Tampere – Co-creating future health care

In Tampere, the collaboration between research, business and clinic is strong and offers a fertile ground for any health care and medical related players to innovate and grow. Be it a large multinational company or a researcher cum entrepreneur, Tampere has the world class expertise and functional infrastructure to make things happen.

— We can provide all it needs to help accelerate development, like high-quality health data and biobank samples, access to joint research projects… and of course the services that ensure companies easy access to resources, says Matti Eskola, Director of Innovation at Tampere University Hospital RDI Center.

The RDI center is looking for international partners for joint RDI projects, for example to co-create the best diabetes care chains in the world. This work is already on the way and aims to digitalize the entire diabetes care system – should it succeed, it would make life easier for millions of people and save a lot of time and money.

– Presently there is a pilot underway in which self-monitored blood glucose data is transferred automatically into the information system used by health professionals in their daily work. Eventually all patient data will be integrated into one system and this allows, for example, to highlight the patients that need intervention most acutely, explains Reijo Itkonen, Director of Development at Tampere University Hospital RDI Center.

Tampere is known for expertise in certain specialized areas like tissue engineering, regenerative medicine, stem cell research and vaccine research, and excellence does generate business, too.

– The latest news is about biotechnology company Vactech that recently announced a strategic partnership with Provention Bio, a US-based corporation that listed in Nasdaq and raised nearly $64 million with the IPO last summer, Eskola says.

From the Tampere ground have also emerged numerous health technology startups with remarkable potential. Their focuses vary from cancer surgery (Olfactomics) to epilepsy monitoring (Neuro Event Labs) and from measurement systems (Forciot) to activity monitoring (Verso Vision), just to mention a few.

– Our startups are utilizing technologies, especially artificial intelligence, imaging and sensor expertise, in health care and medical solutions. Many of those companies are in fact ex-Nokia teams that have found a new and promising way to use their knowhow in health care technologies, says Director Harri Ojala of Business Tampere.

Technology and biosciences research are closely connected in Tampere. When the three universities in Tampere merge in 2019, the new university will be a unique interdisciplinary hub – and provide even more opportunities for RDI cooperation.

– We are expecting strong development in this field: new research projects with engineers and life science experts working together to solve cutting-edge challenges, Ojala says.

– Human design is becoming more important in all health care solutions, and the new university can contribute to that by enhancing interaction with humanities and social sciences, Eskola remarks.

For anyone interested in the opportunities Tampere has to offer in life sciences, Business Tampere is the first contact address.

– We will provide you the information you need and facilitate your arrival in Tampere. Give us a call – and come visit us, it is only one hour by direct flight from Stockholm, Ojala says.

Contact:

Harri Ojala
Director, Business Tampere
+358 40 762 3784
harri.ojala@businesstampere.com