Medicon Valley Alliance: Connecting Talent, Driving Innovation
As a cornerstone of the Øresund region’s life sciences ecosystem, Medicon Valley Alliance (MVA) plays a pivotal role in uniting academia, healthcare, and industry across Sweden and Denmark. With a mission rooted in collaboration and innovation, MVA brings deep cross-border expertise to the Cross-border Talent Bridge project. In this interview, they share how their work strengthens the regional talent pipeline and helps position Medicon Valley as a globally competitive hub for life sciences.
Partner portrait:
Medicon Valley Alliance
Tell us about your organization – who are you, what do you do, and what role do you play in the life sciences/tech sector?
– Medicon Valley Alliance (MVA) is a non-profit, member-based Swedish-Danish organization representing and advancing one of Europe’s strongest life science regions - Medicon Valley. Through a unique cross-border and triple-helix approach, MVA connects academia, hospitals, and the life science industry to drive innovation, strengthen collaboration, and enhance regional competitiveness, says Stephan Bouman, PhD, Head of Project Portfolio Management at Medicon Valley Alliance.
Stephan Bouman, Medicon Valley Alliance
Why have you chosen to join this collaboration, and how do you see it benefiting your organization?
- The project aligns directly with MVA’s strategic goal to strengthen the region’s competitiveness by addressing talent attraction and retention challenges, says Stephan. Participation allows MVA to contribute to and benefit from coordinated efforts to reinforce the regional life science talent pipeline, supporting our members and ecosystem.
What challenges do you face in attracting, retaining, and developing talent in your industry, and how can cross-border collaboration help address these?
- Key challenges include growing competition for highly skilled professionals, regulatory complexity, and demographic shifts, he continues. Cross-border collaboration helps by expanding the accessible talent pool, facilitating knowledge exchange, and enhancing regional visibility as an attractive destination for global talent.
Creating a unified regional identity
What opportunities do you see in collaborating across borders within the Greater Copenhagen region?
- Cross-border collaboration enables better alignment of national life science strategies, stronger project consortia, and shared infrastructure. It enhances innovation capacity and helps create a unified regional identity that is more competitive and appealing on the global stage.
What long-term impact do you hope this project will have on your organization and the region?
- We hope to see improved talent flow across borders, more joint initiatives on talent development, and a stronger shared regional brand. For MVA, this enhances our value to members and further positions Medicon Valley as a globally competitive life science hub.
Attracting global talent and investment
How do you view the region’s competitiveness in life sciences and tech today, and how can we strengthen it together?
- The region is strong in R&D and industry-hospital-academia collaboration but lacks the critical mass of major global hubs. Strengthening competitiveness requires more integrated cross-border efforts, alignment of national strategies, and bold initiatives to attract global talent and investment.
What role can your organization play in driving change in talent attraction and skills development within the region?
- MVA can facilitate connections, promote best practices, and amplify the region’s strengths through advocacy and strategic projects. We provide platforms for networking, events, and thematic networks that help our members access and nurture talent.
Career opportunities, innovation leadership and quality of life
Which communication channels and messages do you think will be most effective for reaching both businesses and talent?
- Professional social media (especially LinkedIn), regional branding campaigns, and participation in international conferences are key. Messaging should emphasize career development opportunities, innovation leadership, and quality of life in the Øresund region.
Are there any initiatives or best practices from your organization that could inspire others in the network?
- Our thematic networks, cross-border flagship events, and triple-helix project facilitation serve as best practices in fostering collaboration and competence development across sectors and countries.
What do you see as the greatest opportunity of this project, both for your organization and for the Greater Copenhagen region in the long term?
- The greatest opportunity is building a truly integrated life science talent ecosystem that can attract and retain top-tier global talent. For MVA, it’s a chance to amplify our impact in one of the most critical areas for future growth: human capital.
Get in touch with Medicon Valley Alliance
Main contact person for Cross-border Talent Bridge at Medicon Valley Alliance:
Stephan Bouman, PhD, Head of Project Portfolio Management
Send an e-mail to Stephan Bouman - stb@mva.org
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