LifeSciences BC launched an ambassador program Friday to strengthen ties between B.C.'s life sciences cluster and life sciences companies in Scandinavia.
The Medicon Valley life science ambassador programme involves the exchange of representatives of LifeSciences BC and the Medicon Valley Alliance, an industry association based in Copenhagen that represents life sciences companies in Denmark and southern Sweden.
Soren Harbel, representing LifeSciences BC, will work in Copenhagen for the next three years to develop new relationships and facilitate business opportunities between the two jurisdictions.
One of Harbel's first tasks will be to organize the British Columbian contingent of drug developers and other biotech firms that will attend the BioPartnering Europe conference in London this October.
A Medicon Valley Alliance ambassador will be located in B.C. and will work with LifeSciences BC and the local community.
The launch of the ambassador program comes on the heels of a recent trek to Denmark by Genome BC, which represents researchers in B.C.
The trek was unrelated to the ambassador program, but further reflects the life sciences sector's interest in developing stronger ties with Scandinavia, which is home to major pharmaceutical companies such as LEO Pharma A/S and Novo Nordisk A/S.
Barry Gee, LifeSciences BC's director of communications and operations, noted that B.C. is one of twelve jurisdictions participating in this program.
As a result, the program will not only give B.C. companies greater access to the Scandinavian cluster, but to clusters in other countries such as Japan.