Strong momentum in Östergötland’s Life Science ecosystem

As part of East Sweden Innovation Week, a Life Science After Work event was held on Monday at Mjärdevi Linköping, hosted by LEAD Business Incubator and Cordicity. The gathering brought together entrepreneurs, innovators, business support organizations, and other stakeholders interested in life science for an afternoon of knowledge exchange and networking.

One of the key sessions focused on internationalization, where Mattias Gäreskog from Business Sweden shared insights on how Swedish life science companies can strengthen their presence in international markets through market entry support, partnerships, and export promotion.

Participants were also given the opportunity to present their organizations in a short pitch format. Companies represented included Cordicity, Developeration, Vesl, Precision Pulmo, LungFlex AB, Sprint, and Kolesterolkliniken. The presentations highlighted both the breadth and innovative capacity of the region’s life science sector.

Region Östergötland presented its efforts to strengthen innovation, investment, and business establishment through collaboration between research, industry, and the public sector. Examples included initiatives in organic electronics (Laboratoriet för Organisk Elektronik) in Norrköping, participation in international trade fairs, and activities aimed at promoting Östergötland as an attractive destination for investment. The region can also co-finance company participation in strategically important exhibitions and operates the Innovation Arena for Health Care, which connects healthcare needs with research and industry to accelerate the development of new solutions.

Life science has long been recognized as one of Östergötland’s areas of strength. The combination of research at Linköpings universitet, the clinical environment at Linköping University Hospital, innovative companies, and support structures such as LEAD has created strong conditions for developing products and services with international potential.

At the same time, events like this demonstrate that there is still room to accelerate growth. Stronger connections between research, healthcare, industry, investors, and international markets can help even more innovations scale and reach global markets.

Perhaps the most important conclusion from the opening day of Innovation Week is that life science is in good health in Östergötland. With continued collaboration, entrepreneurship, and an international outlook, the region is well positioned to further strengthen its role in shaping the future of healthcare, medical technology, and health innovation.