Nordic Life Science 1
COLUMN MEDICON VALLEY ALLIANCE hagen region is st
ill the most innovative cross-border region in all of Europe, even if Stockholm as a region has surpassed the capital region of Copenhagen in the head-to-head competition. A deep dive into the European regional figures unveils a Nordic and North European “axis of innovation” stretching in an almost straight line from the Finnish capital of Helsinki to Stockholm, across Sweden and Denmark ending in London and the southern part of the UK. London happens to be the 3rd most innovative region in Europe after Stockholm and Copenhagen. As such, Greater Copenhagen and Medicon Valley, which basically covers the same geography of Eastern Denmark and Southern Sweden, is quite uniquely positioned. It is located at the middle of the European innovation highway with an arm of highly innovative regions stretching to the north-east and the southwest. If we adopt a more collaborative mindset, join forces and further strengthen our collaboration with the support of both regional and national governments, industry and academia, Denmark and Sweden could not only continue to be innovation drivers and help realize the Greater Copenhagen region’s own potential, but together we could also position ourselves for a place in the driving seat when it comes to the more strategic European ambitions. Hopefully, the Danish EU-presidency will connect the dots and pave the way for an inclusive process, to which the hands-on drivers of innovation who are most familiar with cross-border collaboration are invited to contribute. The new European life science strategy points out specific elements where we believe Denmark and Sweden could and should contribute and benefit. For instance, as part of the European life science strategy, the European Commission has suggested that EUR 300 million be mobilized to stimulate the procurement of life science innovation in areas such as climate change adaptation, next-generation vaccines, and affordable cancer solutions. The Commission will also set up a Life Science Coordination Group to align policies and funding across sectors, and support engagement with key stakeholders, including industry and citizens. Furthermore, EUR 250 million will be mobilized for cross-sectoral life sciences technologies, supporting the development of new products that drive industrial innovation and sustainability. This includes new approach methodologies, novel molecules, advanced materials, and more efficient biomanufacturing Another element of the strategy is the promotion of a One Health approach to research and innovation, and the mobilization of up to EUR 100 million under the Horizon Europe work programs 2026-27 to develop and deploy microbiome-based solutions. From a Greater Copenhagen/Medicon Valley perspective we would like to highlight the importance of the Interreg Öresund-Kattegat-Skagerrak program, which finances EU projects across the border in southern Scandinavia. The money that Interreg Öresund-KattegatSkagerrak invests comes primarily from the European Regional Development Fund and comprises crucial contributions to the solution of societal challenges in areas such as innovation and entrepreneurship, green transition, transport and mobility, and a borderless labor market. From a narrower life science perspective, the HALRIC consortium for utilizing highly-specialized life science research infrastructures and the ReproUnion consortium for research and innovation in infertility, are two current examples of cross-border projects. They both address a crucial need, stimulate innovation, and are organized within a cross-border framework that creates something that is greater than the sum of its parts. W ith only a few months left of the Danish EU-presidency, little can be done before the baton is handed over to Cyprus. But perhaps we can still find time to light the beacon and make sure that the European decisionmakers know where to look both in the EU and in neighboring UK and who to reach out to when drafting and executing the grand strategies and operational plans that will eventually determine the future of Europe. NLS CARL JOHAN SONESSON, VICE CHAIRMAN, GREATER COPENHAGEN AND CHAIRMAN, THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE, REGION SKÅNE, AND NIELS ABEL BONDE, CHAIRMAN, MEDICON VALLEY ALLIANCE NORDICLIFESCIENCE.ORG | 69 PHOTO IDA WANG