

Source: Bech-Bruun for the Central Denmark Region in "Initial pre-analysis in relation to the Master Plan for hospitals in Aarhus" ("Indledende foranalyse vedrørende Masterplanen for sygehusene i Århus").

The scope of public-private cooperation can vary greatly, and can cover the entire hospital, smaller departments of the hospital or related functions.

Hospital construction projects in Great Britain
There has been widespread use of PPPs in relation to public health sector construction projects in Great Britain since 1997. In Britain the model is called PFI, whereby a private party is responsible for the financing, construction and subsequent maintenance of the building, while the public party organises and carries out operations at the given hospital.

Small shopping high streets
In the Netherlands, several city hospitals, such as Medisch Centrum Leeuwarden, have built small shopping high streets into the entrance areas. These typically include a supermarket, hairdressing salon, book store, florist, clothing shop and chemist. The shops are all planned into the construction of the entrance area and are privately operated.

Tech Trans – commercialisation of research, ideas and inventions
Consideration can be given during hospital planning to improving the framework for working systematically and professionally with the commercialisation of research, ideas and inventions from the hospital. One way this can be done is to set up an office for technology transfer (tech trans). A Tech Trans office can help translate research and inventions into new products or product improvements, including the identification of research results and inventions with commercial potential and protection of the hospital's IPR (Intellectual Property Rights).