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is really between the U.S. and Europe, Rafael Nat
anek says when I ask him about differences between the countries’ life science industries. “The USA is by far the larger life science hub, as over the last century it has been able to successfully weave together research, funding and entrepreneurs.” At the same time, it has been encouraging to observe the growth in the European life science landscape over the last couple of decades, he adds. “Over this period we have seen a rapid growth in venture capital and private equity funding, supporting an increasing number of entrepreneurs in growing their companies. This has translated in the expansion of biotech hubs across the continent, not least in regions like the UK, Scandinavia, Switzerland, BeNeLux, France and Germany.” Rafael Natanek As a student of Chemical Engineering at Lund Institute of Technology and biomedical sciences at Lund University, Sweden, Rafael observed a very sequential approach to how he and his fellow students approached education and career. “You typically finished your studies by getting your Master’s degree. Unless you decided to pursue a PhD, you entered the career stage of your life, which continued until your retirement,” he says. NORDICLIFESCIENCE.ORG 35