Swelife supports collaboration within academia, industry and healthcare, with the goal to strengthen Life Science in Sweden and to improve public health.
It is a strategic innovation programme, funded by the Swedish Government via the Swedish innovation agency, Vinnova, and by the programme’s partners.
Swelife is a facilitator. Through a long-term, national perspective our work aims to contribute to these effects:
- The knowledge and resources within life science in Sweden are utilised nationally through collaboration and coordination
- Sweden offers good conditions for sustainable growth and international competitiveness in the life science sector
- Citizens of Sweden have access to innovative, equal, and people-centred care
Vision
Life science in Sweden has a leading role in developments towards world-class health and sustainable growth.
Mission
Swelife facilitates and accelerates innovation and collaboration within life science – from ideas to benefits for society.
Budget and Support
More than 100 organisations from healthcare, academia and industry in Sweden currently support Swelife.
History
Swelife was established in the summer of 2014 when the Diabetes Agenda and SILS (Sweden as an International Centre for Life Science) jointly applied to launch a so-called strategic innovation area (SIO). The idea was to gather the Life Science regions in Sweden under one common national research and innovation agenda.
The SIO on non-communicable diseases was approved in May 2014, changed its name to Swelife in the autumn, and in January 2015 included an additional agenda (PMC – Personalised Medicine Cancer).
Board
The board is Swelife’s decision-making body, responsible for taking decisions regarding strategy and implementation. This may include the focus and theme for new calls for applications, projects and investments, as well as the appointment of working groups and their leaders. Through its composition, the group represents academia, healthcare and industry, including industry organisations.
Board members 2025
- Eva Sjökvist Saers, chair
- Örjan Norberg, Region Västerbotten. 1 vice chair
- Sofia Rydgren Stale, Sveriges Läkarförbund. 2 vice chair
- Magnus Barkstedt, Eli Lilly
- Andy Browning, ALIS and Uppsala university
- Mathias Ekman, Microsoft
- Marie Gårdmark, RegSmart
- Marika Hellqvist Greberg, Council of Science
- Emma Henriksson, Famna
- Anders Holmén, AstraZeneca
- Hans Hägglund, Karolinska university hospital
- Katrine Riklund, Umeå university
- Marianne van Rooijen, Akademiska university hospital
- Roshan Tofighi, Novartis
- Ewa Wikström, Göteborg university
- Päivi Östling, SciLifeLab
Nominating committee
The board members are proposed by a nominating committee. This is done annually to create a composition that ensures a strategic and national focus on achieving the programme vision.
- Jennie Ekbeck, LEAD, Ekbeck Ventures (chair)
- Jenny Almkvist, Västra Götaland region
- Björn Arvidsson, STUNS life science
- Ulrika Ringdahl, Smile Incubator
- Johan D Söderholm, professor Linköpings university
Policy documents
You find all the policy documents here.
Programme office
Swelife’s programme office has operational responsibility for the programme. The organisation includes programme management and portfolio coordination, communications, and administration. The work is complemented by efforts and expertise in partner organizations. Swelife’s physical program office is located at Lund University, where the application to start the innovation program was originally written, but the employees are located in several locations.
- Lund has a program manager, communication strategist, portfolio manager for collaboration and coordination, economists and administrative staff.
- In Linköping, there is a portfolio manager for Competence and Capital.
- Stockholm has a portfolio manager for Scalable Solutions and a project manager for Swelife International.
Innovation networks and incubators
Swelife’s network of local innovation stakeholders offers support and business development to all researchers, entrepreneurs and innovation projects interested in our financial support. They operate from incubators and innovation offices with a local focus and a well-established national network.