Nordic Life Science 1
WORDS FROM THE EDI TOR MALIN OTMANI NORDIC LIFE S
CIENCE From fragmentation to force THE COMPETITIVENESS of Europes's life science industry is under pressure and the task ahead is clear: We need to match our scientific excellence with competitive financing capacity, increase investments, accelerate patient access, simplify regulations – not least in clinical trials – and build greater strength in manufacturing and commercialization. Europe needs more coherent market-access policies, or a more harmonized framework for bringing innovation to patients. These are the overarching messages from the experts featured in this issue’s special focus on Europe. Hopefully, the EU’s new life science strategy, the provisional agreement on the Critical Medicines Act, and the upcoming Biotech Act will help Europe to better meet and overcome these challenges. And although one of Europe’s greatest disadvantages when competing with say, the US or China, is its fragmented market, this could also be made into an advantage. All countries each have distinct strengths along the value chain. For example, Germany and Belgium form important industrial engines, Switzerland remains an elite biopharma base, the UK continues to excel in discovery, the Netherlands stands out as a regulatory hub, France brings strength in clinical development, Spain takes the lead in clinical trials, Italy in manufacturing and exports, and Ireland in global production and scale-up (to name but a few). Along with the Nordics’ strengths in specialized biotech, digital health, oncology, and diabetes, and also in cross-border collaboration, Europe’s life science landscape is remarkably rich. If it were better connected and scaled up, this diversity would be Europe’s comparative advantage. That is also why this issue of NLS places Europe at the center. We have taken a closer look at the status of innovation and venture capital in the UK, we have learnt more about stem cell research in Spain in an aging society, and we have gained more insight from policy and financing debates through conversations with, among others, the chair of the European Life Sciences Coalition and the Director General of Europe’s pharmaceutical industry federation EFPIA. After all, just as the five Nordic countries are more competitive together, Europe is a more competitive continent when we join forces. The real test now is whether Europe can turn its diversity into a shared strategy – and, in doing so, turn fragmentation into a force to be reckoned with. NLS EDITOR IN CHIEF: MALIN OTMANI LAYOUT: LISA LIDGREN, MALIN OTMANI ENGLISH PROOFREADING: LISA COCKETTE COVER PHOTO: MAGALI DELPORTE PRINTED BY: MULTIPLY SOLUTIONS 2026 SCIENCE JOURNALISTS IN THIS ISSUE: ELLEN R. DELISIO PAULA PÉREZ GONZÁLEZANGUIANO ALEXANDRA HOEGBERG PUBLISHING DIRECTOR: MATTIAS OLME MARKETING & SALES: MATTIAS OLME EMAIL: MATTIAS@NLSNEWS.COM PHONE: +46 8 588 941 51 COPYRIGHT 2026 BY NLS MEDIA GROUP ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. REPRODUCTION IN WHOLE OR IN PART WHITHOUT PERMISSION IS PROHIBITED. A MAGAZINE FROM NLS MEDIA GROUP NLS MEDIA GROUP AB, ST PAULSGATAN 13 118 46 STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN PHONE: +46 8 588 941 51 MALIN OTMANI EDITOR IN CHIEF FOR DAILY LIFE SCIENCE UPDATES: NORDICLIFESCIENCE.ORG DO YOU HAVE NEWS TO SHARE? MALIN@NLSNEWS.COM PARTNERS: SUBSCRIPTION DIGITAL SUBSCRIPTION: 14 EUR/MONTH, INCLUDES: 01. THE DIGITAL ISSUES OF THE MAGAZINE 02. ACCESS TO ARCHIVE, FULLY SEARCHABLE, INCLUDING ALL PREVIOUS DIGITAL ISSUES 03. THE WEEKLY NEWSLETTER NLS NEWS AND THE MONTHLY NEWSLETTER NLS CAREERS 04. ACCESS TO ALL DIGITAL CONTENT ON NORDICLIFESCIENCE.ORG, UNLIMITED READING CALL: +46 8 588 941 51 OR SIGN UP AT: NORDICLIFESCIENCE.ORG/SUBSCRIBE