Vitalis – Expanding the West Sweden’s Life Science Ecosystem

West Sweden, with Gothenburg at its heart, has long been a hub of industrial innovation and transformation. From automotive engineering to cutting-edge biotechnology, the region consistently demonstrates its ability to turn ideas into sustainable businesses and impactful solutions. A key driver of this success is the collaborative culture between academia, industry, and the public sector – a dynamic that Vitalis both reflects and reinforces.

Since over 20 years, Vitalis has served as the Nordic region’s largest annual conference and exhibition focused on the future of healthcare, welfare, life science and digital health. It is a vital meeting ground for stakeholders shaping tomorrow’s care systems. (https://en.vitalis.nu/conference/)

“We see how ideas born in West Sweden can quickly scale and gain national and international relevance. Vitalis is the place where these ideas are nurtured, networked, and accelerated,” says Hans Almvide, Conference Director at Vitalis

A Region with Unique Capabilities

Västra Götalandsregionen is Sweden’s largest healthcare provider, employing over 48,000 professionals in health and medical care – representing approximately 90% of the region’s total budget. (https://www.vgregion.se/statistik-analysportalen/halsa-och-vard/personal-halso-sjukvard/). This scale makes the region a natural testbed for innovative healthcare solutions, where new technologies and models can be piloted and refined in real-world settings.

At the center of this ecosystem is Sahlgrenska University Hospital, one of Europe’s largest hospitals. It has a clear vision: to become Europe’s leading university hospital by 2032. (https://www.sahlgrenska.se/en/about-the-hospital/strategy/)

The hospital has already made significant progress, climbing from rank 45 to 36 in Europe and from rank 84 to 69 globally in Newsweek’s ranking of the world’s best hospitals. (https://www.sahlgrenska.se/om-sjukhuset/sjukhusdirektoren-direkt/sahlgrenska-universitetssjukhuset-klattrar-pa-ranking-over-varldens-basta-sjukhus/)

Notably, Sahlgrenska is one of only four hospitals in Europe to receive top scores for Patient Reported Outcome Measures (PROMs), reflecting outstanding patient-perceived results.

Vitalis – A World-Class Meeting Place

Vitalis is hosted at the Swedish Exhibition & Congress Centre and Gothia Towers, one of Europe’s largest fully integrated venues offering a seamless experience with hotel, restaurants and conference facilities all under one roof.  (https://en.svenskamassan.se/)

“Thanks to its proximity to the city, its central position among other key players, and the size of the facility, Vitalis can continue to grow. Even with more than 6,500 participants today, there is still room to expand the ecosystem and enable better care and welfare for even more people,” concludes Hans Almvide.