The first ever edition of Meet Umeå Life Sceince gathered over 70 branch experts, entrepreneurs and researchers in Stockholm. This after-work networking mingle allowed startups to connect with experienced professionals with industrial expertise and business know-how. The aim was to match our promising ideas with the skills necessary to grow successfully.
As we enter 2018, we look back at a hectic, inspiring and successful year for the incubator-related community of life science companies in Umeå. We are experiencing a surge in incoming ideas, elevated interest from the industry and a stronger demand for the incubator facilities and labs.
The Umeå-derived invention has taken nine years to go from idea to approved product for sale. Pernilla Abrahamsson, the creator of OnZurf Probe, has successfully ushered her innovation all the way from that moment of serendipity to CE-approval – the final milestone before launch.
A new national call named “Projekt för Bättre Hälsa” opens today and is a joint innovation drive from the strategic national research programmes SweLife and MedTech4Health. Collaboration is mandatory – but each applicant can land up to one million SEK in funding if successful. SweLife offers hands-on support to make that happen for your team.
The Umeå-based life science incubator commonly known as UBI is growing in both projects, plans and people. The team is now searching for a service-minded laboratory technician that can help to develop the thriving life science community growing in and around the incubator at Tvistevägen 48.
Jennie Ekbeck has been the leading figure for life science in Umeå and northern Sweden since she took on the CEO-role for Umeå Biotech Incubator in 2013. She was named “Innovation Angel” by Veckans affärer and Vinnova in december 2015 and last year Umeå kommun handed her the Equal Opportunies prize. Now, her leadership is gaining attention as she is one of four nominees for the title “CEO of the year” in the Umeå region.
The UBI alumni Lipigon Pharmaceuticals announced yesterday that the startup has entered into a target validation research agreement with Munich-based antisense therapeutics company Secarna Pharmaceuticals. The goal is to co-develop a best-in-class drug for treatment of severe forms of dyslipidemia and related lipid disorder driven diseases.
Inficure Bio has signed an investment deal acquiring external venture capital for the first time. The new partners contribute with broad competence and funding – and within one year the goal is to become an established player on the international market for development of anti-inflammatory and antifibrotic drugs.
Eighteen meetings in two days. The team from Umeå reported a record interest in our portfolio of startups at the Nordic Life Science Days in Malmö 12-14th of September. Record participation, new location, world renowned key notes, displays, discussions and panels added to the success of the largest life science event of the year in Scandinavia.
17 out of 18 participating innovators recommend other researchers to work with Umeå Biotech Incubator. A recent interview study shows the cases appreciate being questioned, challenged and coached into really testing their ideas before proceeding.
The Umeå-based startup Biosolens has officially been assigned a national mission to introduce the digital tool Patient Voice™ in Sweden. The app allows people with chronic gastointestinal problems to report wellbeeing and health status continuously, and healthcare professionals can then personlize their treatment regimens faster.
1st of April 2019 the European Medicines Agency (EMA)will open in a new location outside the UK following Brexit. As of the 1st of August 2017, nineteen different cities in Europe are in the run to host the EMA. The Stockholm-Uppsala region is one of them, and the innovative climate and entrepreneurial vibe is considered a major strength in Sweden’s offer #ematosweden.
Another large EU-grant of no less than 6 million Euro has been awarded to an international team of scientists – among them a biotech startup in Umeå. The UBI-alumni AcureOmics have taken on the task of finding a cure for Batten disease together with the research consortium BATCure.
A few weeks ago, Sofia Mayans, CEO of the startup InfiCure Bio, got an offer she could not turn down. Her successful participation in the “Entreprenour of the Future” last year had attracted some international attention – and suddenly she was the only woman out of eight CEO’s closing the bell at Nasdaq in New York City.
MedTech Week in Umeå gathered around 50 specialists, startups, politicians, researchers and health care management staff. The main topic was centered around digital transformation in health care. UBI joined the session together with Biotech Umeå, Uminova innovation and European Enterprise Network.
Virtual reality that helps stroke patients with neglect is the business idea that gives Helena Fordell, founder of Brain Stimulation AB, the SKAPA-prize in Västerbotten. She is now ready for the national SKAPA-gala 9th of November 2017.
Protactio AB was registered as a company on the 24th of April 2017. Four days later, the IP property for their first product was transferred to their partner in southern Sweden – in a week their novel enzyme was available on the market.
Peter Jacobsson took on his new role as business coach at Umeå Biotech Incubator at the beginning of May 2017. That makes him the fourth coach at the specialized life science incubator in Umeå. Bringing onboard comopetence from both pharmaceutical production, project management and quality control he strengthens the coaching services provided to early cases and startups.
SpinChem AB – the successful Umeå University spinoff company – announced last week that they have launched a collaboration with Purolite Life Sciences. Together they have released a range of novel products for biocatalysis in a totally new bioreaction concept that consist of cartridges into the innovative SpinChem® rotating bed reactor (RBR) systems. This new Product segment is being launched at the BNCM conference in Rostock, Germany on May 9th 2017.
On the 22nd of April over 600 cities worldwide gathered hundreds of thousands people in the March for Science. UBI have co-authored an opinion piece in the national media SVT Opinion where our CEO and 66 other organisations put forth three goals all actors in society need to safeguard together. Join us in the fight to build a robust, sustainable world based on evidence and facts.