Sweden Science for Life Laboratory will be a world-leading research institute

A new national research institute will be established in 2013 - Sweden Science for Life Laboratory. The Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation and AstraZeneca announced today that they will contribute considerable financial support to the project.

Sweden Science for Life Laboratory (SciLifeLab) is a centre for biomedical research whose activities include mapping the cause of disease and contributing to the discovery of new treatment methods and the development of new pharmaceuticals.

"We have high ambitions. Sweden will be at the forefront. A research institute like SciLifeLab will be able to gather the sharpest brains and lay the foundation for new and major breakthroughs," says Minister for Education Jan Björklund.

As of 2013, SciLifeLab will be a national research institute.

Today it is a collaborative project between four universities: Uppsala University, Stockholm University, Karolinska Institutet and the Royal Institute of Technology.

These universities will be the main stakeholders in the new institute. In a few years' time, it is expected that SciLifeLab will have an annual turnover of roughly SEK 1 billion.

The Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation today announced a very large investment in SciLifeLab.

"Sweden Science for Life Laboratory has the makings of a world-class reseach institute. The Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation has therefore approved a contribution of SEK 220 million for technical laboratories that will strengthen SciLifeLab," says Peter Wallenberg Jr, Vice-chairman of the Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation.

AstraZeneca also announced today that it will enter into a five-year cooperation agreement with SciLifeLab. It intends to invest in research projects to the tune of USD 5-10 million per year for five years, depending on projects of current interest.

"SciLifeLab combines advanced technology with expertise in translational medicine and molecular bioscience, an area of great interest to AstraZeneca in the development of new patient treatments. We have therefore signed a declaration of intent with SciLifeLab, which means that we intend to strengthen our cooperation," says Anders Ekblom, Executive Vice President, Science and Technology, R&D, and CEO of AstraZeneca Sverige AB.

The Minister for Education welcomes the decision of the Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation and AstraZeneca.

"I am naturally very pleased that AstraZeneca and the Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation are prepared to invest considerable resources in SciLifeLab.

Collaboration of this kind helps make Sweden an attractive country both to researchers and knowledge-intensive companies," says Mr Björklund.

Facts: Sweden Science for Life Laboratory SciLifeLab activities involve mapping the genome of human and other organisms, and describing protein structure, characteristics and location in cells so that the causes of disease can be identified. It conducts large-scale experiments where quantities of samples from, for example, biobanks are analysed using technologically advanced equipment. This knowledge can be used to develop new methods of treatment and pharmaceuticals.

- Asian Tribune –

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