SpinChem named University Spin-Off of the Year
SpinChem triumphed at the Umeå Gala on Thursday, clinching the ‘University Spin-Off of the Year’ award.
“It gives the whole team a boost of motivation,” commented CEO Emil Byström.
SpinChem triumphed at the Umeå Gala on Thursday, clinching the ‘University Spin-Off of the Year’ award.
“It gives the whole team a boost of motivation,” commented CEO Emil Byström.
Diamyd Medical actively expands its workforce in Umeå, focusing on recruiting individuals with key competencies.
”The production of the technical batches is ongoing and we are scaling up our workforce accordingly”, says Martin Linhult, CMC Lead.
The magazine about the Life Science Umeå Job Fair includes:
* Interviews with all 18 participating companies.
* A Map of Life Science Umeå.
* Guide to how to stay tuned about the industry in Umeå.
* Stories & News from now and then about Life Science Umeå.
* A chronicle by Peter Jacobsson, Operations Coordinator at UBI.
Life science has become a priority growth target for Umeå Municipality, strategically encouraging life science companies to establish themselves in the region.
“The goal is for an organization with at least 500 employees to set up operations here. We already have the infrastructure needed to make us attractive to larger companies”, says Peter Juneblad, Business Director at Umeå Municipality.
The Financial Times has recognized Umeå Biotech Incubator (UBI) as one of “Europe’s Leading Start-Up Hubs”.
“This is an acknowledgment that our efforts are competitive, even globally,” says Peter Jacobsson, UBI’s operation coordinator.
Fredrik Almqvist and Marta Bally have been appointed as the new Directors of UCMR, the hub for microbial infection research at Umeå University. Their forward agenda includes enhancing collaboration with clinical research and establishing Biosafety Level 3 (BSL-3) labs for both in vitro and in vivo experiments.
“To stay at the forefront and recruit the best researchers, it’s crucial to have modern BSL-3 labs,” says Fredrik Almqvist.
Umeå Biotech Incubator (UBI) is inviting academic researchers and life science companies to meet and collaborate at its new ‘Open up for Innovation’ event on the 27th of February.
“We have world-class research being conducted at Umeå University and internationally successful companies based in town. Now we’re gathering 100 bright minds under one roof to stimulate innovation”, says Andreas Lindberg and Lisandro Bernardo, business coaches at UBI and initiators of the event.
SweTree Technologies is expanding. The company is currently seeking two new employees to complete a world-unique pilot for the industrial production of spruce seedlings using Somatic Embryogenesis (SE) technology.
”By 2025, the plan is to start building a factory capable of producing 20 million seedlings per year, and we’re now strengthening our team to prepare for this next phase”, says CEO Christofer Réhn.
Helén Fält, CEO of UBI-supported QureTech Bio AB, is busier than ever.
Pernilla Wikström, Professor at the Department of Medical Biosciences at Umeå universitet, and one of the founders and owners of UBI-supported Phenotype Diagnostics, has received 10 million Swedish kronor from the Cancer Research Foundation in Northern Sweden (Cancerforskningsfonden i Norrland) for her research on prostate cancer.
Restoring natural ecosystems in mining disturbed landscapes is a crucial yet complex process. A groundbreaking Swedish initiative, which employs moss to accelerate this restoration, is now being heralded as a potential game changer for the global mining industry.
“If it turns out as well as expected, it could set a new standard for the mining industry”, says VAST’s CEO, Matt Baida, about the Vinnova and mining industry financed project, initiated by Daniel Pacurar, Founder and Executive Chairman of Boreal Orchards AB, and featuring four major mining companies, VAST AB and the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU).
The Swedish Defence Research Agency (FOI) is set to significantly expand its operations in Umeå this spring after announcing plans to hire around 20 new employees to the CBRN Defence and Security department.
“We’ve got growing pains! There is an increased need to strengthen the defence research due to the changing global security situation and politics regarding national defence policies”, says Susanne W Lindström, Head of the Chemical Threat and Effect Assessments Unit in Umeå.
The “Beat-PFAS” project aims to develop an effective solution for removing and destroying PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) from contaminated soil and water. The Umeå based company SpinChem AB is set to play a crucial role in this initiative, funded by Formas, a Swedish government research council dedicated to sustainable development, with a grant of SEK 19.9 million.
Umeå’s life science sector took an important step forward this spring when Umeå Biotech Incubator (UBI) established a new Quality Assurance (QA) network. The network, which brings together representatives from some 15 companies, focuses on sharing experiences and strategies to deal with the increasingly complex quality requirements facing the industry.
“We have grown from nine to eleven employees. It feels like a significant milestone for us to pass ten employees”, says Niklas Norgren, VP and Managing Director at UmanDiagnostics.
Swedish MedTech company Mucocort plans to launch a mucosal self-absorbing patch for pain relief in people suffering from aphthous stomatitis (mouth ulcers). The interest in Mucocort patch technology has increased after the approval of a European patent. Further, the Mucocort AB minority stakeholder Aurena Laboratories steps up with additional capital and increases its ownership.
Umeå-based Medicvent has been awarded a new prestigious assignment to deliver central systems for waste gas/diathermy and its unique double mask system used in anesthesia to Högsbo Regional Hospital, which will be inaugurated in Gothenburg in 2024.
“It is a modern, innovative hospital that wants to be at the very forefront of healthcare. It’s fantastic that we’ve got the opportunity to work with a client like this”, says Erik Lindström, CEO of Medicvent.
In June, Lipigon Pharmaceuticals signed a development and licensing agreement worth nearly SEK 1 billion. Today, the Umeå-based company has relocated to a newly renovated 250 square meter facility tailored to their needs. Lipigon’s CEO, Stefan K. Nilsson, views these achievements as “pivotal strides in the company’s ongoing journey of growth and innovation.”
Umeå’s life science industry continues its rapid expansion with news that technology consulting company Prevas is looking to hire a Business Unit Manager for its new offices in the city.
“There is a growing market for life science in Umeå that we want to be a part of”, says Majid Meshkintorreh, Prevas’ Norrland Regional Manager.