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The company signs a two-year collaboration agreement with Uppsala BIO. The goal is to find technologies and equipment that support the production and processing of biopharmaceuticals in the future. “Although we are a large, international company, it is rare that we form this type of active technology scouting partnerships”, says Jonas Åström, Head of Strategic technologies for BioProcess, GE Healthcare Life Sciences.
“The objective of this collaboration is to find new ideas and promising start-up companies, and to establish partnerships that will benefit both parties. The role of Uppsala BIO is to find researchers or smaller companies that need the support that an international company of GE's caliber has. We have worked with the sector for nearly 15 years and want to find new ways, so that there would be more life science companies that can establish themselves, grow and take their products to the market”, says Erik Forsberg, Managing Director of Uppsala BIO.
The agreement with GE Healthcare runs for two years - how the collaboration works will vary case by case.
“It might be a researcher with an exciting idea or a promising product from a more established small business that would benefit from getting some insight or financing from GE on how to bring the product closer to commercialization”, says Erik Forsberg. “We have early-stage projects in our BIO-X program and that can be valid for this collaboration as well, but we will also look wider, not just in the region.”
“All major life science companies are looking at different ways to expand their technology base including external collaborations to create the right conditions for the creation of new products. Uppsala BIO's long experience in reviewing, selecting and supporting promising projects has been an important criterion to form this partnership”, continues Jonas Åström.
GE Healthcare operates in over 100 countries and it is one of the leading suppliers of equipment that is being used for protein analysis and for the development and manufacturing of biopharmaceuticals. The company is also the largest private employer in Uppsala with around 1,200 employees, of those around 400 work in research and development. Recently the production facility received a large investment that will significantly increase the production capacity in Uppsala over the next three years.
About the partnership
The objective of the collaboration is to find solutions that significantly improve the future equipment used for the production and processing of biopharmaceuticals. Uppsala BIO and GE Healthcare Life Sciences are interested in early research projects and technologies and ideas that are already in a product development phase or even on the market. The solutions can be for example technologies and reagents for cell culture, instrument systems for cultivation and protein purification, purification of biomolecules but also, software, algorithms and other related products. Proposals are welcome on a continual basis.
About GE Healthcare
GE Healthcare (gehealthcare.com) provides transformational medical technologies and services to meet the demand for increased access, enhanced quality and more affordable healthcare around the world. GE works on things that matter - great people and technologies taking on tough challenges. From medical imaging, software & IT, patient monitoring and diagnostics to drug discovery, biopharmaceutical manufacturing technologies and performance improvement solutions, GE Healthcare helps medical professionals deliver great healthcare to their patients.
About Uppsala BIO
Uppsala BIO (uppsalabio.com) is an independent, not-for-profit actor that works to enhance the long-term competitiveness and growth of the life science sector. Our most important efforts are about turning up the flow of innovations, starting from defined needs in healthcare and society in general. We do this together with companies, universities, healthcare, and public authorities. Uppsala BIO is the STUNS (the Foundation for Collaboration between the Universities of Uppsala, the Business Sector and Society) operation for life science.
Contacts:
Jonas Åström - GE Healthcare Life Sciences
Head of Strategic technologies, BioProcess
T: +46 076 724 2375 - E: jonas.astrom[.]ge.com.
Erik Forsberg, Managing Director, Uppsala BIO
T: +46 (0) 70-350 4143 - E: erik.forsberg[.]uppsalabio.co.
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saara.nordenstrom[.]ge.com 
