New Managing Director of Finnish Bioindustries.
Finland’s biotechnology industry association Finnish Bioindustries (FIBs) long-term director Carmela Kantor-Aaltonen retired in August 2023 and Alexandra Peth, M.Sc, has been appointed as her successor in a Managing Director role.
Congratulations on your new role! What are you most looking forward to?
“Thank you! I feel incredibly honored to get to work with such great companies and take the association towards new goals. It is very inspiring to work inside the Finnish biotech ecosystem and with its professionals.”
What issues do you believe are most important for the growth and development of Finland’s biotech sector and FIB’s members?
“We must position ourselves even better as a country with a strong life science scene, with interesting cutting-edge research and competitive companies, and of course increase visibility for our members. We want member companies to succeed in a highly competitive global industry, so the work for creating the best possible conditions for biotech companies to prosper in Finland continues.”
You have been, and will continue to be, senior advisor of innovation and finance at Chemical Industry Federation of Finland. What experiences from this role do you think will be useful in this position at FIB?
“There are many common denominators and synergies between these two roles. Funding and partnerships are some of the most important success factors, especially for smaller companies.”
Funding and partnerships are some of the most important success factors, especially for smaller companies.”
“R&D and innovation policy, skills, and academic cooperation, on the other hand, are important building blocks for the competitiveness of all biotech companies.”
When it comes to sustainability and green transition, what issues do you think will be most important for Finland’s life science industry?
“Green transition will be an enormous possibility for the Finnish life science industry. The Finnish Government is committed to meeting emission reduction targets and moving towards carbon neutrality by 2035, followed by carbon negativity. We need lots of new technology to reach this target, and I think that for example microorganisms will be important in solving challenges related to sustainable materials and chemicals. That is something that I think will be in focus in coming years.”
We need lots of new technology to reach this target, and I think that for example microorganisms will be important in solving challenges related to sustainable materials and chemicals.”
“The Finnish Government decided to increase R&D funding so that its share of Finnish GDP will be 4% by 2030. This will for sure boost investments and hopefully we will see an increase in our total market share. Now it is important that the life science industry will position itself as one of the focus sectors that will benefit from the funding so that we have the possibility to innovate and be one of the forerunners in green transition.”
What would you say are the Nordics’ greatest life science strengths right now? What are the industry’s greatest challenges?
“The Nordics have a good reputation as a flourishing life science region with strong life science hubs. However, there is still work to do to build up the reputation and global network and attract foreign investors. I think that the better we can cooperate inside the Nordic ecosystem the better we will succeed in global competition.”
We also must be quick to adapt to the twin transition – the green and digital transitions we are facing.”
“We also must be quick to adapt to the twin transition – the green and digital transitions we are facing.”
This interview was originally published in NLS magazine, No 03 2023, out September 2023
Photographer: Sini Pennanen
