Lunch seminar: Mission-driven innovation in cancer and beyond
Join us at the Stockholm School of Economics (SSE) for a focused discussion on how mission-driven partnerships can accelerate Europe’s health transformation. In this collaboration between the House of Governance and Public Policy (GaPP) and the House of Innovation (HOI), we bring together leaders shaping new models of cross-sector innovation and explore what it takes to align actors, move beyond silos, and deliver real impact.
Through Vision Zero Cancer and Testbed Sweden, SSE has spent five years running living laboratories for mission-oriented innovation. These efforts have helped shape national policy, inspired European Cancer Mission Hubs, and advanced precision cancer medicine — all while navigating the real challenges of voluntary, cross-sector collaboration without formal authority.
This lunch seminar brings together researchers, policymakers, healthcare leaders, and industry to explore:
• What we can learn from mission-driven innovation in practice
• How Sweden’s approach is shaping European health competitiveness
• What governance models can help align actors when no single authority is in charge
We will also discuss the real challenges tied to mission partnerships:
• How to incentivize actors across sectors
• How to focus when the problem and solution space is enormous
• How to divide work and maintain momentum
• How to balance short-term progress with long-term transformation
Program
11:00 – Welcome & Introduction
Lars Strannegård, President, SSE
Why SSE prioritizes research on partnerships for grand challenges
11:10 – Research Insights
Karl Wennberg, Professor, SSE — The global rise of mission-driven policy
John-Erik Bergkvist, PhD Candidate, SSE — Learnings from governance of mission-driven partnerships: Vision Zero Cancer and Testbed Sweden
11:25 – Case Study: From Prototype to Policy
From prototype to system change – building Sweden’s Cancer Mission Hub
Ebba Hallersjö Hult, SSE / Vision Zero Cancer & Testbed Sweden
Hans Hägglund, MD, PhD, Professor Uppsala University / Karolinska University Hospital
Mef Nilbert, MD, PhD, Professor Lund University / National Board of Health and Welfare / National Cancer Mission Hub
11:40 – Panel: From National Lessons to European Competitiveness
How can mission-oriented partnerships strengthen precision cancer medicine, health equity, and Europe’s competitiveness?
Anna Martling, MD, PhD, Professor, Karolinska Institutet / Karolinska University Hospital
Simon Ekman, MD, PhD, Professor, Karolinska Institutet / Karolinska University Hospital
Markus Lingman, MD, PhD, Professor, Region Halland, Halmstad University, National Scientific Council for Medicine and Health, Board of Swedish Foundation for Strategic Research
Gunilla Andrew-Nielsen, Director SweTrial, Swedish Medical Products Agency
Greg Rossi, VP Oncology, AstraZeneca Europe and Canada
Laurent Leksell, Founder & Chairman, Elekta
Moderator: Anna Essén, PhD, Associate Professor, SSE
12:10 – Concluding Remark
Ebba Hallersjö Hult, SSE / Vision Zero Cancer & Testbed Sweden
Anna Essén, PhD, Associate Professor, SSE
12:15–13:00 – Networking Lunch
Opportunity to connect across sectors and explore how to apply these learnings in new initiatives.