Experience to be shared: Danish experts contribute to lifting Europe’s biotech environments
When strong ecosystems share knowledge with less experienced regions, value is created across Europe’s life sciences sector. In the BIO-RED project, the Danish Life Science Cluster has gathered some of Denmark’s most experienced profiles in biotech and pharma for this purpose. Initial experience shows that cooperation not only boosts innovation, but also creates new knowledge and a more refined picture of Europe’s needs.
How do you create the best environment for the next generation of biotech and pharma companies in Europe?
The partners in the BIO-RED project are working intensively to answer this question. As responsible for the development of the project’s upcoming accelerator programme, the Danish Life Science Cluster has assembled an international expert panel with profiles from research, regulatory environments and business development, among others.
The goal is to translate experiences from Europe’s most mature innovation ecosystems, into concrete tools that can help startups and growth companies in less developed regions.
One of the experts is Dorte Arnbjerg, Independent expert and Consultant with many years of experience from international companies in the life science industry.
– I am impressed by the level and breadth of the group that has managed to gather. There are people from large companies, startups and independent consultants. It has been inspiring to experience how committed and competent people want to contribute to the task, says Dorte Arnbjerg.
Rapid common ground across countries
One of the aims of BIO-RED is to build bridges between regions with different strengths and maturity levels in red biotechnology and pharmaceutical innovation. The project brings together 11 partners from seven European countries and will strengthen innovation capacity through collaboration across regions.
According to Dorte Arnbjerg, the expert work has shown how much common ground there actually exists across national borders.
“Even though we come from different backgrounds, we were quickly on the same line. There has been a broad consensus that the accelerator programmes for startups should be as specialised as possible, with an eye to the very different paths to the market. And everyone wants to contribute as long as the purpose is ambitious and meaningful.
BIO-RED’s analyses show that across countries and organizations, there is broad agreement that new startups in particular struggle with three things:
- the shift from a research to a business mindset
- the regulatory requirements and documentation
- the ability to create common direction and alignment in the team.
When networks become innovation
According to Susanne Trillingsgaard Venø, project manager at Danish Life Science Cluster, the expert group’s work is a good example of the role Denmark’s national life science cluster plays in both Denmark and Europe.
“The Danish Life Science Cluster is a platform that has just been established to facilitate collaborations across organisations, disciplines and national borders. Therefore, it is enriching to experience how the experts in BIO-RED have interacted with each other, shared their knowledge and built trust across backgrounds and geographies, says Susanne Trillingsgaard Venø.
Strong tradition of passing on and helping the next generation on its way
According to Dorte Arnbjerg, participation is about more than professional sparring for the expert group. It is also about giving something back to an area that they themselves have benefited from throughout their careers.
– We are many experienced people in the group who have built up networks and experience over many years, and it is almost a matter of course that we want to help others continue on their journey. There is a strong grassroots environment in Denmark and Scandinavia, and it is a huge strength that experienced profiles make themselves available and help when the purpose makes sense.
According to Susanne Trillingsgaard Venø, this exchange of experience is crucial when BIO-RED later helps new companies move forward through the project’s accelerator program.
Therefore, several experts pointed out that mentor support and access to experienced profiles can be just as important as professional training. It’s not just about learning new things, but also about getting help navigating an unfamiliar landscape.
A total of 26 Danish and international experts have been part of four expert group meetings.
Next steps in the BIO-RED project
The work of the expert group is only one part of a larger BIO-RED process. In parallel, the project’s thematic labs have brought together startups, researchers, and companies to identify the key challenges they face. These challenges are now being taken on to hackathons, who interdisciplinary teams will develop solution proposals and new ideas for future companies.
The ambition is that the most promising teams can subsequently receive support through BIO-RED’s accelerator program.
Fact box: About BIO-RED
BIO-RED (Building Interregional Opportunities for Digital and Green Innovation in Red Biotechnology and Pharmaceuticals) is an EU-funded project with 11 partners from seven European countries. The project will strengthen innovation capacity in red biotechnology and pharmaceutical development through cooperation between less developed, transitional and more mature regions. A key element is the development of an accelerator program to help companies mature solutions and get ready for investment and growth.
