Uppsala University
Uppsala University (UU) is the oldest university in Sweden, founded in 1477, and boasts a lively multicultural environment and extraordinary student life with over 45,000 students! Cutting-edge research and the high quality education pursued at the University are aimed to benefit business and society globally. The university is characterized by both the diversity and breadth of programs offered at both Bachelor’s and Master’s level and the international frontline research taking place across nine different faculties.
Uppsala University is historically strongly rooted in scientific research in life sciences. It is home of Olof Rudbeck, discovering the lymphatic system in 1650, and Carl von Linnaeus, who established the systematic classification of the nature. Anders Ångstrom measured the minutes molecules and some of the university's eight Nobel Laureates are Arne Tiselius, awarded for research on electrophoresis, The Svedberg for the ultracentrifuge giving us the unit S and possibility to purify proteins as well as Svante Pääbo, who has been awarded 2022 year’s Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine “for his discoveries concerning the genome of extinct hominins and human evolution”.
Life sciences at Uppsala
Uppsala University is part of a major research initiative in life sciences in Sweden, SciLifeLab, with a focus on elucidating the molecular basis and treat human disorders by applying new technologies. The aim is to identify genetic risk factors, biomarkers, and molecular mechanisms in human diseases, providing opportunities for early diagnosis, personal treatment, and identifying points of attack for new medicines. UU also hosts Sweden’s only faculty of pharmacy that creates preconditions for vitalising and rationalising drug development. Cancer research at UU has been further advanced through the projects U-CAN & U-CARE and by interactions with UU Academic Hospital. U-CAN builds an extensive biobank, while also devising methods to improve diagnostics, characterise malignant diseases, and select individualized treatments.
Uppsala University upholds its tradition of internationally renowned research, several biotechnological and pharmaceutical companies have also been formed on the basis of research at the university.
Sweden is ranked as one of the most innovative countries in the world and today, more than 600 life science companies are located in the Uppsala/Stockholm region, many in close connections with Uppsala University. Several supporting networks for innovations and entrepreneurships facilitate collaborations between the university and industry, and assist university researchers in developing and commercializing their ideas. Unlike the situation in most other countries, Swedish university researchers own rights to their own inventions due to the, so called “Teacher’s exemption”. This interest in translating academic findings to products is reflected in the formation of several centres of excellence joining the public sector, academia and industry into constellations.