Sjösatt, uppskattad och under ständig utveckling. Kunskapsportalen vässas nu ytterligare med nytt utbildningsmaterial för flera efterfrågade områden.
– Vi ser att det är många olika forskare, entreprenörer och start-up företag som har hittat till plattformen. Vi hoppas att det nya innehållet ökar plattformens attraktionskraft ännu mer, säger Jennie Ekbeck, ordförande för Kunskapsportalens styrgrupp.
Umeå-based pharmaceutical company Vakona has been given a capital injection of just over SEK 14 million from five investors to help it develop a new drug to treat acne.
“This is a significant investment for us, as now we can continue with our product development”, says Gabriella Persson, CEO of Vakona.
During the Covid pandemic, Xerum became nationally known for its self sampling and one of the world’s most sensitive antibody test. Now the Umeå company has been nominated for the prestigious MedTech4Health Innovation Award.
Umeå Biotech Incubator is expanding. Shades of Green and Cropcision are two new cases in the pre-incubator that work with a mix of biotech and architecture and in agtech with the next generation of sustained release systems.
”I applaud UBI to open the doors to entrepreneurs that want to develop ideas within plant biotech, agtech or food tech”, says Daniel Pacurar, who runs the case Shades of Green.
Brian Reznik from Argentina was one of the first participants of a new international incubator course hosted by Umeå Biotech Incubator (UBI) that is aimed at helping life science startups.
“We received a lot of help from UBI – among other things in regards to interviews and validation. They really helped us navigate our way through our challenges”, he says.
Life science companies have been awarded several times at the local business gala, Umeågalan. 2023 is no exception. Three life science companies are nominated as finalists in four different prize categories.
In 2019 the research group behind R&D company Neores won both the Athena prize and the Medtech4Health Innovation Award for their rPAP breathing aid designed for babies born too early. Now Neores has announced it is taking the next step in building its business – where one goal is to reach the US market – by joining Umeå Biotech Incubator (UBI).
“Neores is an academic spinoff, so our ambition was never to make money or expand. But if we are to reach out more widely with our product we need to become more like a normal company”, says Thomas Drevhammar, CEO of the Östersund-based business.
The life science company InfiCure Bio has started the new year in the best way by signing an agreement with a new client in the US.
“It’s all part of a positive trend that started in the autumn of 2022, and which is getting even stronger now that the US market is recovering after the pandemic. This latest agreement is proof of that”, says InfiCure Bio’s CEO, Sofia Mayans.
Umeå Biotech Incubator (UBI) will represent Umeå’s life science industry as part of the annual ‘Västerbotten på Grand Hôtel i Stockholm’ event being held in January.
“We want to contribute to Umeå’s growth as a life science city by connecting the life science industry with local, regional, and national decision-makers”, says UBI’s CEO Jennie Ekbeck.
InnoSer and Inficure Bio are announcing a strategic partnership to offer Inficure Bio’s spontaneous liver inflammation & fibrosis mouse model (NIF mouse) as part of InnoSer’s expanding cardiometabolic services portfolio.
UmanDiagnostics is experiencing growing pains and is expanding its current premises in Umeå.
“We have very efficient premises that we are extremely satisfied with, and this expansion will enable us to increase productivity and deliver more products to the market”, says Niklas Norgren, Vice President and Managing Director at UmanDiagnostics.
The Umeå based life science company InfiCure Bio continues to take large steps in the global market by signing agreements with two major international companies.
“The contracts with our new clients clearly show that pharmaceutical companies continue to invest in the development of new drugs for fibrosis, which is extremely promising for InfiCure Bio”, says InfiCure Bio’s CEO, Sofia Mayans.
Svenska inkubatorer och innovationskontor med life science-inriktning har gjort gemensam sak.
Resultatet: Kunskapsportalen – en gemensam utbildningsplattform som både effektiviserar och förenklar kunskapsinhämtandet för forskare, innovatörer och startups inom området i Sverige.
– Det är resursineffektivt i Sverige att varje inkubator och innovationskontor ska ordna sin egen utbildning. På det här sättet får vi synergier och mer pang för pengarna, säger Jennie Ekbeck, styrelseordförande för life science-inkubatorernas förening ALIS och ordförande i projektets styrgrupp.
The former CEO of chemical industry giant Perstorp Martin Lundin has been appointed Chairman of the Board for Umeå-based Spinchem AB.
“I’m very honoured. Spinchem combines fascinating cutting-edge technology with talented employees, while operating in an exciting market”, says Martin Lundin.
Umeå Biotech Incubator (UBI) specializes in developing life science business ideas. Now it is looking for more success beyond its borders with the launch of an international incubator program.
“If you strive to be one of the world’s best incubators you must have the whole world as your marketplace”, says Jennie Ekbeck, CEO of UBI.
Xerum will, on behalf of the Public Health Agency, measure the presence of antibodies in the population against SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes covid-19 in Sweden.
“We’re delighted that our antibody test is proving useful”, says Julia Wigren Byström, CEO at Xerum.
Mucocort AB is a Swedish company that has developed a unique self-absorbing pain relief patch for people suffering from recurrent mouth ulcers – aphthous stomatitis. The company has now signed a production agreement with medical technology company Aurena Laboratories AB, which also becomes a stakeholder in Mucocort.
The drug could mean a global treatment revolution for wounds that never heal. Now, the Umeå-based biopharmaceutical company Omnio AB has received a capital injection of 1.5 million euros from its shareholders, which will be used for ongoing development work and to begin creating a blueprint for manufacturing.
Tomas Ruuth is the new Head of PR and Communications at Umeå Biotech Incubator.
