The grand opening of the Oslo Cancer Cluster Innovation Park took place on the 24th of August.
The opening ceremony involved over 290 invited guests who celebrated the initiators Jónas Einarsson and Kaare Norum for turning the radical idea of an oncology innovation park integrating a high school into reality.
In his speech, Jónas Einarsson told the history of cancer treatment and research in Norway since the early 1900s; driven by visionary men and funding from the people. A joint effort that has made cancer research one of the strongest areas within medicine and health research in Norway. Einarsson also used the opportunity to thank some of the truly vital players in the realization of the Innovation Park: Tron Sanderud from Utstillingsplassen Eiendom, Toril Mølmen, former Head of Innovation Norways office in Oslo, Jan Vincents Johannesen, CEO Radium Foundation, Espen Susegg in SIVA and Pål Riis, former principal of Ullern High School.
The Opening Celebration started with the news from Arne Baumann, Chairman of the Board of the Innovation Park, that OBOS, apart from being one of the largest owners, also will sponsor the lab in the Oslo Cancer Cluster Incubator with 4MNOK. Together with a 2 MNOK donation from the Radium Foundation the Incubator may offer state-of-the-art facilities to the companies and researchers renting here.
Erna Solberg, Prime Minister of Norway surprised Mr. Einarsson with inviting him on stage cutting an orange bond to mark the official opening. In her speech, Solberg, said that health industry is an industry with double return in from of the values it creates for the society and patients in developing new treatments as well as developing jobs and value. She also said that the Innovation Park will play a major role in the development of the cancer treatment of the future. After her speech, Einarsson guided the Prime Minister and the media on a short tour of the Innovation Park where Solberg ended up in the Incubator lab where she tried out the PCI-technology to kill cancer cells.
Source: Oslo Cancer Cluster
