Umeå Biotech Incubator launches international incubator program

Sweden’s Umeå Biotech Incubator (UBI) specializes in developing life science business ideas. Now it is looking for more success beyond its borders with the launch of an international incubator program.
“If you strive to be one of the world's best incubators you must have the whole world as your marketplace”, says Jennie Ekbeck, CEO of UBI.

UBI was founded in 2003, and its success in supporting life science projects has already attracted attention from around the world. Umeå Biotech Incubator is ranked as one of the best Life science incubators in Europe, and in 2021 UBI was named Europe's most innovative biotechnology incubator by Global Health and Pharma Magazine, in recognition of the positive changes it is making to the biotech industry.

Over the years UBI has received numerous requests from international startups and innovators hoping to benefit from its vast experience in developing life science business ideas.

In response, it is now launching the ‘UBI International Coaching Program’, with the first course starting on October 24th.

“Our role is to help companies develop solutions that meet a verified and significant need in the global healthcare market. No matter where in the world you have your idea, it is the same market you are working with, and the same questions you need to answer in order to develop your idea”, says Jennie Ekbeck.

The UBI International Coaching Program is a pre-incubator program, where startups and innovators will receive coaching from UBI's business coaches to identify the need for their concepts and determine what the market and competition look like. There are six available places on the 17-week course, which includes lectures, group seminars and individual coaching.

Unlike Swedish startups and innovators, who are financed via various public funds and schemes, participants in the international program are required to pay a fee. The new program targets early-stage startups, but there are already plans to develop it further.

“The idea is that after the pre-incubator we will start an international incubator program with an annual intake. If we open the door to the world, we hope in the long run that the world’s innovators will come to Umeå in even greater numbers than they do today”, says Jennie Ekbeck, who adds that UBI has considerable experience in digital coaching.

“The pandemic contributed to expanding the world’s digital capabilities. So it is nothing new for us to coach remotely. We have successfully worked this way with Swedish companies, and now we want to take it a step further”.