Support for industry collaborations
Both Karolinska Institutet (KI) and Karolinska University Hospital (K) encourage and provide support for collaborations with industry in order to innovate research findings and knowledge. On this web page you can understand which organisation is responsible for what - KI, K or both, and who will be able to provide you with support depending on your needs and affiliation.
Types of collaboration
See the slideshow below - press right to view all images
About KI-K collaboration

The medical university Karolinska Institutet (KI) and the Karolinska University Hospital (K) share the same mission to improve health for society by combining basic research and education with clinical research and delivery of healthcare.

Both KI and K encourage collaborations with industry to allow further development of excellence in research, education and innovation through:
- Knowledge sharing
- Educating and training staff together
- Improving research infrastructure
- Accessing each other’s expertise
- Building long-term relationships and networks
This allows us to translate research results and knowledge into innovations that can be implemented within healthcare to prevent, diagnose or treat human disease.
The Swedish government has an ALF-agreement with 7 regions for collaboration with medical faculty universities in order to contribute to clinical research and education. This film describes why this collaboration is important and how it is organised.
A significant aspect of KI's research and education involves access to healthcare services. This requires collaboration between KI and regional partners, including K, at different organisational levels. Read more about Collaboration with the healthcare services.
While KI and K are separate organisations, they are geographically located side-by-side and many staff have dual affiliations to both. Both basic and clinical research is conducted through a longstanding collaborative agreement, with focus on translational research leading to clinical trials.
Both KI and K:
- Share the brand
- Have complementary mandates
- Facilities are located next to each other
- Work closely within many areas and levels
- Educates healthcare professionals together
- Perform clinical research and studies
- Many staff hold joint positions
- Managements exchange knowledge and strategic plans
- Have joint ambition to help people and develop the healthcare field
KI - Karolinska Institutet:
- Has responsibility for undergraduate and postgraduate education
- Performs basic and clinical research
- Governed by the Swedish state legal framework
- Vision: "Advance knowledge about life and strive towards better health for all"
K - Karolinska University Hospital:
- Has responsibility for patient care
- Performs clinical research and clinical trials
- Governed by Region Stockholm legal framework
- Vision: "Cure and relieve tomorrow what no one can cure and relieve today"
Support

Below you can understand which organisation is responsible for what - KI, K or both, and who will be able to provide you with support depending on your needs and affiliation.
First point of contact
Support for corporate partnering is provided by the External Engagement Office (EEO) which:
- Supports all types of collaborations ranging from complex and long-term strategic partnerships through to individual and specific projects
- Aims to build long-term relationships and networks that are of mutual benefit for both partners
- Provides general guidance regarding industry collaborations as well as being a sounding board for your ideas.
- Works to create new opportunities for KI researchers (including PhD students and postdocs) for partnerships with industry and other external organisations
- Provides support in setting up and managing long-term structured partnerships
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1. Define the purpose of the collaboration
- Develop new services, products and knowledge to benefit human health
- Conduct clinical research
- Get access to health data
- Test
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KI: Current research collaboration with other companies
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Hur ser process och tidplan ut?
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- Basic research - KI
- Strategic research areas - KI
- Precision medicine - KI + joint center K
- Clinical research - KI + K
- Clinical trials - Clinical Trial Alliance (KTA)
- Uppdragsforskning - KI
- Inte inom rökning
- Non-interventional outcome - KI
- Interventional outcome - KI + Clinical Trial Alliance (KTA)
- Clinical studies - KI + Clinical Trial Alliance (KTA)
- Real world data - KI
- EU project - KI
- IMI project - KI
- Health economy - K + KI (?)
2. Identify access to relevant resources
KI has a wide range of technical core facilities, providing service, cutting-edge resources and competence for researchers.
Single point of contact for research infrastructure
KI is a partner in AI Sweden, a national network to accelerate AI innovations and to conduct applied AI projects. Through this membership all employees and students can take advantage of different events such as network meetings, lectures and symposia that are offered by AI Sweden. Sign up for the AI Sweden Partner Update
- Human samples from healthcare - SMB (Stockholms Medicinska Biobank)
- Animal samples - KI + K might be available from individual research groups
- Other human samples - KI Biobank for researchers:
- Helps to establish the necessary agreements
- Offers sample handling
- Provides robust IT systems ensuring full traceability
- For questions contact the biobank coordinator at biobank@ki.se or call 08-524 820 03
Clinical - K
Omics - ?
KI
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KI
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If funding from several grants is used within a project, be sure the terms of the different funding agencies are compatible.
- Follow the procurement process for the purchase of goods and services. We recommend you to contact the Purchase and Procurement Unit (inköp- och upphandlingsenhet)
- If the agreement is in the form of commissioned research, you will need to assure there is a full cost coverage in the project budget, including all salary costs, overhead and indirect INDI-costs
Innovationsupphandling / FoU - K
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K
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KI
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Animal experimentation in research
Read information about applications, units and requirements for working in laboratory animal science.
With your KI-ID you can access the KM internal webpages.
3. Develop a structure for collaboration
KI
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You need to be aware of any possible situations of conflict of interest. A general principle is that KI will not have contracts with companies in which the KI employees have significant responsibility or influence.
We recommend you to contact HR office at KI. Their Negotiation Unit (förhandlingsenheten) is responsible for KI:s negotiating activities and local collective agreements. The unit provides advice and support for general questions regarding personnel matters and labor law.
Also read:
Research projects often require ethical permits. Projects may also include transfer of data and material between collaborators - Data Transfer Agreement is then required if personal information is used during the project. Additional agreements might be needed for your collaborative project.
KI guidelines in English:
Guidelines for research-related contracts (pdf)
Rules for handling secondary occupations (pdf)
Guidelines on conflict of interest (COI) (pdf)
Rules for financial conflicts of interest in research projects funded by the American federal governmental authorities (pdf)
Delegation rules for KI
Guidelines for digital signatures (pdf)
Research funding forms and KI registrations
KI guidelines in Swedish:
Riktlinjer för forskningsrelaterade avtal (pdf)
Regler för hantering av bisysslor (pdf)
Riktlinjer om jäv (pdf)
Anvisningar för hantering av ekonomiska intressekonflikter i forskningsprojekt finansierade av amerikanska federala hälsomyndigheter (pdf)
Delegationsordning vid KI
Riktlinjer för elektroniska underskrifter (pdf)
KI + K
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KI + K
External Engagement Office (EEO) creates new opportunities for KI researchers for partnerships with industry and other external organisations, and provides support in setting up and managing long-term structured partnerships.
EEO can help you to:
- Identify type of collaboration and appropriate agreement
- Understand the difference between commissioned and collaborative research
- Get advice and support for industry collaborations
- Discuss risks in choice of collaborative partner:
- Is the collaborator appropriate?
- Some companies might have weak economies and thus unstable legal system
Inget TTO på KI
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- Be extra careful about intellectual property (IP) rights when a company is the funder or a consortium partner
- Remember that the “Professors’ privilege” (lärarundantaget) is unique to Sweden
Contact Grants Office if you have questions.
KI
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K
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4. Design a contract/agreement
A research contract is often required to define respective expectations, rights, obligations, ethical issues, financial terms, timelines and other formal aspects. Such agreements also help to reduce the risk of costly disputes, to prevent possible problems and conflicts that the parties may have after the agreement has been signed.
Content
The formulation of contracts must always be customised to the prevailing situation, and must include guidelines for governing the rights and utilisation (present) and possible further development of the result (future). Read more: Research contract: purpose, content and different types
Uppdragsforskning - KI
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K
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KI+K - 3-parts avtal
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KI + K
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