"We are third best in the world, but we should not be satisfied – more research must lead to innovations." said Rector Erik Renström and highlighted a report that recently showed Lund University is third best in the world for startups with academic patents. Oxford ranked one place behind and Cambridge one place ahead on the list.
Vice Rector Viktor Öwall emphasized the importance of courage. "It requires courage – not everyone will succeed, but that's not the intention. It's part of the process." To help more researchers succeed, the Swedish state established holding companies in the 1990s. Since then, LU Ventures has been involved in starting over 140 startups based on ideas from Lund University.
"Not all researchers have the time or ambition to start companies, but they want to see their research make a difference. Others want help growing into a new role. We know that it often requires more capital than you think to take research to market – that's why we help operationally with building the company and ensure we get the right key people, board, and investors," says Christine Widstrand.
Om LU Ventures
LU Ventures AB is Lund University's dedicated venture builder. We build a handful of startups each year together with researchers at Lund University in order to transform discoveries into novel products and services. We work closely with the innovation office, LU Innovation, which helps you take the first crucial steps in exploring and verifying your idea.
Do you have an idea?
Book a meeting with an innovation developer at LU Innovation, the university's innovation office – your first point of contact on your innovation journey. Find the booking page on our joint website: innovation.lu.se