Klaster LifeScience Krakow is the collaborative network of businesses and institutions from Southern Poland Region which agreed to collaborate in order to develop and deliver to the market innovations in the field of life sciences. These organizations represent six areas of interests, i.e. biotechnology and life science business (BioF), research & development (R&D), science and education (Edu), healthcare (Med), business support (Biz) and local government (Gov) actively guiding and facilitating the cooperation at the regional level. Having healthcare sector in the network, the LifeScience Krakow is the perfect exemplification of “Quadruple Helix” cooperation.
Since the very beginning the LifeScience Krakow has been considered as the research driven collaborative network aiming to achieve the following mission:
to create and sustain a life science network in order to enable effective global connectivity and the optimization of existing potential of individuals and organizations
to support innovation and to encourage effective commercialization of research results in the life science field
to develop the resources and competences in order to effectively explore existing and future opportunities related to development of a knowledge-based economy.
Development of biotechnology and life science sectors has been directly addressed as the priority field in the Regional Innovation Strategy, overall aim of which is to build knowledge-based economy. This focus of the Region has been based on the complementarity of the local science and business activities, which include healthcare and medicine, pharmacology, drug research & development, food and agriculture, cosmetics and well-being, biology and zoology as well as informatics, nuclear physics or chemistry and environmental services — to name the most important ones. Such a diversified and interdisciplinary constellation represents region’s strengths and builds regional competitive advantages and potential for excellence.
The strategic focus of the cluster cover two interconnected value chains – both deriving from the biotechnology and life science domains:
1) Products and technologies improving health and quality of life, which include drug discovery & research services, medical diagnostics, e-health and telemedicine, advanced non-drug therapies, cosmetics,
2) Products and technologies for sustainable development and bioeconomy, which include modern agriculture, healthy food, environment and circular economy.
The cluster initiative is coordinated by the Foundation Klaster LifeScience Krakow – the non-profit organization devoted to the development of the regional ecosystem ecosystem of innovation in life sciences. The foundation works in favor of (a) the members of the network and (b) the bio-region itself.