The Regional Development Committee in Region Skåne visits Medicon Village
On March 8th, the members of the Regional Development Committee in Region Skåne visited Medicon Village. The visit was part of the committee’s ambition to visit stakeholders that are key for the growth of the region. For Medicon Village, this was an excellent opportunity to share the Science Park’s journey over the past decade – from empty premises to an expansive hub for research and innovation in life science.
The responsibilities of the Regional Development Committee revolve around promoting sustainable economic growth, business development, and increased employment in Skåne. Areas of specialisation such as tech, food innovation, and – not surprisingly – life science, are considered some of the most important areas for growth in Skåne.
Life science has been a regional stronghold for many decades. However, at the beginning of the new millennium, the sector faced a period of significant cutbacks and closures. By 2015, the trend had reversed, and since then, more than 100 new companies have been established, and the number of employees has grown steadily for several years, significantly increasing the sector’s importance for Skåne’s development.
The underlying factors behind this positive development include strong research at Skåne’s universities, investments in research infrastructures, and a well-functioning support system with science parks and incubators providing companies with support and a growth environment of the highest quality. In fact, as reported by the Öresund Institute, almost 50 percent of all life science companies in Skåne today operate in a science park environment.
During the meeting with the politicians, Petter Hartman, CEO of Medicon Village Innovation, provided an update on the Skåne Life Science cluster and its challenges. A tough financing climate and a shortage of expertise were highlighted as areas where the sector is struggling today. But there was also room to highlight some good news, such as the launch of the new scale-up program “10xHealth” (a collaboration between Medicon Village and SmiLe Incubator), as well as the latest addition to the science park’s property portfolio – a 12,000 square meter laboratory building representing an investment of about half a billion SEK, which will open up for its tenants in the second half of 2024.
Before concluding the meeting, it was emphasised that collaboration between public, private, and academic actors is necessary to ensure a strong life science climate going forward. This includes a joint effort to:
- Strengthen the conditions for clinical research
- Invest in preventive and health-promoting measures
- Invest in the supply of expertise in the future
- Facilitate internationalisation and commercialisation
At Medicon Village, we look forward to continuing to develop Skåne’s life science sector, in close collaboration with our politicians in Skåne.
Pictured (left to right): Petter Hartman, CEO, Medicon Village Innovation, Anna Jähnke (M), regionråd and chair of the Regional Development Committee, Region Skåne, and Erik Jagesten, CEO, Medicon Village Fastighets.