Industry Opinion: Sweden – The Country of Life Science
As a destination, Sweden is a country rich with both Life Science history and opportunities. With its strong innovative power and innovation-driven economy, Sweden is highly suitable for knowledge-intensive industry sectors such as Life Science. Being home to the inventor Alfred Nobel and his Nobel Prizes, as well as Carl von Linné and his innovative cataloguing of the world’s flora, invention is part of our heritage and future. Our Life Science in Sweden’s life science environment has fostered innovations that include the ventilator, L-dopa, the pacemaker, gel filtration chromatography, hemodialysis, Losec®, and Xylocain® as well as companies including Astra, Pharmacia and Kabi. This dynamic environment has attracted international projects like the European Spallation Source and the human proteome, mapped in Stockholm by the Human Proteome Project.
Many leading global Life Science companies are attracted to Sweden for our expertise and knowhow. For AstraZeneca, Sweden is one of three global R&D centres. The levels of research and high-quality projects among a few hundred small but highly innovative companies, has led many international companies establishing commercial partnerships with Swedish companies. Today, more than 30,000 people work in Swedish Life Science, at more than 1000 companies, ranging from AstraZeneca AB, which represents 25% of the total number of employees, to sole entrepreneurs. A strong innovative drive has enabled many companies to spin off from academia, where entrepreneurship is seen as natural; encouraged by the Researcher Exemption. The close cooperation between industry, academia and health care is another key success factor.
The numbers speak for themselves: Swedes are successful! Consider the following facts. The Life Science Industry in Sweden is one of the country’s largest exports. Sweden is ranked number five by Scientific American (Worldview 2012) and the world’s leading country for innovation (Innovation Union Scoreboard report 2012). With more than 300 ongoing clinical trials (356 according to IFPMA), the Swedish pipeline for drug discovery is robust diverse, and at all phases, dominated by infectious diseases, cancer and diseases related to the central nervous system. Without a doubt, we will continue to be one of the world’s leading countries in Life Science. With a population of 9 million, ranked number 85 in most populated countries ̶ itself a true success story of invention. With a population of 0.14% of the world’s population, Sweden accounts for 0.7% of the global pharmaceutical industry.
In October 14, 15, we invite you to the Nordic Life Science Days*, an international invest-, partner- and network meeting, where the best of Life Science will be presented by the top number 2, 4, 5 and 19 countries (2012 Scientific American Worldview overall scores). Together the Nordic region is the 12th biggest world economy. Join us to find out more about the future!www.nlsdays.com
Welcome to the country where the spirit of Nobel is still strong. Life Science in Sweden has a lot to offer.
Välkommen!
About Sweden Bio: SwedenBIO helps innovative companies succeed!
SwedenBIO is the national organization working for the benefit of the entire life science sector in Sweden. SwedenBIO is a member driven, private non-profit organization. The main objective is to improve and maintain industry conditions which will support prosperous growth and business development among our 200 member companies. Our members are active in the fields of pharmaceutical, biotech, med tech and diagnostics. Our mission is to create visibility and interest for the Swedish life science and thereby support a successful life science industry. A successful industry can heal and help those patients still suffering from unmet medical needs. A successful industry creates jobs and welfare and creates opportunities for a healthier and brighter future. We’ve been successfully doing this for 10 years.
