About UBE
The Unit for Bioentrepreneurship, UBE, conducts research on and education in innovation and entrepreneurship. As an academic unit at KI, UBE can be considered as the first proactive link in KI:s innovation system.
Research and Education in Innovation and Entrepreneurship
A two-year global Master's programme is offered at the unit together with programme elective and single subject courses. UBE is the KI node of the Stockholm School of Entrepreneurship (an academic collaboration between KI, the Stockholm School of Economics, the Royal Institute of Technology, the University College of Arts, Crafts and Design, the Royal college of Music and Stockholm University) proving interdisciplinary education.
Research on innovation and entrepreneurship at UBE aims to generate knowledge and to develop the innovation system. Examples of research projects include the KI Intellectual Property database, knowledge transfer projects, studies on the hospital's role in innovation and open innovation between industry and academia.
Vision
The vision is to challenge established ways of thinking and prepare professionals in the health industries to manage the unexpected.
Mission
Unit for Bioentrepreneurship focuses on education, development and research within the fields of innovation and entrepreneurship.
Core goals
- To be the first choice for students with an interest in medical and biomedical science, innovation and entrepreneurship
- To be an influential actor within the health and biomedical innovation system
Core values
- Entrepreneurial
- Interdisciplinary
Strategic Initiatives
The strategic initiatives at UBE have been divided into two areas: education and research. Below you find a summary of the strategy's overall objectives.
Education
"Historically speaking, KI:s educational programmes have mainly been commissioned by public sector employers. In the future a significantly larger share of our students will be working in the private sector, both within health services and in the life science industry. All levels of our programmes must therefore be designed to prepare the students for this change. The innovation perspective and relations with the private sector must form a natural part of KI:s activities. This applies to all research and education activities in the departments, but also to the activities of the management" (Strategy 2018, Roadmap for Karolinska Institutet 2014-2018, page 24).
The main strategic educational initiatives at UBE include:
- to deepen and formalize our extensive collaboration with industry and organizations
- to provide mandatory modules in innovation and entrepreneurship for all undergraduate and doctoral studies
- to make the programme elective courses available for more students
- to develop and execute mandatory modules for teachers and doctoral student supervisors
- to develop and offer joint web-based modules and full-time programmes in collaboration with other universities and institutes
Research
"Healthcare is undergoing rapid change and involves more and more stakeholders. Universities, the county council and municipalities are playing an increasing role in attracting students, researchers and industry to the region with the goal of creating growth and jobs. Life science is still a strong export industry for Sweden. The decline among pharmaceutical companies in the Swedish arena requires new investments" A summary of Strategy 2018, Roadmap for Karolinska Institutet 2014-2018).
"Collaboration with the private sector has a great potential to pool resources within specific areas, gain access to a broad skills set and resource base, and to apply research results more quickly. Correctly managed, this collaboration is very valuable and should be reinforced" (Strategy 2018, Roadmap for Karolinska Institutet 2014-2018, page 25).
The main strategic research initiatives at UBE include
- to systematically interact with relevant actors in society, both nationally and internationally, such as stakeholders in the innovation system and external decision makers (including the political system)
- to publish scientific articles in high impact journals
- to aim for a professorship in innovation and entrepreneurship
- to expand the research on entrepreneurial learning activities at a medical university