The Mölndal Megasite — A European Affair
The decision also means that AstraZeneca in Mölndal is now the only significant facility in Sweden pursuing pharmaceutical research and development from early discovery to clinical development. The facility in Mölndal is one of AstraZeneca's megasites and one of an approximate total of only 40 such sites within the global pharmaceuticals industry.  This means that developments at AstraZeneca are not just a regional issue but a Swedish and indeed a European matter. For the past two years public stakeholders and universities within the region have therefore worked single-mindedly together to face the challenges and opportunities presented within the life science area, such as those put forth in a report last year by Ingvar Carlsson, a former Swedish Prime Minister ("Life Science i Västra Götaland - möjligheter och utmaningar", in Swedish).  

Major Commitment to Regional Cooperation Continues
In the light of AstraZeneca´s announced restructuring, the region's players would like to stress their continued commitment to supporting medical and clinical R&D, so that academia and healthcare together are able to build strong partnerships with life science companies large and small. This is also a challenge for Sweden and will mean the mustering of resources in healthcare and R&D throughout the entire country based on a strategy at the national level.  Minister for Education Jan Björklund's declaration last Thursday regarding the importance of keeping the expertise currently in Södertälje here in Sweden and improving opportunities for collaboration between healthcare and industry are positive signals. The region's players are looking forward to taking an active part in these efforts.

More information:
Press Release, Regional Development Administration, Region Västra Götaland (in Swedish)
Press Release AstraZeneca February 2, 2012 (in Swedish)