40 years of innovation – stories from Linköping Science Park
Catharina Sandberg serves as the CEO of LEAD, a business incubator located within Linköping Science Park. With a professional background that includes roles as an innovation advisor at Linköping University and department head at Sectra, she possesses a deep understanding of the region’s innovation ecosystem.
LEAD functions as a non-profit organization focused on turning concepts into viable companies. The incubator has evaluated nearly a thousand ideas, ranging from student projects to research breakthroughs. Sandberg highlights that the organization currently manages sixty active ideas stemming from university research. A key part of her work involves matching these technical innovations with dedicated entrepreneurs who can commercialize the results when researchers prefer to focus on their academic work.
Sandberg emphasizes the value of the physical environment in Linköping Science Park, where proximity enables “collisions” between different actors. She describes how connecting small medical technology startups with established IT security firms can spark new solutions. This spirit of cooperation extends to the region’s support system, often referred to as the “red thread.” Organizations like LEAD, Almi, and the science park coordinate their efforts to guide companies to the right resources, creating a seamless support network rather than engaging in territorial dispute.
Sustainability represents another central pillar of the incubator’s strategy. Environmental targets are integrated into the business development process for every startup, regardless of industry. Sandberg points to a pilot study suggesting that four specific companies in their portfolio could potentially reduce Sweden’s annual carbon dioxide emissions by twenty-five percent.
Regarding the dynamic interactions in the area, Sandberg states:
“The park is an amazing place where big meets small.”
This text is part of the article series based on Linköping Science Park’s 40-year book, which is available here.
