Medicon Village

Mats Paulsson Foundations donate SEK 20 million to medical research in Skåne

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The Mats Paulsson Foundation have awarded SEK 20 million to eight medical research projects at Lund University and Malmö University. The recipients were announced on 12 November during the annual donation ceremony at Medicon Village, where 150 guests gathered to celebrate scientific excellence and research that can improve human health.

The Medicon Village auditorium was filled as representatives from academia, healthcare and industry came together to celebrate this year’s recipients. The annual ceremony reflects the very essence of Medicon Village’s mission: to create an environment where medical research can develop into tomorrow’s innovations, while reinvesting surplus from the science park into new research through its owner foundation.

Eight projects addressing major healthcare challenges

This year’s donations support eight research projects, several with strong connections to Skåne University Hospital. The projects address a range of medical challenges, including new cancer treatments, advanced cell and gene therapies, and innovative diagnostic technologies. Examples include improved CAR-T cell therapies, new approaches to treating brain tumours, the development of universal blood, and AI-based technologies for monitoring muscle activity. Together, these initiatives highlight the strength of medical research in Skåne and its potential to translate scientific discoveries into solutions that benefit patients and society.

Göran Grosskopf Award recognises pioneering research

For the second year, the Mats Paulsson Foundations presented the Göran Grosskopf Award for Scientific Excellence, established in honour of the Foundations’ former Chairman and his longstanding commitment to research and the development of Medicon Village.

This year’s award went to Henrik Ahlenius, Senior Lecturer at Lund University, for his pioneering work developing human tissue models using stem cell technology. The research could improve drug development, advance our understanding of diseases and reduce the need for animal testing.

Inspiring perspectives on the future of cancer research

The ceremony also featured presentations by Lao Saal, Sophia Zackrisson and Carl Borrebaeck, who shared insights into scientific advances and emerging opportunities in cancer research, diagnostics and treatment.

Their contributions highlighted how medical discoveries can pave the way for new technologies and therapies, offering hope for patients facing some of today’s most challenging diseases.

A unique model for reinvesting in research

Since their inception, the Mats Paulsson Foundations have donated a total of SEK 280 million to academic research, supporting scientific advances and innovations that improve human health and quality of life.

An important part of this commitment is Medicon Village, Scandinavia’s largest science park dedicated to life science, owned by the non-profit Mats Paulsson Foundation for Research, Innovation and Societal Development.

Through its unique ownership model, Medicon Village provides an environment where research, innovation and business development can thrive, while also contributing directly to financing new research. Surplus from the science park’s property operations, together with returns on the Foundation’s capital, is reinvested in academic research through annual donations.

“Medicon Village has a long-term mission to strengthen the environment for research, innovation and entrepreneurship. Our commitment is about creating the best possible conditions for researchers and companies to grow and collaborate, enabling more ideas to translate into better health. The fact that our activities also help finance new research gives this mission an added dimension,” says Anders Sundström, Chair of the Mats Paulsson Foundations.

Research and innovation for better health and lives

The annual donation ceremony celebrates not only outstanding researchers, but also the broader Medicon Village community and its shared commitment to advancing life science. We extend our warm congratulations to all eight recipients and our sincere thanks to the Mats Paulsson Foundations for their continued commitment to medical research in Skåne. We also thank all the companies, researchers and organisations that have chosen to establish themselves at Medicon Village. Together, we are creating the conditions for research and innovation that make a real difference to people’s health and lives.

The 2026 donation recipients

  • Henrik Ahlenius, Senior Lecturer, Faculty of Medicine, Lund University – Recipient of the Göran Grosskopf Award for Scientific Excellence
  • Martin L. Olsson, Professor and Senior Consultant, Faculty of Medicine, Lund University
  • Mattias Belting, Professor and Senior Consultant, Faculty of Medicine, Lund University
  • Rita Del Giudice, Associate Professor and Senior Lecturer, Malmö University
  • Thierry Baasch, Senior Lecturer, Faculty of Engineering (LTH), Lund University
  • Roger Olsson, Professor, Faculty of Medicine, Lund University
  • Stefan Scheding, Professor and Senior Consultant, Faculty of Medicine, Lund University
  • Christian Antfolk, Professor, Faculty of Engineering (LTH), Lund University

The Donation Booklet 2026

For more information on the the donation recipients and Mats Paulsson Foundations, please feel free to download the Donation Booklet 2026 as a PDF (in Swedish), or visit the Mats Paulsson Foundations website.

 

Photo: Kristian Waldeck, WalmedPhoto.