Sweden – EATRIS

Sweden

Sweden became a full member of EATRIS in 2018. Today, ten Swedish institutes are linked to EATRIS contributing with expertise to three EATRIS platforms; biomarkers, imaging & tracers and small molecules. The institutes combine frontline technical expertise with advanced knowledge of translational medicine and molecular bioscience and provide a wide range of services to the EATRIS infrastructure.

The Swedish institutes has already established programs for external collaborations that deals with academia, private companies, organisations, government agencies and other societal institutions. The technologies and expertise provided by the institutes are open for both national and international customers.

The Swedish Coordination Center is located in Uppsala at Uppsala University and involves a National Director, Professor Pontus Aspenström and a National Coordinator, Ulrika Bäckman.

Contact details:
Pontus.Aspenstrom@igp.uu.se
Tel. +46 70 317 10 28
Ulrika.Backman@uadm.uu.se
Tel. +46 70 167 94 74

SWEDEN IN THE SPOTLIGHT

Sweden has been a full member of EATRIS since 2018 and, since then, has built a strong national network of unique research infrastructure and expertise in translational medicine. Under the umbrella of Vinnova, and as part of SciLifeLab, Sweden proudly took the torch in the EATRIS Spotlight Programme. With a focus on “Artificial Intelligence in healthcare,” the goal was to examine the opportunities, challenges and ethical questions that come with increased reliance on this emerging tool. The Swedish node raised essential questions about Artificial Intelligence (AI), led by EATRIS National Director Pontus Aspenström and National Coordinator Ulrika Bäckman, with the support of our Board of Governors Representatives, Katrin Brandt (Programme Manager at Vinnova) and Annika Jenmalm Jensen (Infrastructure Director at SciLifeLab).

The aim was not only to advance understanding of the opportunities presented by AI in both healthcare and wider society but also to engage with the challenges and ethical considerations raised by these advances, ensuring that research remained grounded in real experiences and concerns. During the EATRIS Spotlight, Sweden fostered new collaborations – both nationally and among EATRIS nodes. Key focus areas included:

Scientific Research: The use of AI in healthcare represents remarkable opportunities in terms of time management, rapid diagnostics and economic gains. However, this prospect also raises a series of questions, challenges, ethical considerations, resource management and sustainability.
Community Engagement: Connecting civil society, academia and additional stakeholders to ensure that our research reflects genuine experiences and priorities in AI.
Capacity Node Building: Establishing lasting partnerships on a national level with other AI-related initiatives, such as Data-Driven Life Sciences (DDLS). Initiatives in Sweden include AI for Science – Knut och Alice Wallenberg Foundation; AI Sweden – National center for applied AI and many more.

The team approached the topic from multiple angles and built new collaborations both nationally and internationally within the EATRIS community. The programme concluded with a symposium in Stockholm on 26 May 2025, immediately preceding the combined BoND/BoG meeting. While this marked the end of Sweden’s time in the Spotlight, it was only the beginning of the next chapter in its AI journey.

Warm regards,
Pontus and Ulrika and the EATRIS Sweden team

Interviews with the Swedish Node Community

Here are a few interviews with members of the EATRIS Sweden community. Click on the image to read them in full.

EATRIS Meets Ulrika Bäckman

Swedish Researchers in Spotlight – Jesper Hedberg

Swedish Researchers in Spotlight – Annika Jenmalm Jensen

EATRIS Meets Pontus Aspenström

Swedish Researchers in Spotlight – Gunnar Antoni

EATRIS Sweden in the Spotlight - a Summary

Successful EATRIS Nordic ATMP Webinar Series

Bridging Nordic ATMP is a ATMP webinar series hosted by the Nordic EATRIS Nodes Sweden, Norway and Finland. Find out more about the already hosted sessions and upcoming topics

Swedish spotlight selected publications

EATRIS Sweden is the recipient of the EATRIS Node Reward

Each year EATRIS awards three nodes with a Node Reward, that signifies their commitment to supporting EATRIS goals. Find out more about other recipents, criteria and more.

Successful genomics symposium with EATRIS Sweden

EATRIS Certificate Of Commitment To Quality awarded to EATRIS Sweden.

This Certificate was signed at the meeting of the EATRIS Board of National Directors in Amsterdam, and handed over to Ulrika Bäckman, National Coordinator of EATRIS Sweden who will deliver it to Uppsala personally.

EATRIS Sweden training seminar in regulatory knowledge

EATRIS Sweden and RegSmart Life Science Consultancy are hosted a free training seminar on regulatory knowledge aimed for researchers/professionals who wish to know more about the development of products in the life sciences.

Contact

Ulrika Bäckman

National Coordinator of Sweden

+46(0)701679474

Pontus Aspenström

National Director of Sweden
Board of National Directors

Annika Jenmalm Jensen

Governor of Sweden
Board of Governors

Helena Berglund

Governor of Sweden
Board of Governors

About Eatris

Services

Platforms

Chalmers University of Technology

Karolinska Institutet

KTH Royal Institute of Technology

Linköping University

Lund University

Örebro University

Protein Production Sweden (PPS), University of Gothenburg

SciLifeLab

Stockholm University

Swedish National Infrastructure for Biological Mass Spectrometry

Testa Center

Umeå University

University of Gothenburg

Uppsala Clinical Research Center (UCR)

Uppsala University