West Sweden steps up its life science ambitions
Many of the key ingredients for a thriving life science sector are already in place in West Sweden, with significant untapped potential still to be realised. Now, leading organisations from industry, academia and the public sector are joining forces to unlock that potential.
Gothenburg and West Sweden are already at the forefront of life science. The region is home to leading research environments, world-class healthcare institutions, global companies and a fast-growing entrepreneurial ecosystem. Now, a major step is being taken to accelerate development and make better use of the region's strengths.
A group of leading companies and organisations has come together around a joint declaration of intent aimed at strengthening West Sweden’s position within the European life science landscape. The ambition is to establish a shared direction for the regional ecosystem and work collectively towards making West Sweden one of Europe’s leading life science hubs. At the same time, the initiative aims to highlight the region’s contribution to Sweden’s position as a leading life science nation and to Europe's overall competitiveness.
“International competition for investments, talent and research funding is becoming increasingly intense. West Sweden already has most of the pieces of the puzzle in place, but the entire system needs to function more effectively as one unit,” says Kristina Levan, Business Developer Life Science at Business Region Göteborg.
She continues:
“The declaration of intent is a major milestone. Securing the involvement of leading companies has given the initiative a broader perspective and greater impact. West Sweden now has a shared vision of what we want to achieve, and the next step is to turn that vision into action. This type of strategic collaboration within the life science sector has not previously existed here, which makes this initiative particularly significant.”
Collaboration as a competitive advantage
At Business Region Göteborg, industry development is driven through collaboration across sectors and organisations. The focus is on addressing shared challenges and opportunities at a systemic level. Through continuous dialogue with businesses, the organisation identifies key needs and opportunities, brings relevant stakeholders together and creates frameworks for collaboration that can drive meaningful progress.
“Collaboration is Gothenburg’s competitive advantage. It is an essential tool for ensuring that more innovations reach patients, that companies can grow and that more clinical trials are conducted here. We also want to attract more investments and help strengthen the competitiveness of both Sweden and Europe,” says Kristina Levan.
West Sweden’s life science ecosystem includes global companies operating across multiple fields, a major university hospital with strong ambitions for industry collaboration, and academic institutions with internationally recognised expertise in medicine, science and engineering. The declaration of intent has been signed by stakeholders across all these sectors, and the partners have also established a council for Life Science in West Sweden.
Progress will be measured against three key objectives:
- More employees in West Sweden’s life science sector
- Increased EU funding and international competitiveness
- A higher number of clinical trials conducted in the region
“We need to move beyond networking towards implementation, and from dialogue to concrete results,” says Levan.
Creating better pathways to healthcare
One of the strongest requests from companies is easier access to healthcare environments when developing new products and solutions. According to Levan, this is one area where significant untapped potential exists.
Clinical trials are a clear example. The ambition is to make it easier to conduct trials in Sweden, benefiting companies, healthcare professionals and patients alike.
“Companies need close collaboration with healthcare providers when developing products,” says Levan. “For patients, this can mean access to better and more advanced treatments. Healthcare professionals also benefit from gaining experience with innovative therapies through clinical trials.”
She also highlights the role of municipalities as an underutilised resource.
“Municipal healthcare and social care services hold extensive knowledge about real-world needs, particularly in areas such as elderly care. That knowledge could contribute significantly to the development of medical technology and digital health solutions. Several municipalities in the Gothenburg region have expressed strong interest in serving as testbeds for new innovations.”
The life science sector therefore contributes simultaneously to improved public health, increased resilience, job creation, export growth and innovation.
“The combination of patient benefit and societal benefit is quite unique,” says Levan.
Strengthening Europe's competitiveness
Collaboration can also help strengthen the region’s capabilities in communication, visibility and access to funding opportunities. One recent example is a joint delegation visit to Brussels organised by Region Västra Götaland, Business Region Göteborg and AstraZeneca. The delegation included representatives from Swedish and West Swedish life science organisations and met with stakeholders including Vinnova’s Brussels office, the Innovative Health Initiative (IHI), the European Life Sciences Coalition and Sweden’s Permanent Representation to the EU. Discussions also focused on the role of life sciences in strengthening Europe’s competitiveness.
“We actively engage in partnerships and want to be part of shaping developments. Whether it concerns EU funding or private investment, it is essential to understand the opportunities available in the wider landscape,” says Levan.
She emphasises that visibility and communication are crucial.
“It is important to have a presence in national and international discussions. Not only companies but the entire ecosystem could benefit from speaking with a more unified voice. While we want to strengthen awareness of our region, we must also emphasise our contribution to Sweden’s competitiveness and Europe’s competitiveness as a whole. Healthy competition is important, but we should also actively promote one another’s strengths.”
A growing cluster with global potential
Several major life science initiatives are already underway in the Gothenburg region and are expected to generate significant impact in both the short and long term. Construction has begun on Sahlgrenska Life, a joint initiative by Region Västra Götaland and the University of Gothenburg that will serve as a transnational centre and bridge between healthcare and academia. Meanwhile, the GoCo Health Innovation City cluster in Mölndal continues to expand rapidly.
The cluster includes organisations such as CCRM Nordic, a non-profit organisation supporting researchers and companies in the development and commercialisation of advanced therapies, including cell and gene therapies.
“This is an excellent example of collaboration within our ecosystem, and there are many more. Another initiative worth highlighting is the Precision Health Platform, a new innovation hub focused on precision health. Sahlgrenska University Hospital, the University of Gothenburg and Chalmers University of Technology are bringing together research environments, infrastructure, clinical activities and testbeds to accelerate progress in this field,” says Levan.
She concludes by highlighting one of Gothenburg’s greatest advantages: the proximity between organisations and the openness of the ecosystem.
“Even organisations that are not represented on the council can contribute. Our ambition is to invite a broader network meeting to understand who wants to engage and help shape the future of life sciences in West Sweden.”