STRONGER TOGETHER – harnessing the power of collaboration across borders
Den nordiska välfärdsmodellen är satt under press och life science-sektorn som helhet står inför stora omvälvningar, inte minst genom intåget av nya teknologier och kravet på ökad digitalisering. I både Sverige och Danmark kraftsamlar regeringarna för att positionera sig som ledande life science-nationer. Var för sig har länderna begränsade möjligheter att konkurrera globalt, men genom ett utökat skandinaviskt samarbete står vi starkare i kampen om investeringar, företagsetableringar och internationella talanger. Det Öresundsregionala samarbetet inom ramen för Medicon Valley är ett exempel på att en sådan utveckling är möjlig. Klusterorganisationen Medicon Valley Alliance (MVA) kan nu presentera ett antal nyckelfaktorer för framgångsrika forskningssamarbeten som stärker konkurrenskraften i svensk och dansk life science.
The life science industry is undergoing a period of transition worldwide. Pricing pressures by healthcare systems who are under cost pressures themselves due to ageing populations and the rise of chronic diseases, technological changes towards biopharmaceuticals and personalised therapies, sector disruption driven by digitalisation with technologies such as artificial intelligence and big data that gives patients greater knowledge about and influence over their treatments, are just some of the trends affecting the life science sector globally. Furthermore, across all industries, competition in terms of talent, investment, trade and technological development is intensifying. Against this backdrop, countries are not standing still – nations such as the UK have been explicit with their ambition to strengthen the development and growth of national life science industries.
In Sweden, life science is no less strategic to us as a nation, as evidenced by the strong political will to keep Sweden on the competitive forefront as a leading life science nation, that should also strengthen the development of the healthcare system in Sweden and generate economic development opportunities. As part of this strengthened focus on life science, the national life science office is in the process of developing a national life science strategy, which prioritises the following areas:1
1. Partnerships, coordination and having a long-term perspective
This reflects the Swedish model where responsible parties cooperate and contribute towards common goals.
2. Better utilisation of health and clinical data for research and innovation
Given the large amounts of health and clinical data generated, it holds the potential to contribute significantly to the development of future healthcare and prevention efforts, if used properly and with respect for the individual’s privacy.
3. Policy development and ethics Moving to more personalised care requires that law and regulation keeps pace from an ethics and privacy perspective, while providing the right conditions for development.
4. Integration of research and innovation in healthcare Research and innovation should be embedded and be a natural part of the delivery of health and social care.
