Billion investment accelerates the pace of GoCo Health Innovation City

New considerable investment in cooperative health innovation will accelerate the development of the large cluster for medicine and health, GoCo Health Innovation City in Mölndal. It’s the real estate developers Next Step Group, Investor owned Vectura Fastigheter and Balder that together invest just over 1.6 billion SEK.

The goal is that the innovation cluster will stimulate Swedish health innovation by creating new meetings, innovations and collaborations. The hub will be the signature building GoCo House - a 21, 000 m2 building for collaboration that is now starting to be built. It’s also confirmed that Balder will develop 450 rental apartments and researcher apartments in the area.

"The challenges we are facing, both in human health and global competition, demand new ways of working. GoCo House is a new forum for the academy, companies and entrepreneurs and it is this kind of investments that are needed in order for us to become the magnet for talent and engine for innovation that the Swedish health sector calls for," says Joel Ambré, CEO of Vectura Fastigheter.

GoCo House manifests the idea of GoCo Health Innovation City by being a meeting place and a neutral platform for new collaborations.

"Outstanding research comes from cooperation and now we’re creating the place where great research ideas can be channeled and realised. We are creating opportunities for collaboration in order to accelerate the innovation power that’s gathered in the region," says Jacob Torell, CEO of Next Step Group.

Erik Selin also views GoCo Health Innovation City as an important investment in the future of the Gothenburg region.

"I believe GoCo will create considerable value for both the region and Sweden. The location next to AstraZeneca is fantastic and a cluster such as this is needed to develop Swedish health innovation and to attract both talent and companies here," says Erik Selin, CEO of Balder.

"The housing we’re building offers guest researchers, employees, and other people that the

site will attract, to live in the heart of GoCo Health Innovation City. It’s a crucial ingredient in making the area vibrant," he adds.

A coming video production features Marcus Wallenberg, Leif Johansson and Carl Bennet, who are all prepared to make major investments with their various businesses in order to make GoCo Health Innovation City a world-leading center for development within health, biomedicine and health technology.

The video also features the Swedish Minister for Business, Industry and Innovation Ibrahim Baylan, AstraZeneca’s CEO Pascal Soriot and Executive Vice President, BioPharmaceuticals R&D Mene Pangalos, researcher and entrepreneur Mathias Uhlén, KTH, Hospital Director Ann-Marie Wennberg, Sahlgrenska University Hospital and the Vice-Chancellor of The University of Gothenburg, Eva Wiberg.

Facts - GoCo Health Innovation City

• Builds on AstraZeneca’s presence in Mölndal, whose research operation already today includes around 2,000 employees of more than 50 nationalities.

• BioVentureHub is also present here with about 30 research initiatives and start-ups, and it will be a part of the new health innovation city.

• The Japanese world-leading company Fujirebio Diagnostics are relocating to the area and it was recently confirmed that the listed Swedish pioneer within transplantation solutions – XVIVO Perfusion – places its headquarters in GoCo House.

• The region is home to a large number of companies within life science, such as Getinge, Mölnlycke Healthcare, Essity, Dentsply Sirona & Wellspect Healthcare and more.

• The combined number of employees of the companies currently present in the region amount to around 7,500. GoCo Health Innovation City offers the opportunity for another 5,000 people to operate in the area.

• GoCo Health Innovation City has taken several initiatives for collaboration, among others the innovation program GoCo Arena, that’s run together with The Sahlgrenska Academy and AstraZeneca.