Health and life sciences

Life science is an interdisciplinary field that focuses on improving people's health and quality of life. Life science includes, among other things, pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, laboratory technology, medical technology and diagnostics. The sector contributes to Sweden's exports, skills supply and innovative power. It is an important component of the national ability to attract investments, talents and international collaborations.

At Vinnova, we analyze the Swedish business population in the area, and develop methods that make it possible to follow statistics over time. We carry out the work in dialogue with representatives of the business community, industry organizations, authorities and regions.

Vinnova has several ongoing assignments in life science.

Establish an advanced life science programme

Vinnova will establish a new programme for advanced life science, with the goal of strengthening Sweden's position as a leading life science nation. The program will promote research, innovation and collaboration in future health solutions, such as cell and gene therapies, regenerative medicine and biotechnology.

Part of the mission is to support the establishment of CCRM Nordic – a national innovation cluster for the commercialization and development of advanced therapies. The work is done in collaboration with business, universities and research institutes, and is financed together with industry.

For 2025, Vinnova has received 35 million SEK for the assignment. Over the next three years, the investment will increase gradually to 113 million SEK. The hope is to strengthen Sweden's attractiveness, create new markets and contribute to a more competitive and resilient ecosystem for life science.

Vinnova reports regularly to the government, and will submit an interim report no later than March 2028.

Read the full mission

Mission to follow the Swedish life science sector

Since 2021, Vinnova has had the task of developing a long-term, and to a large extent automated, method for identifying, describing and enabling continuous statistical monitoring of companies in the life science sector. Part of the task is also to develop methods and make statistics more relevant and useful.

With regular surveys, we gain a deeper understanding of the sector, and can create a basis for developing initiatives and policies. We contribute to strengthening Sweden as a leading life science nation in the long term.

Vinnova reports statistics annually to the Government Offices. Every third year, starting in 2024, the report will have a broader approach with in-depth reporting on a particularly relevant area.

Vinnova supports various initiatives in health and life science, both through its own calls for proposals and European co-funded partnerships in life science.

In 2021, eleven Vinnova-funded innovation environments were launched with the mission of creating accurate solutions in health. The investment of SEK 320 million provided funding for between two and a half to five years.

Innovation environments for accurate solutions in health

In 2024, another 95 million SEK was invested in six new environments, this time in precision medicine.

Precision medicine environments

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Strategy for life sciences

How do we contribute to the goals of the Swedish life science strategy? Since 2025, Vinnova has been tasked with reporting on how the agency has contributed to the goals of the national life science strategy (KN2024/02228). This will be reported in the annual report for 2025.

Read the updated life science strategy

Cluster of Excellence

Vinnova is tasked with working with clusters of excellence for strategic technology, with the goal of Sweden becoming a world leader in selected technology areas. These are relevant to life science, such as biotechnology.

Cluster of Excellence for Strategic Technologies

Vinnova is part of several national and international initiatives, programmes and partnerships within life science:

• European Rare Diseases Research Alliance (ERDERA)
• European Partnership for Personalised Medicine (EP PerMed)
• Horisont Europa, cluster one: Health
• Innovation environments for more accurate solutions in health
• Medtech4Health
• Collaborate internationally in health
• Swelife - We work for a strong life science sector in Sweden
• Transforming Health and Care Systems (THCS)