Strategic Innovation Area: SWElife
The first national structure for innovation support within life science in Sweden
In late May 2014, the innovation agency Vinnova decided to invest 100 million SEK in the development of the program SIO Chronic Diseases, wich has the overall aim to create better health and increased growth in Sweden. SIO Chronic Diseases includes a large number of actors from industry, health care, academia and innovation systems. SRP Diabetes has been actively involved in the development of the program which is one of five areas, and the only one in life science, that have been selected as a strategic innovation area with a national responsibility, “SIO.”
Background
If Sweden is to remain competitive on the global life science stage, the opportunities for turning research results into innovations providing growth and benefit for patients need to be improved. Swelife has taken a national responsibility for coordinating, managing, and developing sustainable innovation structures in order to enable Sweden to reach its full potential in the life science area.
The programme initially focussed on the diabetes area, in which generic innovation processes that can be applied to other therapy areas will be developed.
Back in 2012, SRP Diabetes together with Lund University, Uppsala University, Karolinska Trial Alliance, Karolinska Innovations AB, Region Skåne and AstraZeneca developed an action plan with concrete initiatives that can facilitate and accelerate the development of new ways to prevent, diagnose, monitor, manage and treat diabetic patients. The focus subsequently matured into an initiative that is appropriate for a SIO – SIO Chronic Diseases – focusing on chronic diseases, using diabetes as a pilot case. This was accomplished by merging with a similar strategic initiative aiming to develop a world-class ecosystem for life science in Sweden (SILS), coordinated by the County Administrative Board of Stockholm, called SWElife.
SWElife is chaired by Karolinska Institutet while the program office is located at Lund University which also has the coordinator role.
SWElife Activities
Strategic projects to support life science innovations
Funding innovation projects
Supporting meetings in innovation
SWElife Contact and information
Peter Nordström, coordinator
Read more about the development of SIO Chronic Diseases/SWElife
Announcement from Vinnova: http://www.vinnova.se/sv/Aktuellt--publicerat/Pressmeddelanden/2014/140519-Fem-nya-strategiska-innovationsprogram-/
News at Lund University: http://www.ludc.med.lu.se/news-archive/100-millions-to-strengthen-the-swedish-life-science-sector/