Finland to host international Life Science Live event
Life Science Live is a new international event for professionals in the fields of pharmaceuticals and healthcare. The event will take place at the Turku Fair and Congress Center on May 15–16, 2019.
The science content at Life Science Live will be coordinated by the University of Turku, Åbo Akademi University, Turku University of Applied Sciences and Turku Science Park Ltd (HealthTurku). The HealthBio event by Turku Science Park Ltd. is organized simultaneously with Life Science Live. In connection with Life Science Live a two-day-long i-HD (Improved Health Data) conference will also take place.
This momentous event will bring international experts in the field to Turku. The participants will include companies, professionals, researchers, students, buyers and investors. The exhibition stands at the event will present the latest innovations. The main theme for the 2019 event will be artificial intelligence and its application in, for instance, healthcare, pharmaceutical development and biotechnology.
− In biomedicine and medicine, the path from basic research to application is getting increasingly shorter. Turku’s universities have strong traditions in developing both pharmaceuticals and diagnostic methods. We are constantly on the lookout for new Finnish and foreign partnerships that will, through more intensive collaboration, lead to health innovations with a global impact. We believe that new forms of interdisciplinary collaboration are the best way to achieve this in future, says Kalervo Väänänen, Rector of the University of Turku.
Finland is a leader in pharmaceutical research and research expertise
With an annual growth rate of more than 5 percent, health & well-being is the biggest industry in the world. Finland is a major player in the field, and its health technology exports, among other things, are significant on a global scale.
Turku is a natural base for the Life Science Live event. The region boasts more than 100 companies, two medical and biotech-oriented universities and a leading research & development hub. More than 20 innovations from Turku have gained global prominence.
Life Science Live is not just an event, but also a bridge between research and business. It will offer information about the latest trends in science and business. A business matchmaking event is also being planned for the program.
Speakers at the event include Dipak Kalra, PhD, President of the European Institute for Health Records and of the European Institute for Innovation through Health Data; Laura Elo, PhD, Research Director in Bioinformatics and Group Leader in Computational Biomedicine (University of Turku and Åbo Akademi University); Moncef Gabbouj, PhD, Professor of Signal Processing; and Olli Raitakari, MD, PhD, Professor in Cardiovascular Medicine, Director of the Turku University Research Centre of Applied and Preventive Cardiovascular Medicine.
Health technology is one of the fastest-growing high-tech export fields in Finland. Finland is, in fact, one of seven countries in the world that export more health technology than they import.
−More than 80 per cent of the health technology products manufactured in Finland are exported. Companies still, however, need to develop their solutions in Finland together with research institutions and hospitals. This will help bring health technology solutions to patient care in Finland, promote companies’ growth and exports, and at the same time, lead to increased investments in Finland, explains Healthtech Finland’s CEO, Saara Hassinen.