SciLifeLab infrastructure 2021–2024 launched
With the SciLifeLab board approval of the final budget allocation of the national funding to SciLifeLab, updated steering documents, and updated platform and unit names, the SciLifeLab infrastructure organization 2021–2024 is now officially launched.
Organized into 10 platforms and the Data Centre, the infrastructure is ready to take the next step as the main provider of cutting-edge technologies, services, and expertise to the Swedish life science community. The 10 platforms and their units (previously termed units) are presented on our web page and some of them will also be featured in our newsfeed during summer and next fall.
“We are very pleased with the new platform organization, which includes 8 new infrastructure units, most of these located at universities outside Stockholm and Uppsala. These new units will not only add complementary and unique technologies to the SciLifeLab portfolio, but also strengthen the infrastructure presence in Lund, Gothenburg and Umeå”, says Infrastructure Director Annika Jenmalm Jensen.
The new infrastructure steering model gives an expanded mandate to the platform management to make strategic decisions and includes a new steering policy for infrastructure units.
“With the new steering policy, we aim at a better-defined infrastructure model, promoting senior staff scientists dedicated to infrastructure operations to take the role as Head of Unit and the responsibility for budget and personnel. We also stress the importance of the infrastructure to be embedded in a strong research environment, where collaboration and synergies between the units and Principal Investigators are key for the further development and implementation of new technologies, services and data”, Jenmalm Jensen continues.
An important feature of the future SciLifeLab infrastructure is the focus on enabling research capabilities. Capabilities aim to exploit the full potential of the infrastructure to work together in thematic areas and grand challenges together with the research community.
“Capabilities are designed to connect a broad range of infrastructure techniques, expertise, researchers, sample handling resources, data analysis pipelines as well as research coordination. SciLifeLab recently launched two of these capabilities; one in precision medicine and another one in laboratory preparedness for future pandemics. A third one in planetary biology is being planned. These are examples where multiple platform technologies, data-driven solutions and advanced coordination need to be brought together”, says SciLifeLab Director Olli Kallioniemi.
