The new Top of Europe financing network created by Bioforum Oulu, Finland, will be the theme of a workshop in Göteborg, Sweden, on 9 July. Top of Europe was set up to help to close the financial gap that appears once spin-outs from universities and research institutions pass the initial stage, where they are financed by public pre-seed financing.
Program Director Tuula Palmén, Bioforum Oulu, says “We hope to promote the establishment of the Top of Europe financing network through dialogue with key stakeholders like private investors, SMEs, national and regional innovation and research agencies plus decision- and opinion-makers.”
Palmén added that competitiveness of the Baltic Sea Region requires a focus on the development of research-based SMEs. “Otherwise we will lose ground to low costs countries,” she said.
The Göteborg workshop is part of an EU co-funded project, Bridge-BSR, with seven partners in addition to Bioforum Oulu: BioCan Valley, Estonian Biotech Association, IPPT-PAN, Latvian Association of Biotechnology, Medicon Valley Alliance, ScanBalt and Steinbeis Team North East. Bridge-BSR aims to bridge academic research and SMEs within life sciences and biotechnology in the Baltic Sea Region.
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