Previously a number of Norwegian companies have taken advantage of this strong atmosphere for research and development to create and commercialize products that have truly succeeded in the global market. Examples include Dynal Biotech and Nycomed Imaging (now GE Healthcare). Other companies have created products and compounds in Oslo that realised substantial profits when they were acquired by larger international companies for further development and commercialization. GenoVision, Inovio and GemVax are prime examples.

Research areas of expertise
Norway’s and Oslo’s greatest strength in the life sciences still lies in the quality of the research conducted here, and the access to one of Europe’s most highly educated workforces. Whilst cancer research is well known, outstanding advances have been made in other areas as well. In cardiovascular research for example, three of the seminal trials – on beta-blocker, ace inhibitors and cholesterol lowering drugs – were performed here. Similarly four of the key discoveries in neuroscience were made by Oslo-based scientists. Therefore Norway’s strategic focus is on those areas where Norwegian research is of the very highest calibre:

• Cancer diagnostics and treatment (Oslo Cancer Cluster)
• Neuroscience
• Cardiovascular
• Immunology
• Blue and green biotech
• Functional genomics

Open to industry

Among other key advantages in the region is the willingness to encourage the industry. The Oslo region’s diagnostics and imaging industry is well-developed with large industrial players and constant innovations from a broad range of companies. There is an increasing tendency for international firms such as GE and Applied Biosystems to use Oslo as a testbed for new technologies and ideas. Excellent patient recruitment and follow-up thanks to the patient registry system means Oslo is also highly rated by pharmaceutical companies such as AstraZeneca, MSD, Roche, GSK and Pfizer for high quality clinical trials.

The Oslo region aims to continue to be the center of a booming cluster of biotechnological innovations, enterprises and collaborations. With its four clinical and research hospitals, numerous research institutes within life sciences and close international links, the Oslo region is well positioned both with respect to public private co-operation and international collaboration. Infrastructural strengths in health registers, clinical trials and public support also lay a solid foundation for future growth.

High concentration of biomedical activity

Gaustadbekkdalen in Oslo represents one of the most concentrated physical campuses for bio-medical activity in the Nordic countries. The anchor at Gaustadbekkdalen is the close co-operation between Rikshospitalet, Norway’s largest and most specialised hospital, and the neighbouring University of Oslo.

Also at Gaustadbekkdalen are a large division of SINTEF, the Nordic countries’ largest independent applied research organization, the Oslo Innovation Center, which – after a new expansion – will become one of the Nordic countries’ largest research parks, and the GlaxoSmithKline Innovation Center, a combined headquarters, incubator and conference center.

Not far from Gaustadbekkdalen, Montebello is home to the world famous Radium Cancer Hospital which has spun out a multitude of cancer-related companies such Dynal, Algeta, GemVax and PhotoCure. Building continues apace with a new Radiation Center, and the area is now being mooted as the site of a new science park to enhance the recently launched Oslo Cancer Cluster.

In a beautiful countryside setting to the south-east of Oslo, the Ås campus is the focal point of green and blue biotech research. The campus includes the University of Life Science, MATFORSK, Bioforsk, Bioparken and the AKVAFORSK research institute. The latter institution specialise in breeding programmes, fish feed, and productquality, along with the Aquaculture Protein Center. Ås is also home to CIGENE, a FUGE center providing integratedgenetics research services to other institutes.