Invest in life science

Sweden’s research base is designed for collaboration. National resources such as SciLifeLab, MAX IV, BioBank Sweden, and RISE provide research infrastructure, technologies, and expertise that support early-stage discovery and applied research partnerships. Sweden’s professor’s privilege framework supports commercialisation, while a broad network of incubators, science parks, testbeds, and innovation environments helps companies move ideas from research to industrial and clinical application. This is reinforced by Sweden’s quadruple helix model, where academia, industry, government, and society collaborate to accelerate innovation.

Sweden’s collaboration model connects universities, healthcare, and industry, supporting pathways from research to clinical application. Genomic Medicine Sweden (GMS) is one example of a national effort that connects universities with medical faculties, healthcare, SciLifeLab, patient organisations, and the business sector for collaboration and knowledge exchange. Sweden is also home to internationally recognised healthcare institutions, including Karolinska University Hospital, ranked fourth globally (World's Best Hospitals 2026, Newsweek), providing a strong environment for clinical research, collaboration, and healthcare innovation.

Sweden is positioned as a frontrunner in Advanced Therapy Medicinal Products (ATMP), with an ecosystem that spans process development and clinical GMP capability. Examples include Vecura (Karolinska Hospital’s open innovation facility for ATMP), TestaCenter (a pilot-scale pre-GMP facility), and NorthX Biologics (recognised as a national innovation hub for advanced therapeutics and vaccines in 2021). 

Sweden’s production environment is described as advanced, digitalised, and automated, with conditions that support long-term manufacturing operations. The broader platform includes reliable access to utilities and a system focus on sustainability and productivity. This is relevant for companies planning regulated production and future expansion.

Life science innovation in Sweden is supported by convergence between technology and healthcare, with medtech and healthtech examples embedded in the ecosystem. This creates opportunities for companies to develop devices and solutions in environments where clinical need, digital capability, and industrial know-how intersect. 

Sweden is positioned as a digital health pioneer, with established use of digital services in healthcare. The ecosystem is described as deeply integrated into the healthcare sector, and supported by assets such as national quality registries and biobanks that enable research and data-driven development.

Establish R&D operations close to national research infrastructure and collaboration platforms. Sweden’s ecosystem is designed to enable joint projects across academia, healthcare, and industry – useful for companies building discovery capability, translational research, or platform development in areas such as precision medicine and connected health.

Build or expand biomanufacturing and regulated production in an environment described as advanced, digitalised, and automation-ready. For advanced therapies, Sweden offers a developed ATMP ecosystem with facilities spanning pre-GMP piloting, process development, and GMP manufacturing – supporting scale-up pathways from early phase to clinical supply.

Access collaboration with healthcare systems and national initiatives that connect research capability with clinical practice. Structured platforms such as Genomic Medicine Sweden (GMS) support knowledge exchange and industry dialogue, while national data assets (quality registries and biobanks) strengthen conditions for studies and evidence generation.

Use Sweden as a base for partnerships with research-driven start-ups, innovation hubs, and established actors across biotech, pharma, medtech, and digital health. Sweden’s broad network of incubators, science parks, and testbeds creates multiple entry points for co-development, early-stage investment, and strategic collaboration.