It was a historic morning in Flemingsberg as more than 600 people gathered for the inauguration of the Karolinska ATMP Center — a strategic initiative by Karolinska Institutet and Karolinska University Hospital that will play a central role in advancing gene and cell therapies in Sweden and beyond.

The ceremony was opened by Knut Steffensen, Director of the Karolinska ATMP Center, and Matti Sällberg of Karolinska Institutet, who highlighted the center’s vision to bring science, healthcare, and patients closer together and to accelerate the journey from discovery to treatment.

The official inauguration was led by Aida Hadzialic, Finance Region Council, Region Stockholm, Christophe Pedroletti, Hospital Director at Karolinska University Hospital, and Annika Östman Wernerson, President of Karolinska Institutet.

The program featured leading voices from academia, healthcare, politics, and patient organizations. Perspectives from pioneering clinicians alongside patient advocates underlined the importance of cross-sector collaboration to realize the promise of advanced therapies. The Karolinska ATMP Center is expected to strengthen Sweden’s global position in advanced therapies. Stockholm–Uppsala is already ranked among the world’s top 10 clusters in Biopharma R&D, Digital Health/Tech R&D, and Life Sciences Manufacturing — and the new center further reinforces the region’s role as a leader in life sciences innovation.