Stockholm Science City concludes agreement with MaRS in Toronto, Canada
Press release 2 November 2006
Stockholm Science City (Vetenskapsstaden) and MaRS, a centre for entrepreneurship and innovation within the life sciences located in central Toronto in Canada, have concluded an agreement on long term cooperation. The aim of this cooperation is to strengthen the two cities as leading global centres within life sciences. The signing of the agreement was carried out in connection with an official state visit to Canada by the Swedish King and Queen, and was signed in the presence of Sweden’s Ambassador to Canada, Ingrid Iremark and representatives of Swedish industry.
From the left Ola Björkman, director SSCi - Bioscience, Dr. Ilse Treurnich CEO MaRS, Henrik Mickos CEO Stockholm Science City, standing Ingrid Iremark Swedish Embassador in Canada.
“Stockholm and Toronto belong to the leading bio-regions in Europe and North America and feature life science research of the absolute highest class”, says Henrik Mickos, CEO of Stockholm Science City. “MaRS in Toronto is one of several international contacts we have identified with the aim of developing our network.”
MaRS is located in Toronto’s Discovery District with one of North America’s leading universities, University of Toronto, just across the street. A number of research centres for basic and clinical research are also found close by. In the same manner as in Stockholm, its proximity to the city with its financial centre and all the diversity offered by the urban environment is palpable.
In Stockholm, planning is underway for a powerful reinforcement of the region’s position as one of Europe’s leading bio-regions and its profile as a science city. Close to Stockholm inner city a new university hospital, new premises for research and companies, housing, cultural events, hotels and other services will be constructed. This development covers the North Station area with its immediate proximity to Karolinska Institute, The Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm University and the centre of the city. The ambition is to create one of the world’s most attractive environments for leading edge research, innovation and enterprises within life sciences.
“The clear similarities between both these cities, as concerns their preconditions for belonging to the league of future leading global bio-regions, forms the basis of our cooperation,” states Ola Björkman, Stockholm Science City – Bioscience, who has led the Stockholm BioScience Project for several years and developed contacts with MaRS. “We believe that the ability to attract the next generation of knowledge workers, talent and enterprises will be decisive in the increasingly sharp competition between regions, and it is from this perspective that Stockholm, like Toronto, possesses especially good preconditions.”
More info on MaRS and the Discovery District in Toronto, Canada here
For further information, please contact CEO Henrik Mickos, + 46 709 352 371 or Ola Björkman, + 46 702 457 497