Case evenings - STUNS Life science

12 voices on the future of life science

The future of mankind rests in the hands of life science. In this report, we get to know some of the profiles and driving spirits who in various ways strive for health and development.

WHEN I WAS commissioned to compile a report for STUNS Life Science, it felt equally honorable and frightening. How do you approach a subject that is outside the immediate scope of your knowledge? It took a while before I found the answer: I had to approach it the same way as I always do – with curiosity and a systems perspective. Since 2017 I have met and interviewed almost 250 futurists, researchers, industry experts, and entrepreneurs in the podcast Heja Framtiden – and probably at least as many in my work as a freelance writer and editor. For some reason, I have always felt extra intrigued having conversations about issues concerning the healthcare of the future. There is something fundamentally exciting in the overthrow of old systems, that can uniquely manifest itself in how we view human development. Of course, it can feel like many processes are sluggish, but at the same time: in some fields, the development is extremely fast. The future of mankind is deeply linked to developments in life science, even though few people have insight into the work behind the scenes.

Some basic findings

• Technology is taking huge strides forward, in large part because more and more people are embracing an interdisciplinary approach. The materials sciences are connected with 3D printing, which hooks into the explosion of biodata, which promotes diagnostics and artificial intelligence, which supports the healthcare profession and enables an increased degree of self-monitoring and strengthens the preventive paradigm. Convergence is happening on a rapid scale.

• Funding does exist, but in Sweden, it is difficult to reach the really deep pockets for investments. Here, too, a combination of government support, business angels, venture capital, and credits will be the way forward. As of now, this is often a slow row but there are great opportunities for efficiency gains. And as more and more people get convinced that the big winners of the future will be found within biotech, life science, and medical technology, the interest and expertise of investors will most likely increase in these fields as well.

• Skills are in short supply, but the pandemic’s digitalization leap has at the same time made it possible – and necessary – to create new networks and collaborations across national borders. This is how work will need to be organized in the future. With this said, Uppsala can continue to work on strengthening its brand as an equally dynamic and peaceful place for research, leisure, education, and work.

• More regulations are on the way, while the opportunities for exciting research and new business models increase in step with the inevitable data explosion in both society and healthcare. In other words, further discussions are needed at both the regional level and in the EU’s decision-making bodies to create a science-friendly environment.

Merging the spider webs

This report – or maybe we should call it a “magazine” since that’s my background – has meant a way of working that is familiar to me. I place myself in the middle and try to navigate around how the ecosystem develops. After talking with key people on the inside, I spice it up with people and insights that come from the periphery of the spider web (or from completely different webs). Maybe it is right there, in the unexpected meeting, that the solutions and success stories of tomorrow begin to take shape?

You have certainly already encountered some of the interviewees and the topics they discuss. But I can guarantee that there are others that you have yet to learn about.

Anyways, I hope that this content will inspire you and invite you to new contacts, tests, or collaborations. This philosophy is also the basis for why STUNS exists: to get smart people to cooperate across their organizational boundaries. Then we can go as far as we like. We may not know exactly where we are going, but we go there together. Human development is not a zero-sum game.

Christian von Essen, Heja Framtiden