Medicon Village

Executive summary

What we do

At Medicon Village, it’s all about the future. About the products which don’t exist today. About methodologies and services still under development. About insights and opportunities. That’s what makes life science vibrant, and what drives the 2,800 people in 180 companies and organisations at Medicon Village, being devoted at creating life science growth and progress.

Why we do it

Medicon Village is fully owned by non-profit “Mats Paulsson’s Foundation for Research, Innovation and Societal Development”, formed to contribute to new projects focusing on important research and innovation that benefit people’s opportunities for a better life. This sustainable ownership model is circular in that it states that return on capital together with surpluses from the activities within Medicon Village shall go back to research as donations.

How we do it

Medicon Village is a Triple Helix catalyst for research and development. We are constantly refining our ecosystem to have more researchers, entrepreneurs and facilitators meet and interact to turn ideas and concepts into new companies, products and services. Being part of Lund, city of innovation, and Medicon Valley, one of the strongest life science clusters in Europe.

We continue to expand our facilities by adding more space to let for offices and laboratories, but also for accommodation, open spaces, roads and more in an everlasting expansion of the area.

In doing this, we act with a sustainable focus. That goes for both our unique energy solution built on the first ectogrid™ in the world built by E.ON at Medicon Village, effectively utilizing the excess energy arising at the site, leading to a steady decrease in energy consumption. This 5th generation district heat and cold (5GDHC) grid is based on the exchange of thermal energy between buildings with different needs, reducing the carbon footprint by 60 % compared to traditional district heating solutions. But we also have an ambition to act in sustainable ways in all other aspects of what we do. This is expected to render us a verification of our sustainability reporting in 2023.

Who we are

Our insider knowledge and industry experience make us suitable for facilitating growth of our science park on behalf of the needs of our members and the life science sector in general, driving initiatives, acting catalyst of projects and representing the industry in regional, national and international forums. In addition, our high ambition make us worth talking to regarding thriving research and business.

History

In March 2010, the global biopharmaceutical company AstraZeneca announced that it was closing it’s research facilities in Lund and moving them to Gothenburg (Mölndal). In addition to the job loss, 80,000 m² of high-class real estate suddenly became vacant.

Led by former politician Allan Larsson, representatives from Forsknings- och innovationsrådet i Skåne (FIRS) made a plan to turn the former research centre in Lund into a model for a broad regional cooperative life science project. Entrepreneur Mats Paulsson lent his support to the idea and set up a non-profit foundation to become the owner of what today is Medicon Village.

Milestones, so far:

  • In 2011, “Mats Paulsson’s Foundation for Research, Innovation and Societal Development” is formed.
  • In January 2012, AstraZeneca hands over the keys to Medicon Village to “Mats Paulsson’s Foundation for Research, Innovation and Societal Development”. The doors are opened for world class offices, laboratories and meeting places. By the end of 2012, about 70 organisations deploying 570 staff had moved in.
  • In March 2012, SmiLe Incubator moved to Medicon Village, to make use of and support equipment, lab space and former senior Astra Zeneca specialists eager to start their own CRO’s.
  • In 2013, Lund University moves 200 cancer researchers to Medicon Village.
  • By the end of 2013, more people are working in Medicon Village than when AstraZeneca vacated the premises.
  • In January 2017, Medicon Village celebrates its 5-year anniversary with more than 120 member organisations on site deploying more than 1,600 employees.
  • At the end of 2019, the inauguration of Medicon Village’s new main building The Spark was celebrated by more than 2,000 members working in the village.
  • In the fall of 2020, the Peritus Clinic was opened, offering cutting edge cancer care.
  • In January 2022, the construction started of a new building containing 12,500 sqm of space including laboratories.
  • In April 2022, the newly restored Inspira building was inaugurated with a new restaurant and café operator. In September, more conference facilities, office space and a gym ran by Nordic Wellness opened was added to the Inpira offer.
  • In September 2022, municipal LKP inaugurated a brand new parking garage, containing 600 parking lots, of which 20 where disabled parking spaces and 60 offered charging points.

Future

The future of Medicon Village is bright, with a waiting list for new tenants and a new laboratory building under construction. This, together with efforts to improve support in talent attraction, financing and internationalization together with sustainable facility management, are signs of Medicon Village growing in importance further on.