Nordic Life Science 1
The Finnish Pavilion. Of the Nordics, Finland and
Denmark surprisingly were the only pavilions. Baltic neighbors Estonia were also present with both a pavilion and a keynote presentation in the Transformation Theater. LifeSpin’s CEO Ali Tinazli has pivoted his precision medicine business development from the US to GCC because of the hunger for innovation and rapid transformation he sees in both UAE and KSI. the Garage. Likewise, Mubadala's work with the UK’s NHS innovation program is a huge lynchpin for work between the UK and the region,” Taysom said. W I hen pressed on key learnings, he was at first slightly reticent. “Some of these would be a trade secret! I think the main one, with great thanks to a chance encounter with Dr. Khulood Alsayegh of the Dubai Health Authority, is the understanding the governments in the region have for regulatory plasticity (within essential limits), meaning that adoption of interesting technology is smoother. Couple this with a population that genuinely seems interested, or understanding of the need for this plasticity and associated understanding of the need for data for innovation, and you have a truly unique environment. Adding to this the microcosm of wider population-level health challenges that have out-sized effects or prevalence in the region, and the chance to come in, work within the structure and provide both meaningful insight and build your product is fascinating for many earlystage companies struggling to capture a foothold in the NHS (as an example) and don't have the ability to bridge to the US,” Tayson said. Concluding on opportunities, Taysom was extremely positive. “As above, really this is a great place to build the early stages of good companies, because the need for innovation is supported by governmental work and by population-level support. It’s going to be a fascinating time as we see the real punch of this investment land over the next five years. I also truly hope that this drives transfection of the same stimulus to other countries in the MENA region.” n slight contrast to this was the lone Swedish wolf I encountered, Petter Wolff from Sahlgrenska Science Park, who revealed he had come mainly to scout for deep tech innovations in health, but also to find out whether Dubai/UAE could be a market of interest for his startup companies. “There is not a lot of infrastructure for accelerating deep tech innovations within health in Dubai as far as I can see. There was a Swedish pavilion several years ago, and that coincided with the Swedish company GHP trying to establish themselves in UAE. Business Sweden ran a side event linked to NEOM. The show was interesting, particularly the AI presentations, but I feel it will be a number of years before Dubai or UAE finds the need to create a health system that is more integrated in research,” he said. I’m not sure I agree with Petter. I tend more to side with Harry, so I left the sunshine behind for rainy Bath, enthused, bewildered and certain that this is not just a flash in the pan and that GCC should certainly be on the radar for anybody interested in how healthcare can and will be delivered, in probably the very near future. NLS NORDICLIFESCIENCE.ORG | 25