Can you imagine the world of life science without the ultracentrifuge or the possibility to purify and analyze proteins like insulin?
Can you imagine the long-term global health benefits that may emerge from the Human Protein Atlas or the region’s cell therapy and neurological research projects?
Our region is no stranger to break-through innovative thinking, nor to bringing the results to market. What’s more, we’ve done it more than once and faster than most. And we plan to do it again.
History is on our side and speed is of the essence
The close yet simple co-operation between industry, healthcare and academic researchers in Stockholm-Uppsala has already given the world a number of products that substantially contribute to better global health.
Almost one hundred years ago, the young professor Svedberg came to Uppsala. Not only did he have a deep understanding of biochemistry, he also understood the mutual benefit of cooperation between industry and academia. The ultracentrifuge, for which he was awarded the 1926 Nobel Prize in Chemistry, was a cutting-edge instrument that opened up a whole new world of protein structural studies.
Every day since, the region’s innovative networks have been working hard to bring more ideas, products and services to a worldwide market for a better life – and to do it swiftly.
Wide array of innovation support
To maintain this productive relationship in today’s more complex industrial world, simple-to-use and professional innovation support systems are at hand.
Uppsala’s innovation arena, with Uppsala Innovation Centre as the hub, is well positioned to handle most types of cross-disciplinary innovations.
– A majority of the companies in our incubation program focus on products that will improve the performance of the life-science industry or life-science products, says Per Bengtsson, CEO of Uppsala Innovation Centre.
Karolinska Institutet Innovations AB and Karolinska Development AB have a close but not exclusive relation with Karolinska Institutet. The vast majority of their projects and supported companies focus on drug development.
A close relation between business advice and long-term investment is what STING offers projects and start-ups. Located in Kista, Sweden’s ‘Silicon valley’, STING takes advantage of its close contacts with neighbouring IT-companies to give cutting-edge support to medical technology companies.
Or do-it-yourself
The unique Swedish concept of the ‘teacher’s exemption’ allows academic researchers, rather than the universities where they work, to own full rights to their discoveries. This means that researchers themselves choose how they want to commercialize their innovations.
– Some prefer to cooperate directly with industry or start companies on their own without our involvement, explains Claes Post, Managing Director at Karolinska Institutet Innovations AB. - This stimulates us to constantly improve our services. The proof that we provide professional services lies in the fact that researchers and investors come back to us with new opportunities.