The Nordic region, Finland, Sweden, Denmark, Norway and Iceland, has historically been under the radar screen as a hot spot for life sciences. The Nordic area has a tremendous amount of growth potential in the life sciences industry with its strong public health traditions, attractive governmental research support, highly educated personnel, growing infrastructure and burgeoning innovation from the academic and private sectors. In the Nordic region you will find state of the art global research entities such as the Karolinska Hospital in Sweden and the Norwegian Radium Hospital for cancer research in Oslo. In both Finland and Denmark you find leading pharma entities with world known products and services backed by strong clinical institutions.


Why the Nordic Region :

With a longstanding tradition of active and stable social democracies, development of social welfare systems and high standard of living the region hosts advanced knowledge-based information and innovation entities. Leading academic institutions have contributed to the creation of interesting investment opportunities.

The Nordic region have accumulated a population of around 22 million people but the science and corporate activity level is especially high since life sciences make up an important element in the Nordic welfare model with high content of publicly financed medicare systems. Sweden has some truly global corporate entities within industrial markets such as Ericsson, Scania ,Volvo, Electrolux, Vattenfall and Pharma companies like Astra Zeneca . In Denmark you find attractive companies like Lundbeck and Novo Nordisk and many others with seed holdings within Life Sciences such as Carlsberg etc. Finland is host to strong telecommunication operators such as Nokia and in Norway renewable energy and energy related industries such as Statkraf , Norsk Hydro, Statoil and Norway`s Souvereign Wealth Fund represents a true global capacity in money management. 
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BIOTECHNOLOGY In the Nordic Region :

Burrill & Company is one of the world leaders in the life sciences investments. With our foresight, we believe the Nordic Region has a untapped growth potentials in the technology sector. With strong support from the local governments, the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industry has been growing steadily over many years. We foresee further industry consolidations, increased innovations from public regional research programs. Particular growth is expected within green technologies and applications by nature loving Nordic societies.

Currently, there are significant number of companies that make up the Nordic region`s biotechnology industry, and more than half are located in strong industrial clusters around the Oresund region, in Stockholm, Helsinki and Oslo. The industry, however, is moving toward geographic diversification thanks to government policies that nurture bio-clusters throughout the country. Domestic biotechnology firms focus on the bio-pharma. diagnostics, nutritional ingredients from marine sources such as Omega 3 etc. Assisted Reproduction Technologies and regenerative medicine is also in a strong upward trend. Public Health management system have got more and more attention over the last years with fast increasing public spending within the public health care system.

In line with global trends, the Nordic region’s biotechnology is strengthening its R&D capacity in genomics, proteomics, and bioinformatics. There are also new researches being done in bio-products through the incorporation of cutting-edge technologies. The annual average investment has increased and a serious of start ups have launched IPOs in Oslo, Stockholm and Copenhagen some with considerable recent success such as Algeta of Norway.


BURRILL NORDIC GROUP:

Burrill & Company has formed the Burrill Nordic group to leverage our expertise and knowledge in the life sciences to work with the Nordic governments, biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies. Through future direct investments in the Burrill Nordic Fund under development Burrill & Company hopes to help maximize the growth and progress in the healthcare and life sciences industries in the Nordic region for the world.

CONTACT INFORMATION:

Partner / Burrill Nordic
Munkedamsveien 45
Vika Atrium,
0250 Oslo, Norway

Nordic direct : + 47 22 94 77 00
Email: dag.dvergsten@b-c.com