Why Gothenburg is the Go-To for Global Biotech Innovation
In Gothenburg, sometimes nicknamed Little London, due in part to its glorious pubs,there’s a lot going on in life sciences. There are over 600 companies, and 10,000 employees, in a place the locals like to call, ‘the Nordic capital of getting things done.’ And there’s a lot of people doing just that, every day, with over 60,000 people in West Sweden professionally engaged in promoting health and well-being.
Sweden is an important location for the global life sciences sector, and is the Nordics largest healthcare market, with a population of 10.5 million. Gothenburg, on Sweden’s stunning west coast, with its magical archipelago islands, Dutch-style canals and leafy boulevards, is a buzzing biotech hub, home to one of AstraZeneca’s strategic R&D centers, with around 3,000 employees. It also houses the world-class Sahlgrenska University Hospital which, last year alone, did 14.4 million lab tests, 66,000 operations, and over 350 organ transplantations.
Next to the hospital, on the ‘medicine mountain’ (Medicinareberget), is another essential component of the life sciences ecosystem in Gothenburg; the Sahlgrenska Science Park, which is dedicated to accelerating health innovation and supports many biotech & medtech companies. The ‘getting things done’ hub is a real hive of activity, as there’s also CCRM Nordic who are working hard to construct a huge new building to put Sweden firmly on the map for advanced therapy innovation, and accelerating the transition of cell & gene therapies from lab to patient. Topping it all are impressive financial stats: the top ten life science companies in the Gothenburg region each have a turnover of at least EUR 86 million (SEK 1 billion).
Home to medical breakthroughs
With its heritage of pharma & hospital excellence it should come as no surprise that Sweden’s second city is renowned for medical breakthroughs. Gothenburg is a leading center for clinical research: the city can claim a Nobel Prize for Medicine, awarded to Professor Arvid Carlsson, for discoveries concerning neurotransmitters in the nervous system and its effect on Parkinson’s disease, which is the second most common primary neurodegenerative disease after Alzheimer’s disease, and for which there’s sadly no treatment. At IRLAB, spun out from Professor Carlsson’s research group, they are developing a disruptive technology platform called ISP to discover new drug candidates for use as therapeutics in central nervous system disorders.
In a city which delivered the first successful pregnancy from a transplanted uterus, Vitrolife, working in fertility treatments, is now a global company with its HQ in Gothenburg, and a shining example of Swedish success.The Gothia Forum is on a mission to develop clinical research in the region of Västra Götaland. The city’s two big universities, Gothenburg University and Chalmers University, have leading Nordic venture funds, GU Ventures and Chalmers Ventures respectively, that have supported a wealth of biotech and deeptech start-ups. Collectively, the cluster is integrating advanced technology to create a more efficient and personalized healthcare system.
This makes Gothenburg an outstanding choice for hosting this year’s Nordic Life Sciences Days (register here), the largest Nordic partnering event for the life science industry. The event, held over 12 to 14 October, provides a carefully curated two-day conference program that covers emerging developments in the sector using a variety of engaging session formats, including the highly popular Supersessions on hot topics.
