scientist holding a test tube

Life sciences

The Skåne region is part of Medicon Valley, the largest life science cluster in the Nordics with more than 1,150 life science companies. It’s a place with a rich life science heritage, the birthplace of inventions such as the artificial kidney, the diagnostic ultrasound, and the nicotine replacement gum Nicorette.

Skåne’s long history with the life science industries can be traced back to Lund University, which has legacies in biotech and medical research. The region has been a foundation from which companies have grown, like medtech manufacturer Gambro (now Baxter) which was founded here in 1964, and pharmaceutical multinational AstraZeneca. Today, Skåne is at the forefront of research within diabetes, neuroscience, oncology, and inflammation. It’s also a breeding ground for many innovative startups in drug development, medtech, and healthtech applications.

“Life science is since long a very strong sector in Skåne. Successful university research results in a lot of new startup companies,'' says Micael Györei, Acting Director of Investment Promotion, Life Sciences

A key factor to Sweden’s life science success is a long tradition of collaboration between government, academia, industry, and society in bringing cutting-edge solutions to the market. Uniquely Swedish characteristics – like the fact that every Swede carries a personal identification number for all healthcare documentation and the nation’s extensive biobanks – combined with the latest available technologies have contributed to major research achievements. In fact, Sweden’s government has set a goal to be the leading nation when it comes to e-health and digitalisation by 2025.

“The real attraction for us is the concept of membership at Medicon Village, of working with your peers in a co-operative, mutually rewarding style which is much more conducive to problem-solving than the competitive atmosphere we have experienced in other centres,” says Tadhg Ó Séaghdha, Head of Behavioural Psychology and Psychotherapy, NISAD.

Inside Medicon Valley

Learn about the ins and outs of the life science cluster in Medicon Valley, from world leading innovation, and ground-breaking research to collaboration through the unique triple helix model, and finding work-life balance, in the Inside Medicon Village magazine. 

Find out more

Advantages of Skåne

Advantages when choosing the Skåne/Medicon Valley region for your next life science investment:

  • A strong collaborative life science eco-system The Skåne region and Medicon Valley include over 350 companies in the biotech, medical technology and pharmaceutical industries, as well as 17 universities and 28 hospitals. That translates to a plethora of knowledgeable people and experts, all sharing in the same spirit of collaboration bridging between academia, industry, and the public sector.
     
  • Internationally renowned research and innovation Skåne is home to world-class life science research working in many different areas and specialities; most notably diabetes, inflammation, neuroscience, oncology and biomarkers/diagnostics. At the center of the area’s life science community is Lund University, the highest ranking university in Sweden which is also consistently ranked among the world’s top 100 universities.
    In addition, the region’s easy access to healthcare documentation and availability to extensive biobanks in close proximity, make it uniquely suitable for conducting many clinical trials.
     
  • A large base of candidates for partnerships There are currently over 100 biotech and medtech projects in Skåne, almost all with opportunities for partnerships, licensing, or both. This ongoing research focuses on areas such as cardiovascular medicine, diabetes, haematology, infectious diseases, inflammation, metabolism, neuroscience, oncology, regenerative medicine, and many others. There’s also a fast growing number of healthtech companies in the region that are at the forefront of developing and integrating mobile and digital technology within the sector.

More about life science in Skåne and Medicon Valley

Find out more about the life science industry in Skåne and the whole Medicon Valley cluster below and on mediconvalley.com

Get in touch with us

If you are interested in learning more about available local business opportunities, at Invest in Skåne we can guide you through the region.

Investment Promotion | Management

Micael Györei

Director of Investment Promotion

E-mail: micael.gyorei@skane.se

Phone: +46 40 675 34 86

Cell phone: +46 72 467 28 72

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Page updated 06 Oct 2023, at 12:07