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’.
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.
The Board of Directors of Umeå Biotech Incubator (UBI) has announced that CEO Jennie Ekbeck is leaving her post after eleven years.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Den 3 maj arrangerade Umeå Biotech Incubator en arbetsmarknadsdag, där 18 företag deltog.
Över 250 besökare kom och stämningen var god.
– Vi är väldigt nöjda med life science-mässan. Det var väldigt roligt att se så många utställare och besökare som alla var intresserade av life science. Viktigt för branschen – och viktigt för Umeå! säger Malin Walfridsson på Nordic Biomarker.
Umeå Biotech Incubator (UBI) is arranging a recruitment day with life science companies this May – and already 19 companies have signed up to take part.
“We want students to get in touch with us. Recruitment opportunities are everything for life science companies”, says Jennie Ekbeck, CEO of Umeå Biotech Incubator.
The life science industry in the Umeå region is on track to triple its turnover and double the number of people it employs by 2030. To help it reach this target, the Swedish Agency for Economic and Regional Growth has awarded Umeå Biotech Incubator (UBI) a grant of SEK 9.5 million.
For the next 18 months, UBI will develop meeting places and create the conditions for the continued growth of the life science industry in northern Sweden.
“We are delighted that our application has been approved! This gives us the opportunity to continue to develop the industry and contribute to the appeal of northern Sweden”, says Jennie Ekbeck, CEO of UBI.
Companies and alumni from Umeå Biotech Incubator (UBI) raised SEK 301 million in capital investment and grants in 2021 – a huge increase of SEK 243 million compared to the previous year.
“It’s an absolutely fantastic amount. We work hard to help companies attract investment, so it is clear that our incubator process is working. Of the companies that raised money, 50 percent have a female CEO, which is extra gratifying”, says Jennie Ekbeck, CEO of UBI.
Umeå Biotech Incubator (UBI) has strengthened its team with the appointment of two new business coaches – Lisandro Bernardo and Tobias Tovedal.
“There’s significant demand right now for business support, both in the early and late phases of development. We are extremely happy to welcome these two stars to our team”, says Jennie Ekbeck, CEO of Umeå Biotech Incubator.
The northern Sweden’s first networking pub for people working in the life science industry will open its doors in Umeå on November 23rd. Behind the initiative is Umeå Biotech Incubator, which has previously been named Europe’s most innovative life science incubator.
“In Umeå we think it is important to ‘pay it forward’. We want to help and support one another and create a strong sense of unity and community. In order to succeed, we need to get to know each other”, says Jennie Ekbeck, CEO of Umeå Biotech Incubator.
The CEO of Umeå Biotech Incubator (UBI), Jennie Ekbeck, has been named as one of five finalists in the small company category of Sweden’s CEO of the Year 2021.
“I was surprised and very happy to find out I had made it to the final. I feel really honoured”, says Jennie Ekbeck.
The award ceremony will be held at Fotografiska in Stockholm on 11th November.
We are now looking for two new business coaches for our team.
The life science industry in Umeå is booming. Employment has risen by more than 17 per cent per year and life science companies have attracted SEK 230 million in equity investment over the past two and a half years.
“Two years ago we set a goal that the life science industry in Umeå would generate more than SEK 1 billion and add more than 500 jobs by 2030. At today’s rate we will far exceed this goal”, says Jennie Ekbeck, CEO of Umeå Biotech Incubator (UBI).
Helén Fält har jobbat som affärscoach på Umeå Biotech Incubator i åtta år. I den rollen är hon ett viktigt bollplank till tidiga startups inom life science.
– Det är ett väldigt varierande, roligt och flexibelt jobb. Det är kul att få hänga med bolagen på deras tidiga resa och att göra det tillsammans med hela teamet på UBI, säger Helén Fält.
Global Health and Pharma Magazine has named Umeå Biotech Incubator (UBI) as Europe’s most innovative biotechnology incubator in recognition of the positive changes it is making to the biotech industry.
“We are delighted to have been given this award, and that word of our innovative way of working has spread from Umeå to the whole of Europe. It’s really cool”, says Jennie Ekbeck, CEO of Umeå Biotech Incubator.
Three high school girls from Umeå have started a UF (Young Enterprise) company that hopes to encourage more girls to study technology and qualify to work in the tech industry.
The three students have already attracted the attention of a number of large technology companies in Umeå who share their ambition.
“We are delighted that several major technology companies believe in us. It shows they are willing to make an effort to create a gender-equal technology industry”, says Aja Tomic, one of the three UF company founders.
