Connecting people, ideas, and partnerships for the future of cancer care.

Join Sweden @ ESMO 2025 — Where Collaboration Powers Innovation

Berlin, 18 October 2025 — Collaboration is the engine of innovation. That message came through clearly as more than 100 guests gathered at Charitéfor Join Sweden @ ESMO 2025 — an evening dedicated to connecting people, ideas, and partnerships for the future of cancer care.

Now in its third consecutive year on the sidelines of the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) Congress — following previous editions inMadrid (2023) and Barcelona (2024) — Join Sweden! has become a tradition that brings together Sweden’s leading researchers, clinicians, patient representatives, policymakers, and industry partners to explore how cross-sector collaboration accelerates discovery and drives real-world impact.

Hosted by Business Sweden, Vision Zero Cancer, Testbed Sweden Precision Health Cancer, Lif, and the Swedish Medical Products Agency, in collaboration with the Embassy of Sweden in Germany, the event showcased Sweden’s evolving role as a trusted international partner in precision oncology and life science innovation.

Sweden’s Collaborative DNA

In their opening remarks, Katarina Szécsi Åsbrink (Embassy of Sweden in Germany) and Ebba Hallersjö Hult (Stockholm School of Economics / Vision Zero Cancer) set the tone for the evening by highlighting Sweden’s unique culture of trust and openness — values that enable integration between research, care, and innovation.

“For Sweden, collaboration is not just a way of working — it’s part of our DNA,” said Katarina Szécsi Åsbrink.
“Each year, this community grows — in people, partnerships, and purpose,” added Ebba Hallersjö Hult. “Together, we’re building a shared ecosystem that links research, healthcare, and innovation. This is what makes Sweden’s approach to precision cancer care so powerful.” 

Turning Collaboration into Capability

Moderated by Jonas Vikman, Strategic Advisor at Victri Advice, the evening featured a series of spotlight sessions illustrating how Sweden’s national infrastructures are shaping the next generation of cancer research and care.

Spotlight 1: SweTrial – Building Sweden’s Global Clinical Trial Powerhouse
The evening marked the international launch of SweTrial, Sweden’s new national partnership for clinical trials.
Gunilla Andrew-Nielsen (Swedish Medical Products Agency) and Emelie Antoni (AstraZeneca & Lif) described SweTrial as a coordinated, transparent system where regulators, academia, and industry collaborate to strengthen Sweden’s competitiveness as a global trial nation.

“SweTrial turns collaboration into capability,” said Vikman. “It builds trust, coordination, and predictability into the clinical trial ecosystem.”

• Keynote: Building a Patient-Ready Cohort
  Dr. Andreas Josefsson (Umeå University / Wallenberg Centre for Molecular Medicine) presented the SPRINTR study — demonstrating how data-driven, patient-centered research design can bridge discovery and care, creating living systems that continuously learn from every patient.

• Spotlight 2: FOCU·SE – Turning Precision Cancer Medicine into Real-World Impact
  Representing Genomic Medicine Sweden, SciLifeLab, and national patient organisations, Dr. Anders Edsjö, Dr. Edvard Abel, Margareta Haag, and Dr. Päivi Östling shared insights from FOCU·SE, Sweden’s first national precision oncology platform trial.

  FOCU·SE connects hospitals, researchers, and patients across the country to make precision cancer medicine equitable, scalable, and sustainable.

  From harmonised molecular tumour boards to national data integration, it exemplifies how Sweden transforms precision medicine from promise to practice.

“FOCU·SE is more than a study — it’s a model for collaboration,” said Vikman. “From genome to proteome, from data to daily care — it shows how Sweden turns precision medicine into precision healthcare.”

• Spotlight 3: Global Collaboration through Swedish Infrastructures – Translating Science into Cure

  The final session featured Dr. Thuy Tran, Dr. Knut Steffensen, and Dr. Kristina Sonnevi, who highlighted how Sweden’s national infrastructures — such as the Theranostics Trial Center, the Karolinska ATMP Center, and the National Swedish Trial Network for Oncology (NASTRO) — enable translational collaboration across borders.

  Together, they described an ecosystem that connects discovery, manufacturing, and clinical implementation — ensuring that new therapies move from bench to bedside within one coordinated framework.

Accelerating Discovery, Together

As the formal program closed, Jonas Vikman and Ebba Hallersjö Hult reflected on Sweden’s growing role as a collaborative hub in European oncology.

“What we’ve seen tonight is the very best of Sweden — and the very best of Europe — in action,” said Vikman. “Openness, trust, and collaboration drive science forward and bring innovation to patients faster.”

“This evening showed how collaboration can truly power innovation,” added Hallersjö Hult. “Let’s continue to build on this momentum — to connect, share, and accelerate discovery together.”

The evening continued with a networking dinner where participants from across Europe exchanged ideas and explored new partnerships that will help shape the future of cancer research and care. 

About Join Sweden!

Join Sweden! is an annual international networking event organised by Business Sweden, Vision Zero Cancer-Testbed Sweden Precision Health Cancer, Lif, and the Swedish Medical Products Agency.

Held on the sidelines of the ESMO Congress, the event highlights Sweden’s life science ecosystem — its open collaboration, strong infrastructures, and commitment to ensuring that research truly reaches patients.

Thank You to Our Partners

This incredible evening would not have been possible without the contributions of our partners, including Business Sweden, Läkemedelsverket, Lif – de forskande läkemedelsföretagen, and Vision Zero Cancer | Testbed Sweden Precision Health Cancer.

Moving Forward Together!