What will future solutions for making health data accessible look like?

On 26 January, a well-attended conference was held at Skåne University Hospital (SUS) in Lund to highlight how the establishment of a regional data lake strengthens the conditions for research and development. The conference formed part of the EU-funded project “Datasjö för att stärka Skånes Life Science-industri" (Data Lake to Strengthen Skåne’s Life Science Industry), led by Region Skåne and SmiLe Venture Hub in collaboration with local companies. The conference was moderated by Petter Hartman, CEO of Medicon Village Innovation.

Since 2023, intensive work has been underway in Skåne to establish a regional data lake. A data lake enables data from various health data sources to be brought together on a single platform, where it is refined and can be used for research and analysis in a secure and responsible manner. The initiative is being carried out through close collaboration between Skåne University Hospital (SUS) and SmiLe Venture Hub, with support from the EU and Region Skåne.

On 26 January, the partnership hosted a well-attended final conference in the auditorium at SUS in Lund. Throughout the day, the importance of making health data accessible to strengthen the conditions for research and development was emphasised, particularly for the life science industry. During the morning session, several perspectives were highlighted – ranging from the patient perspective to the needs of academia, industry and healthcare.

Issues relating to privacy and security were addressed by experts at both regional and national levels and were also discussed in light of recent turbulence on the geopolitical stage.

Anna Sandström, Senior Director of Science Policy and Relations for Europe at AstraZeneca, spoke about the importance of health data for industrial development and stressed that we have a moral obligation to use health data to improve healthcare.

Stefan Jovinge, President of Research, Education, Development and Innovation at SUS, also discussed the opportunities ahead and expressed openness to expanding collaboration with Nordic neighbours.

Although the pilot project is now concluding, work on developing the data lake in Region Skåne will continue, enabling complex disease patterns to be studied within the population of Skåne. At Medicon Village, we view this development with optimism and wish the partners every success in their continued efforts.

Pictured:

Stefan Jovinge, President of Research, Education, Development and Innovation at Skåne University Hospital.

Ulika Ringdahl, CEO, SmiLe Venture Hub.

Anna Jähnke, Regional Councillor, Region Skåne.

Anna Mannfalk, Regional Councillor, Region Skåne.

Petter Hartman, CEO, Medicon Village Innovation.