Agora for Life Science technologies in Linköping

Purpose and goal

AgoraLink programme wants to make the education more suitable for work in industry and for entrepreneurial activities. This is done by: - Strengthen the knowledge in certain strategically interesting area by arranging new courses - To improve the understanding of biomedical engineering industry by a mobility program and by training in entrepreneurship

Results and expected effects

AgoraLink wants to use the competence in Medical Engineering and Life Science Technologies at Linköping University (LiU) to educate researchers that will contribute to the renewal of the competence in the industry in mention areas. The background to the program is that the increasing number of elderly people put new and heavy demands on the health care system. To meet this there will be an increased need for distributed care. Hospital care will be more specialized and have more high-tech-solutions. A way to make this emerging health care more efficient is to develop novel medical technology for distributed care and new hi-tech solutions especially in image based diagnostics and therapeutics. Further, there are new possibilities in image science, biosensors, nanoscience and molecular biology, and especially in the combination of these. In this context researchers need to learn more entrepreneurship. Industry and academy both need to learn more on what is needed to make methods work in the medical care.

Approach and implementation

MAIN FRAME OF THE PROGRAMME - Twinning stimulating co-operation between disciplines - Spinning stimulating mobility between industry and university, within and outside Sweden - Courses for PhD-students and participants from industry - Entrepreneurship programme The group of PhD-students will have special meetings with entrepreneurs. They will also take part in study visits to research intensive companies and research departments within and outside Sweden. The spinning visits by the PhD-students at companies have the potential to facilitate common research initiatives. Senior researchers, as well as PhD students, are invited to participate in the Entrepreneurship program, which aims to support entrepreneurs that are in the process of commercializing their ideas or their research results.