The Swedish American Chamber of Commerce in San Diego (SACC San Diego) and Uppsala Innovation Centre (UIC) and have established a new ecosystem partnership focused on strengthening innovation collaboration between Sweden and the United States. The partnership will support Swedish startups and growth companies, by facilitating international connections, knowledge exchange and access to one of the world’s leading innovation ecosystems in Southern California.
The partnership creates a framework for closer cooperation in promoting Sweden’s innovation ecosystem internationally, with particular relevance for Life Science, defence tech, deep tech and innovation-driven companies.
Creating stronger pathways for international collaboration
Under the agreement, the two organizations will collaborate on a best-effort basis in strategic areas including ecosystem promotion, structured introductions between startups and investors, joint visibility, joint delegations and innovation-related exchange activities.
Suzanne Svahn, President of the Swedish American Chamber of Commerce in San Diego, said:
“The partnership reflects a shared ambition to strengthen the innovation bridge between Sweden and Southern California. San Diego has developed into one of the world’s leading hubs for life science, biotech and defence-related technologies, combining cutting-edge research, strong venture capital presence and close collaboration between academia, industry and government. Through this collaboration with UIC, we hope to create long-term opportunities for Swedish companies seeking international growth and strategic partnerships in the US market.”
Wing Cheng, Senior Business Developer Life Science at UIC, said:
“We are very excited about the partnership between UIC and the Swedish American Chamber of Commerce in San Diego. For Swedish life science companies, San Diego represents one of the world’s most attractive innovation ecosystems, with globally recognized institutions such as UC San Diego, the Salk Institute, Sanford Burnham Prebys, Scripps Research and a highly concentrated biotech industry. The region offers unique opportunities for collaboration in research, clinical development, commercialisation and international scaling. Through this partnership, we aim to create stronger pathways for Swedish life science companies to access the US market, strategic partnerships and long-term growth opportunities.”
Andreas Wadström Senior business developer Defense at UIC said:
“This partnership creates an important opportunity for Swedish companies within defence, dual use and deep tech. San Diego represents one of the most relevant defence and technology ecosystems in the United States, combining strong defence presence with world-class research, industry, capital and entrepreneurship. During my recent visit, I was particularly impressed by how closely these actors interact around concrete needs and future capabilities. Through this partnership, we aim to create stronger pathways for Swedish startups and growth companies to build strategic relationships, understand the US market and contribute with technologies that strengthen both security and competitiveness.”
The partnership also supports broader efforts to strengthen Sweden’s international innovation visibility and facilitate long-term exchange between innovation ecosystems in Sweden and the United States.
The collaboration also creates a platform for future Sweden–US innovation exchanges and delegations planned for 2026.
A key part of UIC’s success is its close cooperation with experienced external partners from the business community. These partners share their expertise within UIC’s business development programs and offer UIC companies services at favorable terms, including software development, legal services, finance, design, patents, and more. The purpose of the collaborations is to expand this network further, giving startups and growth companies even faster access to global expertise, networks, and markets.
For more information
Vedrana Ilic, Communications Manager
UIC
Email: vedrana.ilic@uic.se
Phone: 0708-51 97 04
Suzanne Svahn, President
Swedish American Chamber of Commerce in San Diego
Email: suzanne.svahn@sacc-sandiego.org