NEWS On Tuesday 25 February, researchers and industry representatives from Umeå’s Life Science sector will come together at Umeå University for Open Up For Innovation. It is an event designed to foster collaboration and drive innovation.
Open Up For Innovation is co-organized by UBI, CU4LS and Umeå university. From the left: Professor Teresa Frisan, CU4LS, Andreas Lindberg, Umeå Biotech Incubator, professor Mikael Elofsson, and Lisandro Bernardo, UBI.
ImageTomas Ruuthif you are always inside the same box, you don’t learn anything outside the box
”A close dialogue between researchers and industry bridges scientific expertise with market needs, driving innovation—ultimately benefiting society through new treatments and solutions,” says Andreas Lindberg and Lisandro Bernardo from Umeå Biotech Incubator, who initiated the event.
This year’s event highlights collaborative projects connected to research at Umeå University in various fields, including microbiota and dairy products, geochemical processes and fertilizers, and improvements in Latex Immunoassays.
Additionally, the program features an international outlook from Oslo University Hospital and its collaboration with Thermo Fisher on ATMP advancements, as well as insights into how the University of Oxford and Chiesi foster Industry-Academia partnerships.
“We have participants from 22 companies/organizations and 27 different departments from academia represented. Besides an exciting program, there is also plenty of time for mingling to make new connections since we know that many collaborations start in the small conversations”, says Andreas Lindberg.
Open Up For Innovation is part of UBI’s regional development project “Life Science City“, funded by Tillväxtverket and EU, and is arranged for the second year.
“Highlighting the innovation opportunities possible through the excellence of Umeå University’s research is a core in the development of Umeå as a “Life Science City”. Setting the regional industry first in line to assess it is natural to increase the competitiveness of these companies”, says Lisandro Bernardo, business coach at UBI.
Building on last year’s event, ‘Open Up for Innovation’ is now evolving into a broader concept, encompassing additional events.
In December, a hackathon was organized under the same umbrella, where Nordic Biomarker worked with researchers from Umeå University to find solutions to a challenge in their industry. Reflections from the Hackathon will be presented at Tuesday’s event.
Later this spring UBI have invited AFM Telethon, a French patients’ organization and fundraiser fighting neuromuscular diseases. AFM-Telethon is a pioneer in the research and support to improve patients’ lives. In Umeå they will connect with the top-class researchers Umeå University has within this space.
“Networking is central both in the regional space and at an international level to connect Umeå University to innovation ecosystems and stakeholders in the EU and elsewhere. UBI has a network from our sector that can complement the vast research networks that Umeå University has. To be able to use that under the “Open up for Innovation” concept is a perfect match,” says Andreas Lindberg, business coach at UBI.
Open Up for Innovation is arranged by UBI together with Umeå University and Coalition Umeå 4 Life Science (CU4LS), an association of academic centers and research infrastructure within Life Science in Umeå. CU4LS’s role is to contribute to making research visible and promote interdisciplinary collaborations.
Teresa Frisan, a member of the steering committee for CU4LS, thinks that Tuesday’s event is an important contribution to the research community.
“It’s important for academia to open up and learn about the needs of companies, maybe we find common interests or come up with new ideas. Innovation is created when you open up and interact with others, if you are always inside the same box, you don’t learn anything outside the box,” she says.
Mikael Elofsson is dean of the Faculty of Science and Technology at Umeå University and will be the opening speaker this coming Thursday.
“I look forward to a rewarding day where we discuss innovation and utilization, something that is incredibly important for Umeå University,” he says.