SwedenBIO appoints its first International Director

Marjo Puumalainen joins SwedenBIO on September 2022, 2022.

SwedenBIO appoints Dr Marjo Puumalainen as its first International Director, as part of the organization’s ongoing efforts to strengthen its representation of Swedish life science on the global arena.

“Sweden and the Nordics have positioned ourselves internationally as a strong life science region during the pandemic. As an industry organization, it falls on us at SwedenBIO to drive that development further and create the optimal conditions for our companies to succeed on the global market,” Frida Lawenius, SwedenBIO’s acting Director General, says about the strategic decision to create this new role.

“In Marjo Puumalainen, we get a creative doer with experience from both the academic and corporate sides of the life science industry, a first-hand understanding of the realities of operating a startup, and an international background. This combination gives her a strong sense both of emerging opportunities, as well as the prerequisites needed for companies to flourish,” Frida Lawenius says.

Marjo Puumalainen has a PhD in cancer biology from the University of Zurich. Most recently, she was the interim CEO as well as chief scientific officer at Biomedrex, a startup developing CRISPR-based antivirals. Prior to that, she held positions at the Karolinska Institute and SciLifeLab with focus on infectious disease research, drug discovery and pandemic preparedness.

”SwedenBIO has built a unique position to strengthen the life science sector in Sweden by connecting key players in the field and boosting the ecosystem. I am looking forward joining the dynamic team at SwedenBIO and support life science companies to maximise their success – with a particular focus on international activities,” Marjo Puumalainen says.

SwedenBIO’s global activities aim at creating visibility for Swedish companies in particular and Nordic life science in general, to enable international deal making, and to facilitate cross-border partnerships and new establishments.

SwedenBIO’s conference Nordic Life Science Days (NLSDays) – the largest partnering event for life sciences in the Nordics – is a key component in SwedenBIO’s international strategy and is an increasingly important meeting place for Nordic and global actors. The conference celebrates its tenth anniversary in Copenhagen next year and has seen a strong, continuous growth in delegates and exhibitors since its inception in 2013.

”Swedish life science companies require the involvement of the international community, especially in terms of investments and partnerships. Through this new International Director role, SwedenBIO can continue to strengthen their international flagship event, NLSDays, and develop other international activities to encourage international engagement,” Marjo Puumalainen says.