Astra Zeneca hosting U-GOT KIES workshop on Medical Innovation
At the Workshop in Medical Innovation hosted at AstraZeneca, the main theme was focused on university-industry interactions. This theme gave opportunities for the social scientists from around Europe, who analyse the patterns and reasons for medical innovation, to interact with colleagues working on these issues within AstraZeneca.
AstraZeneca, Gothenburg is host for the 11th annual Workshop on Medical Innovation (WOMI) 2022. More than 40 researchers attended the day, coming from across Europe. Kaushik Sengupta, Director Alliance management at AstraZeneca and Anna Sandström, Director Science Policy and Relations Europe, at AstraZeneca are together with Maureen McKelvey and colleagues at the Gothenburg Centre for Knowledge-Intensive Innovation Ecosystems (U-GOT KIES) organizing this year’s workshop. Anna Sandström is also a member of the Advisory Council for Societal Dialogue and Impact, at U-GOT KIES.
- Organizing this event together with AstraZeneca is a great example of how we work with external stakeholders in order to stimulate societal dialogue and creating network arenas, says Maureen McKelvey, Professor of Industrial management and Director of the Gothenburg U-GOT KIES centre.
Exiting panel discussions
During the day there were two panel discussions. The panels consisted of experts from Karolinska Institutet, AstraZeneca and selected international researchers within the field of medical innovation.
Reusing Drug Compounds - Scientific and Managerial Perspectives
The first panel discussion of the day entered the debate about repurposing technology and drug compounds, from scientific and managerial perspectives. The panel explored open questions and research opportunities related to the reuse of drug compounds in different disease contexts.
Panellists
- Dr Annika Jenmalm Jensen, Infrastructure director, SciLifeLab (Karolinska Institute)
- Professor James Barlow (Imperial College London)
- Dr Thomas Lundbäck, Senior Director, Mechanistic and Structural Biology (AstraZeneca)
- Dr Bastian Rake (Maynooth University & Affiliated Researcher at U-GOT KIES centre), Chairperson
Benefits and Spillovers in Academic Alliances and Research Collaboration between Pharmaceutical firms and Universities
The second panel discussion focused on university-industry interactions. An interesting issue to both companies and universities is whether, how and when, different types of university-industry interactions do – or do not – benefit both partners. What types of different interactions exist? How do companies achieve fruitful alliances for their pipelines? What works or does not?
Panellists
- Professor Isabel Bodas Freitas (GEM Grenoble Ecole de Management & Broman scholar guest researcher at U-GOT KIES centre), Chairperson
- Professor Magnus Gulbrandsen (University of Oslo)
- Dr Susanna Myhre, Director, Academic Alliances (AstraZeneca)
- Professor Mark Flynn (Global Edge Medtech Consulting and University of Newcastle)
U-GOT KIES promotes Societal Dialogue and Impact
The workshop is organized by the Gothenburg Centre on Knowledge-intensive Innovation Ecosystems (U-GOT KIES). U-GOT KIES can help promote societal impact and societal dialogue with the surrounding society. They occur in dialogue between U-GOT KIES centre members and various decision makers in large firms, entrepreneurial firms, public organizations and universities. We do so by diffusing our research results, engaging in direct dialogue such as public seminars, and through diffusing knowledge in undergraduate and advanced education.
It is a pleasure to welcome and host the academic researchers for the WOMI workshop to AstraZeneca Mölndal site and thereby showcasing the importance of cross sector discussion and collaboration in sciences .
– Kaushik Sengupta, Director, Alliance Management, Astra Zeneca Biopharmaceutical R&D
The amazing journey
Kaushik Sengupta and his colleuage Anders Lundqvist took the participants on The amazing journey. This was an exciting site tour to educate us about the AstraZeneca journey and all the innovative development on site. See more photos by following this link: https://www.gu.se/en/u-gotkies/photos-from-the-amazing-journey, or by clicking on the photo below.
WOMI is an international network of researchers who study innovation, entrepreneurship and the organisation of research and development in the context of healthcare organisations, medical devices and pharmaceutical industries and the broader field of medicine and life-sciences.