About ReproUnion

ReproUnion is a cross-border collaboration between Sweden and Denmark within the area of reproductive medicine in the Oresund Region, funded by EU Interreg V. We are world leading in overcoming infertility and in meeting future demands of managing and preventing infertility problems.

With co-funding from the EU, ReproUnion has been able to bring the cooperation to overcome infertility to a whole new level with a common reproductive collaboration between Sweden and Denmark. ReproUnion has strengthened the collaboration between the partners at public hospitals, universities and the industry to maintain and develop reproductive medicine. Together we have created a new set-up and mindset to meet the future demands of managing and preventing fertility problems.

As an international pioneer, ReproUnion has established a public-private partnership in reproductive medicine where academia, the healthcare sector, and the life science industry have joined forces to provide the best care with the most modern assisted reproductive technologies to all patients in the region. The project is an outstanding example of how we can work together across borders and disciplines to create the best possible conditions for life science research and innovation based on one of the region’s scientific strongholds.

Public-private partnerships like ReproUnion are an important part of the solution to the future challenges facing our healthcare systems. It´s about science, innovation, and growth, but first and foremost it´s about putting patients´ needs first!

You can Read more about the Interreg Öresund-Kattegat-Skagerrak here: https://interreg-oks.eu/

The story of a successful collaboration

ReproUnion has Historically, the Oresund Region – also known as the Medicon Valley – has a high international position within reproductive medicine, thus ReproUnion is building on three previous project programs that have received economical support from Interreg IVA:

  • ReproSound (2010-2013)
  • ReproHigh (2012-2014)
  • ReproUnion 1.0 (2015-2018)

In December 2013, ReproHigh was awarded by the Capital Region of Denmark and the Region Skane the “Oresund Award in Health” – given to promote groundbreaking collaborations in health research and clinical work.

With funding from the EU, we are ready to take the next step and create ReproUnion as a common Reproductive Medicine Centre in a collaboration between Sweden and Denmark. ReproUnion will strengthen the collaboration between the partners at public hospitals, universities and the industry, in order to maintain and develop Reproductive Medicine. Together, we will meet the future demands of managing and preventing infertility problems.

The Vision

Our vision is to become a world leader in overcoming infertility by forming a strong private-public partnership involving the public hospitals, academic research institutions and the life science industry. It is ambitious but not unrealistic as the Greater Copenhagen’s life science cluster – Medicon Valley – has a high international position within reproductive research, with a tradition for a close public-private cooperation. We will accomplish our vision by focusing on research, prevention and treatment, education, career development and establish a ReproUnion Management Unit with one point of entry for partners, researchers, and industries. This will ensure greater efficiency, higher academic standards, and a more effective use of our common resources.

ReproUnion 2.0

The ReproUnion project, the academic and scientific environment in Greater Copenhagen is by many being considered to be one of the frontrunners within the field of reproductive medicine. Over the past years, the region has developed and gained momentum from ReproSund through ReproHigh and ReproUnion. We are prepared with an organization well-equipped and ready to propel the results and competencies created during our previous years towards new solutions and services within the field of reproductive medicine.

We are fueled with enthusiasm from our history and results and ready to commit ourselves to new next chapter to provide the citizens of Greater Copenhagen with better solutions and health services within the reproductive field. We are also ready to contribute to help solve one of our greatest demographic and economic challenges of our time. With this background, we have already started to look forward to the future.

The new ReproUnion project is called ReproUnion 2.0, which marks the beginning of a new research and innovation paradigm within reproductive medicine in the Öresund Region. The regional universities and hospitals are joining forces with leading international research institutes and industrial stakeholders to solve five major global reproductive challenges which are of great individual and social concern.

The five challenges are

  1. Improving male fertility: Increase the understanding of how lifestyle, environmental and genetic factors affect male fertility with the goal of developing specialized treatments and preventative measures.
  2. Optimizing reproductive health outcomes: Develop new, cheaper, and more efficient reproductive techniques to reduce societal costs and to minimize the strain women are exposed to during artificial reproductive treatment.
  3. Securing female ovarian function: Reduce the negative impact diseases and treatments have on fertility by increasing the knowledge of the function of the ovary.
  4. Preventing infertility-related morbidity: Investigate how infertility can function as an early marker for common major diseases, which could be prevented through early preventative measures.
  5. Improving fertility awareness: Increase information to the society regarding the impact of lifestyle factors on reproduction and the possibilities of having a family; important information in relation to political decisions and the work of authorities to minimize negative societal consequences.

The project will be built on the three previous Interreg projects, during which a structure for cross-border collaborations between clinics and academia as well as a coordinating unit were established. In the light of this previous phase of consolidation, the partnership stands ready to take on the leadership and bring the reproductive research in the region to the next level. This requires a paradigm shift in the research strategy, shifting from focus on several individual research projects to a challenge-driven and consolidated effort which can revolutionize the reproductive field within 10-15 years.