Umeå Biotech Incubator has been granted SEK 14 millions for the ERDF project “Life science city”, which will further develop the life science industry in the region 2024-2026.
”It feels gratifying that we get to build on our long-term goal”, says UBI’s Operations coordinator, Peter Jacobsson.
He has been a vital part of Umeå Biotech Incubator (UBI) since its inception in 2003. But now, after 42 years of service in the biotech industry, it is time for respected research engineer Assar Bäckman to retire.
“My work has been hugely varied, and over the years I have learned a great deal. I usually have an emergency solution to most things if needed”, says Assar.
Jennie Ekbeck completed her final day as CEO of Umeå Biotech Incubator (UBI) last week. Experienced business coach Peter Jacobsson will now lead the business until a permanent replacement is appointed.
The Umeå Biotech Incubator-backed ‘Shades of Green’ project, developed by Boreal Orchards, has created a moss that can be used on buildings, infrastructure and for the regeneration of nature. Now founder Daniel Pacurar is collaborating on a new development project with RISE Processum AB and Ecohelix to maximize moss establishment with the help of by-products from the paper pulp industry.
Jennie Ekbeck, CEO of Umeå Biotech Incubator, has been awarded an honorary doctorate for 2023 at the Faculty of Science and Technology at Umeå University.
“I want research to benefit people, that is my driving force,” she says.
Umeå Biotech Incubator (UBI) has won the Regio Stars Västerbotten 2023 award for its ‘Life Science Motorn 2.0’ regional fund project in the category “A region with localized sustainable business development”.
“It feels amazing that our project is being recognized and praised”, says UBI’s outgoing CEO, Jennie Ekbeck, who was the project manager behind the ‘Life Science Motorn 2.0’.
Life science consulting company Orderly People has announced it will base one of its consultants in Umeå after the summer.
“There is a vibrant life science industry in Umeå which we want to be a part of”, says Orderly People’s founder and co-owner, Maria Jansson.
Umeå based HiloProbe AB has entered a partnership with the major international company Biocartis Group NV. This is a strategically important step for HiloProbe in their aim to reach out globally with its colorectal cancer test-product, ColoNode®.
“We are very happy to start a collaboration and a long-term relationship with Biocartis, which strengthens our focus on colorectal cancer thanks to Biocartis’ established sales and distribution network across many countries”, Lina Olsson, CEO of HiloProbe, says.
Umeå-based biopharmaceutical company Omnio AB, which is currently awaiting efficacy data from preclinical wound studies using recombinant plasminogen, has recently appointed an internationally experienced board of directors charged with taking the company forward.
“Our new board’s network and experience will allow us to build strategic partnerships with pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, accelerate our clinical development program and ultimately bring our wound-healing candidate to market”, says Ulrika Norin, CEO of Omnio.
Umeå Biotech Incubator (UBI) is ending its development project program period with the “Life science super week” between May 8th-10th 2023 – an action-packed three-day event filled with seminars, an investment day, a life science pub plus a brand new services business fair.
“Life science in Umeå is buzzing right now, so pulling together several events at the same time gives us great synergistic effects”, says Jennie Ekbeck, UBI’s CEO.
G4 Cancer Cure, a biotech research initiative located in Umeå in northern Sweden, has attracted considerable interest from doctors and the pharmaceutical industry for a new treatment method it is developing for triple-negative breast cancer.
Breast cancer is the most common cancer to affect women around the world, with approximately 15 percent of all cases diagnosed as triple-negative breast cancer. G4 Cancer Cure’s progress towards a treatment method is therefore being followed very closely, according to Project Manager Stefanie Sandberg.
“Our needs analysis shows there is huge interest in a new treatment method from doctors as well as pharmaceutical companies, experts and investors”, she says.
The Board of Directors of Umeå Biotech Incubator (UBI) has announced that CEO Jennie Ekbeck is leaving her post after eleven years.
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.