Tying new knots between Medicon Valley innovation districts
The life science sector is strong across southern Sweden and eastern Denmark. That became abundantly clear at the 2017 Nordic Life Science Days conference in Malmö in September. Here a Copenhagen Science City team met with colleagues from several Southern Sweden science parks and innovation districts. They came to share information, inspiration and opportunities for cooperation.
A case for permanently placing the conference in Medicon Valley
Since 2013 Stockholm has hosted the annual Nordic event, but with record attendance in Malmö this year the case is strong for bringing Nordic Life Science Days back to the Greater Copenhagen region. More than 1,300 delegates from 40 countries representing more than 800 companies or organisations visited this year’s conference in southern Sweden.
Powerful life science region
This is a strong indication of the power of the so-called Medicon Valley. This region comprising the Swedish county of Skåne, Region Zealand and the Capital Region of Denmark is home to 12 universities, 11 university hospitals and, in Copenhagen alone, four innovation districts and more than 350 medtech and biotech companies.
Meetings with Nordic stakeholders
The Copenhagen Science City representatives Kristoffer Klebak and Frederik Nygaard met with stakeholders from the major European research infrastructures ESS and MAX IV, with the science parks Medeon and Medicon Village, the innovations districts Stockholm Science City and Flemmingsberg Science and several other life science related companies and organisations.
Access to a life science ecosystem
Discussions across Öresund were fruitful. Everyone agreed that strengthening and attracting talent and companies to the region becomes easier when you can show how the various innovations district are complimentary. The business case for co-location becomes even stronger, when you can show prospective collaborators how settling in one of the Medicon Valley innovation districts lets your company tap into the entire ecosystem throughout the area.
Cooperating to attract companies
At the conference, the Copenhagen Science City team collaborated with Copenhagen Capacity, who had come to meet life science companies. Several companies and organisation wanted to learn how to interact with the innovation district and to learn from Copenhagen Science City‘s efforts to improve the innovation ecosystem.
Do you need to attract life science students, collaborators or companies?
Become a Copenhagen Science City ambassador. Order the Copenhagen Science City life science promotion flyer by writing to Jes Andersen.