The conference "Life Sciences – the Era of Personalised Medicine" on June 26-27 at Karolinska Institutet in Solna finalized the Swedish EU presidency. Hagastaden has the highest concentration of life science in Europe, and Stockholm Science City was honored to guide tours here.
– The guided tours were very appreciated both by our Swedish and international guests. Everyone gained insight into how collaborations are facilitated by geographical proximity. Many commented on what we already know is fantastic: that there is walking distance between preclinical research, clinical research, the university hospital, and the life science companies, says CEO Ylva Williams.
Hagastaden is an uniquely situated innovation district. It connects Karolinska University Hospital, the world-renowned universities Karolinska Institutet, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, and Stockholm University, and life science companies ranging from start-ups to well-established global actors.
In Hagastaden, the spontaneous interactions and the planned meeting create a special collective identity and promote an innovative atmosphere. Today, you can walk indoors from world-leading research to patients in only 10 minutes.
– As an organization, we are proud that the government has chosen to showcase Hagastaden as the end of the EU presidency. We show that collaboration and cooperation can create unique opportunities that strongly contribute to improving the health of many while at the same time contributing to the strong export branch of life science, she says.
The guided conference tours included six stations in total:
- SciLifeLab >>, a national resource of unique technologies and expertise available to life scientists, is closely intertwined with a community of researchers in life science.
- MedTechLabs >>, an interdisciplinary centre for medical technology research to create better conditions for patient survival and improved quality of life, focusing on our most common diseases.
- Precisionsmedicinskt centrum Karolinska, PMCK >>, enables broad clinical implementation of precision medicine in health care.
- KI Science Park >>, a community and meeting place that brings together life science companies and creates links to academic research, clinicians, and the innovation support system.
- Life City >>, a meeting place for academia, industry, and the public. AstraZeneca >>, Elekta >> and Vision Zero Cancer >> had presentations here.
- Forskaren >>, which Vectura >> is constructing and which will be ready to house companies in life science in late 2023.
– The fact that you can visit on foot all the fantastic stations that form part of the hub around the life science cluster Hagastaden shows that the long-term investments have created something unique. We see an opportunity to be unique and world-leading within a few years, concludes Ylva Williams.
On the photo from the left: Jonas Binnmyr, Ylva Williams, Kajsa Liljegren, Andreas Namslauer, Christina Jägare and Filippa Kull.