The important thing is having meeting places in our everyday life. I hope the Loop will be such a vital venue, where we can meet and mingle informally. Another reason to look forward to the construction of the Loop is that it has exactly the same purpose as my organisation: linking research, industry, and universities. In our case, we are focusing on creating business opportunities for Swedish companies.
Great business opportunities
Sweden is co-financing thirteen research facilities across Europe. In addition to ESS and MAX IV this includes world-leading research organisations like CERN, ESO and ITER. This public commitment means excellent opportunities for the companies chosen as suppliers.
Assignments for European research facilities mean access to world-class research and the opportunity to develop cutting-edge technology for the researchers there. It can also be a boost for entering other markets. Scanditronix is a good example. They have supplied many of the advanced magnets for MAX IV and develop their products together with the researchers at research facilities like CERN. Now Scandtronix can also benefit from this unique know how on the much larger market for radiation treatment of cancer.
For all of Sweden
On behalf of Region Skåne, I have worked for several years creating this kind of business opportunities for companies in Southern Sweden. Now the Swedish innovation agency (Vinnova), together with the Swedish research council (Vetenskapsrådet) and the Swedish agency for economic and regional growth (Tillväxtverket), has formed Big Science Sweden together with us, universities in Lund, Uppsala, Göteborg, and Luleå, as well as the Association of Swedish Engineering Industries and the Research Institutes of Sweden. Big Science Sweden’s mission is to facilitate business opportunities for Swedish companies and support in big-science innovation projects. Big Science Sweden supports science facilities across the world in finding Swedish high-tech suppliers.
To a large extent, our operations will comprise of setting up workshops and conferences to create meetings between Swedish companies and the European research facilities. So of course, we are looking forward to getting a new place to meet in the middle of the research cluster that is now emerging in Science Village in Lund. This includes not least larger conferences. For the moment, we can often manage with Stora Salen at AF. However, demand for this venue is high, and we need more options.
Anna Hall,
Program Director, Big Science Sweden
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