Niclas Nilsson MSc, PhD

Niclas heads Lund University’s Innovation unit tasked with creating an impact in society based on employees, researchers, and students' ideas. With a strong track record, LU innovation creates startups in medicine, life sciences, and nanotech as well as other ways to improve society and human life.

Based on a Ph.D. in medical sciences, Niclas has about 20 years of experience in industrial R&D, particularly in pharmaceuticals, and working with open innovation to improve collaborations between academia and industry. As head of Open Innovation at LEO Pharma Niclas established a novel and unique collaboration platform aiming to reduce hurdles between pharmaceutical R&D and external partners such as biotechs and academic research groups. This platform engaged almost 200 external partners globally and addressed aspects such as science, business development, intellectual property rights, confidentiality, control, and ownership as well communications, customer insights, and commercial aspects.

Since 2022 Niclas is leading the work at LU Innovation with the mission to ensure the wealth of knowledge and research at Lund University works to benefit society and contributes to sustainable growth. To both researchers and students, the team provides expertise in business development, intellectual property rights, patents, market understanding, communications, and financial support to create commercialization opportunities and another impact on society.