This year’s KI Science Park Day brought together a packed audience at at Biomedicum, Eva & Georg Kleinsalen, Campus Solna, for an afternoon centered around a theme at the very heart of innovation: people. With leaders, researchers, entrepreneurs, and investors gathered under one roof. Throughout the afternoon, one message stood out — success in life science is not only about groundbreaking science, technology, and capital, but equally about leadership, culture, relationships, and collaboration. Below is a summary of the key moments, insights, and stories that defined the day.
The day opened with welcoming remarks from Johan Weigelt, CEO at KI Holding and Chairman of the Board at KI Science Park, and Sara Gunnerås, Director at KI Science Park, together with moderator Ingrid Heath, Partner and CEO at Adlersson Heath AB. They highlighted the importance of spaces where people can meet, share knowledge, and build trust.
In the first session, Ingrid Heath and Johan Christenson, Partner at HealthCap, explored why life science is fundamentally a people business — where long-term perspectives, trust, and meaningful interaction are essential ingredients for ideas to grow into sustainable companies.
The theme came to life through a series of presentations. Emma Höglund, CEO of NeoBiomics AB, and co-founder Stefan Johansson, CMO and Associate Professor at KI, shared an open and inspiring story of how a startup can scale through conscious leadership and a strong partnership between founders and a new management team. NeoBiomics addresses a critical unmet need by providing high-quality nutritional solutions for preterm infants, and is now entering a phase of international expansion with the ambition of becoming the global leading provider for neonatal intensive care. Their work has been widely recognized in 2025, receiving both the Swecare Rising Star Export Award and the DI Gasell distinction.
Hanna Wiljebrand, Program Director for STEP at Swedish Incubators & Science Parks, then demonstrated how business-driven HR and research-based insights on team dynamics help young companies build strong, resilient organizations. She highlighted three core elements: understanding your key contribution in a team, navigating roles and expectations through constructive feedback, and building psychological safety. STEP is one of the practical tools used by business coaches at incubators and Science Parks around Sweden, including KI Innovations, supporting startups across the ecosystem. Those interested in learning more can explore an introductory video to the STEP methodology.
The afternoon keynote by Tobias Degsell emphasized the power of collaboration and its contribution to excellence, drawing on insights from the world of the Nobel Prize and over a decade of work with global organizations. Among the reflections participants brought with them were the value of becoming comfortable with being uncomfortable and the idea that LEGO, not puzzles, better describes how high-performing teams evolve and co-create. And we are quite certain that many participants will find themselves talking about ducks in the coming days — symbolizing the value of approaching challenges from different angles.
The panel “Populating your Business Model” continued to place people at the center. KI Innovations DRIVE alumni Maria L. Knudsen, CBO at AAX Biotech AB, and Umear Naseem, CEO and Founder of AplexBio AB, shared their perspectives on how early-stage companies prepare for growth, collaborations, and investments. Michael Dabrowski, CEO and co-founder of Pelago Bioscience AB, illustrated how a company can grow sustainably by shaping its business model around talent, expertise, and close customer engagement.
A much-appreciated highlight of the afternoon was the official award lecture by the recipients of Karolinska Institutet’s Award for Innovation and Utilization 2025, Dr. Björn Reinius and Dr. Joyce Noble from the Division of Biomaterials. They offered a fascinating insight into their research and its journey toward real-world impact. The award was presented by Professor Christian Giske, Vice Chairman of the Committee for Research and Chair of the Prize Committee.
The day concluded with an informal after-event mingle at A Working Lab Café in Innomedicum, where conversations continued and new relationships, ideas, and collaborations took shape — perfectly reflecting the spirit of the day.
A warm thank you to everyone who contributed — through preparation, participation, presence, and engagement — to making KI Science Park Day 2025 a memorable and impactful gathering.