UPPSALA UNIVERSITET

Their core work

Uppsala University is one of Sweden's oldest and largest research universities, with deep strengths in life sciences, neuroscience, materials science, and computational research. Across 282 H2020 projects and EUR 168M in EC funding, they contribute advanced capabilities in brain research, biomarkers, spectroscopy, imaging, and high-performance computing. They serve as both a fundamental research powerhouse and a bridge between basic science and applied domains like health diagnostics, energy materials, and AI-driven data analysis. Their research infrastructure work — particularly around EOSC and FAIR data — positions them as a key enabler for open science across Europe.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

In the early H2020 period (2014–2018), Uppsala focused heavily on neuroscience infrastructure — human brain simulation, neuroinformatics, neuromorphic computing, and neurorobotics — alongside genomics, bioinformatics, and forest/environmental management. By 2019–2022, the emphasis shifted markedly toward artificial intelligence, machine learning, FAIR data principles, and EOSC-based research infrastructure, reflecting both the EU's strategic pivot and Uppsala's own growing computational capabilities. Spectroscopy and imaging also gained prominence in the later period, suggesting increased investment in advanced analytical methods.

Uppsala is moving from domain-specific neuroscience and genomics toward cross-cutting AI and open research infrastructure — making them an increasingly versatile partner for data-intensive projects in any sector.

How they like to work

Uppsala operates as a flexible partner that both leads and contributes. With 86 projects as coordinator (31%) and 183 as participant, they are comfortable driving research agendas but equally willing to contribute specialist expertise within larger consortia. Their network of 2,285 unique partners across 84 countries makes them one of the most connected universities in H2020 — a hub organization that brings extensive reach and diverse collaboration experience to any consortium.

With 2,285 unique consortium partners spanning 84 countries, Uppsala has one of the broadest collaboration networks in European research. Their partnerships stretch well beyond Europe into global scientific communities, particularly in health, data infrastructure, and fundamental research.

What sets them apart

Uppsala combines world-class fundamental research in life sciences and neuroscience with strong computational and data infrastructure capabilities — a rare combination that lets them contribute both domain expertise and the digital tools to analyze results at scale. Their 23 ERC Starting Grants signal exceptional talent attraction, while their heavy involvement in EOSC and FAIR data frameworks means they understand how to make research outputs accessible and reusable. For consortium builders, Uppsala offers both scientific depth and the infrastructure backbone to support multi-partner data-sharing workflows.

Highlights from their portfolio

• LYMPHORG
  Coordinated by Uppsala with EUR 2.37M — their largest single-project EC contribution, focused on lymphatic vascular development.
• SpoKiGen
  EUR 2M ERC grant coordinated by Uppsala on fungal genomics and meiotic drive — demonstrates their strength in fundamental genetics research.
• Medulloblastoma
  EUR 1.5M coordinated project on childhood brain tumor modeling — sits at the intersection of their neuroscience and genomics expertise.