Life science is one of Sweden’s most successful and significant industries. Continued success requires a dynamic and thoughtful policy. The industry organization SwedenBIO supports its 235 member companies by analyzing and describing the reality they face. By contributing to increased knowledge and an active public debate on life science, SwedenBIO will continue to help policy makers take wise measures to promote good health and strengthen one of the country’s most important export industries. Part of this effort is the recruitment of Helena Strigård as Head of Policy and Deputy CEO. She comes from a position as a non-political official in the budget department of the Ministry of Finance, where she worked closely with both this government and the previous Alliance government.
– Helena Strigård has long and solid experience of conducting qualified advocacy work at both national and European level. With the help of her insights from the Government Offices on how research, innovation and business policy can be translated into reality, SwedenBIO’s ability to give the industry a strong voice will be further strengthened, says Jonas Ekstrand, CEO, SwedenBIO.
Helena Strigård is a civil engineer in molecular biotechnology and Ph. kand. in business administration. She has previously worked as an advisor in research and innovation policy at the Confederation of Swedish Enterprise and as an advisor at the business organization BusinessEurope. At the Ministry of Finance’s budget department, she has over the years been responsible for a number of policy areas, including business and research policy and with it the department’s work on the 2016 research and innovation bill.
– I would argue that the potential of the life science industry to contribute to solving current societal challenges is greater than ever. For example, we see how opportunities and expectations of care are changing with digitalization and personalized healthcare. But this potential will not be fully realized unless life science companies are given the right conditions. And let’s not forget that this is an industry that faces fierce international competition. I look forward to continuing SwedenBIO’s advocacy work so that Swedish life science can develop strongly, says Helena Strigård, incoming Vice President and Head of Policy at SwedenBIO.
Helena Strigård will have operational responsibility for policy issues with the task of conducting an internal and public discussion on the industry’s opportunities, conditions and needs. She will take up her post on 27 November.
Jonas Ekstrand and Helena Strigård are available for questions on Wednesday, September 13 at 13.00-13.30 at the SwedenBIO stand at the Nordic Life Science Days in Malmö(www.nlsdays.com). Free registration is possible for professional journalists and press representatives – please contact the organizers through Ola Björkman,
ola.bjorkman@letemknow.se
, 070-245 74 97.
CONTACT:
Jonas Ekstrand, CEO, SwedenBIO
Phone: 070-302 08 96
Helena Strigård
Phone: 073-640 28 05
The industry organization SwedenBIO’s more than 230 member companies have a total of 20,000 employees who contribute in various ways to the development of new treatments to prevent and alleviate ill health. Members include companies that are active in drug development, biotechnology, medical devices and diagnostics or are experts in areas such as business development, financing, intellectual property and law.
Read the press release here.
