2026-08-27 06:15Press release

SmiLe strengthens its board with extensive life science industry expertise

Åsa Sjöholm Timén, Director Business Development at AstraZeneca, Jonas Larsson, Professor and Deputy Head of the Faculty of Medicine at Lund University, and Lisa Thelin, Head of Foresight at the Royal Swedish Academy of Engineering Sciences (IVA)

Lund, Sweden – SmiLe Venture Hub is strengthening its board with two external members, offering perspectives from the global life science industry and Sweden’s wider innovation system. They are senior experts from AstraZeneca and the Royal Swedish Academy of Engineering Sciences (IVA). In addition, SmiLe is welcoming a new board member from Lund University’s Faculty of Medicine, who brings valuable insights into the needs and perspectives of researchers.

Over the past two decades, SmiLe Venture Hub has supported life science startups in developing their innovations into investment-ready, scalable businesses and in building relationships with investors and industry partners.

The three new board members further strengthen SmiLe’s ability to support companies in taking innovative technologies to international growth and, ultimately, the market and patients. This also marks a change in the strategic governance of SmiLe, where the board now includes external board members besides representatives from Mats Paulsson Foundation, City of Lund, Lund University, and Region Skåne.

Åsa Sjöholm Timén, Director Business Development at AstraZeneca, brings around 30 years of experience from the life science industry, including two decades in business development across big pharma, biotech startups, CROs and consulting. She has also been a part of the SmiLe Community while heading Business Development at Truly Translational Sweden AB, an Alumni Member of SmiLe. Her experience provides a broad perspective on startup and pharma needs, as well as on how companies, technologies and business opportunities are assessed in a global life science environment.

Lisa Thelin, Head of Foresight at the Royal Swedish Academy of Engineering Sciences (IVA), brings a broad perspective on innovation, competitiveness and Sweden’s wider innovation system, drawing on experience across industries and sectors. She will contribute to strengthening SmiLe’s international position, strategic partnerships and ability to help companies grow from Sweden into Europe and global markets.

Jonas Larsson, Professor and Deputy Head of the Faculty of Medicine at Lund University, brings a strong understanding of the conditions for research and innovation within Swedish life science. Through his involvement with the Faculty of Medicine, SciLifeLab and Medicon Village Innovation, he brings insight into the opportunities and challenges researchers face to translate scientific discoveries into innovation and entrepreneurship.

“Having benefited from being part of the SmiLe ecosystem myself, I’m eager to give back by contributing to the continued development of the community and to the success of the companies within it. SmiLe has supported many life science entrepreneurs in innovative ways and has earned recognition as one of Europe’s leading startup hubs. I am looking forward to contributing my experience from the industry and sharing perspectives on business development including the basis for fruitful transactions and collaborations,” says Åsa Sjöholm Timén, Director Business Development at AstraZeneca.

“I am very pleased to welcome Åsa, Lisa and Jonas to SmiLe’s board. Their combined experience will provide valuable strategic perspectives as we continue to develop SmiLe and strengthen our position as an internationally recognised startup hub. I look forward to working with the entire board and drawing on their different perspectives as we continue to strengthen our support for life science startups. I would also like to thank Anders Sundström, Annika Olsson, Marie-Louise Lövgren and Therese Fällman for their valuable contributions to the strong development of SmiLe and our activities over the years,” says Ulrika Ringdahl, CEO of SmiLe Venture Hub.

SmiLe Venture Hub’s board is chaired by Pia Kinhult from Mats Paulsson Foundation and the European Spallation Source, and includes Board members Anders Almgren, City of Lund, Daniel Kronmann, Region Skåne, Åsa Sjöholm Timén, Jonas Larsson and Lisa Thelin, as well as Deputy Board members Magnus Nilsson, Lund University, and Jan Annerstedt, City of Lund.

For more information, please contact: Ulrika Ringdahl, CEO of SmiLe Venture Hub, ulrika.ringdahl@smileventurehub.com, +46 736-566232

Language: English

About SmiLe Venture Hub – Pioneering Life Science and Foodtech Innovations

SmiLe is a leading venture hub that specializes in advancing life science and foodtech startups from concept to commercialization. We offer comprehensive support through every stage of entrepreneurship, including tailored incubation and acceleration programs, a variety of educational courses, and access to top-tier lab facilities. To date, our flagship incubator program has supported over 120 startups, facilitating their collective acquisition of more than EUR 1.19 billion in venture capital and contributing to 21 successful IPOs. Recognized as one of Europe’s leading startup hubs in 2024 by the Financial Times and Statista, SmiLe continues to be a catalyst for innovation in the life sciences sector. As a non-profit entity based in Lund, Sweden, SmiLe is supported by Region Skåne, Lund Municipality, Lund University, and Medicon Village. We are also backed by our partners Agilent, Sparbanken Skåne, Høiberg, Setterwalls, Zacco, Key2Compliance, Phase Holographic Imaging, ChemoMetec, Samplix, Qiagen, Bio-Rad, Zeiss, SmartStone Nordics, Säkra, Servier and AbbVie Scandinavia. For more information: www.smileventurehub.com