New report highlights Skåne as a leading region for life science R&D and patent activity

Medicon Village has just released the Life Science Barometer 2025 – Skåne Edition, which spotlights Skåne’s continued rise as one of Sweden’s most dynamic regions for life science innovation, entrepreneurship, and international patent activity. The report was launched on 15 May at the Future of Swedish and Danish Life Science conference, where Sarah Lidé, Deputy CEO of Medicon Village Innovation, presented key findings.

The report presents a comprehensive overview of the region’s life science sector, combining hard metrics with CEO sentiment and insights from industry leaders. This year’s Skåne Edition was produced by Medicon Village in collaboration with Potter Clarkson, and is based on data from Vinnova, Insight Machine, and survey results from the national Life Science Barometer 2025 report published by SwedenBIO in December 2024.

“The current economic climate is undeniably tough, especially for early-stage companies navigating funding pressures and long development cycles,” said Sarah Lidé. “Yet what we see in Skåne is a sector that remains remarkably resilient, fuelled by scientific excellence and a strong entrepreneurship spirit. To ensure that these innovations translate into real-world impact, we need targeted, strategic support that helps life science companies bridge the gap from idea to market.”

Key findings from the report:

• 680+ life science companies and 7,400 professionals are active in Skåne, representing 18% of Sweden’s life science companies and 14% of its workforce. Skåne’s life science industry is primarily concentrated in Lund and Malmö, which together account for 70% of the region’s life science workforce and 63% of its companies.
• The region is dominated by medtech (58%), followed by pharma (39%) and biotech (24%), with significant cross-sector overlap. Micro-sized companies account for 84% of the sector.
• Skåne’s life science sector maintains a strong focus on research and development, with 36% of companies engaged in R&D — higher than the 27% average in the rest of Sweden. In Lund, this rises significantly, with one in two companies active in R&D.
• Skåne is the fastest-growing region in Sweden for life science patenting activity, with a 5.1% compound annual growth rate (CAGR) in EPO life science applications during 2015–2024 — surpassing both Stockholm and the national average.
• Companies are increasingly reliant on investor capital and focused on early-stage innovation, with R&D-intensive firms allocating roughly a third of their resources to securing funding.

Despite economic uncertainty, the sector’s outlook remains cautiously optimistic. Nearly 60% of Skåne-based survey respondents plan to expand their internal workforce in 2025, while continuing to prioritise innovation and business expansion — with a particular emphasis on capital acquisition in the short term.

The report also features interviews with sector leaders, including Laura Chirica (CEO of Cellevate), Markus Neuding (owner of Sedermera Corporate Finance and coordinator for the Medicon Village Investor Panel initiative), and Tom Harding (patent attorney at Potter Clarkson), offering insight into the challenges and opportunities shaping the future of life sciences in the region.

Download the full report at: https://www.mediconvillage.se/downloadable-resources/