Looking Back: Three Years of Cross-Border Collaboration for Research, Industry, and Innovation
After three years, Life Science Nord has issued a positive assessment of the Interreg project HALRIC – Hanseatic Life Science Research Infrastructure Consortium. The project’s goal was to improve access to leading research infrastructures in the Öresund-Kattegat-Skagerrak-Hamburg region, to create closer networks among academia, hospitals, and companies, and to bring together the life science regions in Northern Germany, Denmark, Sweden, and Norway in a sustainable manner.
In total, HALRIC brought together 21 partners from four countries – including major research institutions, universities, hospitals, cluster organizations, and regional stakeholders.
82 Pilot Projects as a Driver of Innovation
A key outcome is the 82 cross-border pilot projects, through which HALRIC exceeded its original target of 75 projects. The projects opened up new access for companies, researchers, and hospitals to state-of-the-art research infrastructures such as DESY, European XFEL, MAX IV, and ESS. Particularly valuable was the combination of scientific excellence and industrial application: pilot consortia worked together over several months on specific research questions, thereby laying the foundation for new collaborations, research results, and follow-up projects.
From Contacts to Collaborations
HALRIC has also provided important impetus for Life Science Nord and the North German life sciences community. Through workshops, delegation trips, international conferences, and targeted matchmaking, companies from the region were able to meet new partners in Scandinavia and initiate collaborations. Successful industrial projects in Hamburg involving companies such as JD Coils, SURFACtoBioTech, and microdrop Technologies demonstrate how exchange can lead to concrete collaboration. At the same time, the participating cluster regions have grown closer – a development intended to endure beyond the project’s duration.
Trust, Partnerships, and Real Prospects
“HALRIC has shown how much joy and energy are generated when people from different countries work together toward a common goal. Initial discussions have grown into trust, partnerships, and real prospects for the life sciences in Northern Europe – that is exactly what makes cross-border collaboration so valuable,” says Sarah Niemann, Life Science Nord.
A network built to last
The project has facilitated access to research infrastructures and created a strong Northern European network. The connections, experiences, and collaborative initiatives gained through the project will be continued in the future – with a stronger focus on cooperation in Northern Europe and the Baltic Sea region.
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