Continued work and decisions regarding Sahlgrenska Life

The Project Sahlgrenska Life is run by Region Västra Götaland with the University of Gothenburg as an important partner. In order to enable the project's vision and goal of bringing new knowledge to care more quickly for increased patient benefit, new buildings are required around and across Per Dubbsgatan. The buildings will physically link Sahlgrenska University Hospital and the University of Gothenburg's operations at Medicinareberget. The project as a whole comprises of three new buildings (houses 1, 2 and 3).

The new buildings of Sahlgrenska Life will include facilities for highly specialized care, research, education and business development.

The University of Gothenburg has now announced that it wants to proceed to the system stage for premises in houses 2 and 3. For the University of Gothenburg, the project covers approximately 10,000 square meters of premises. Sahlgrenska Life as a whole covers approximately 73,300 square meters. During the system phase, a system document will be developed. The purpose of the system phase is to make decisions about the building's various systems, i.e. front materials, frame systems and IT systems.

In the run-up to the University's announcement, all relevant heads of operations, faculty management and management of the University Library have been interviewed as well as asked to propose activities they wish to take place in the buildings. Ever since the earlier stage in the construction process; the so-called program stage, there has been a proposal on the table when it comes to suitable tenants for houses 2 and 3.

Four institutions and a library planned tenants

The now decided proposal for the relevant parties has been developed under the direction of Vice-chancellor Mattias Goksör and will be an important foundation in the next stage of the process. The total area is approximately 10,000 square meters. Four departments – Institute of Health and Care Sciences, Institute of Odontology, The Institute of Clinical Sciences and the Institute of Medicine − and the Biomedical Library have proposed activities that in their mind have the best development opportunities in the translational environment of the new houses. Training facilities and faculty-wide premises are also included in the proposal.

"The nomination of the final sectors differs slightly from the previous stage, but the intended total area remains roughly the same," says Mattias Goksör. “Overall, discussions with the institutions have focused on the benefits for different parties of being close to the hospital, public dental care and the new planned clinical skills centre.”

Concerns about increased costs

Different parties have also highlighted the importance of a reasonable cost. Concerns about increased costs have also attracted media attention in recent weeks. The decision-making documents include cost comparisons with renovated premises, future rental income and with other building projects.

"Increased premises costs have been discussed continuously during the project and also now during the nomination process," says Mattias Goksör. “Of course, there will be an increase in rental costs for having new premises, but it is not sufficient to compare with today's rent levels. Future rent levels have to be taken into account as well as the fact that rental costs for renovated premises tend to rise.”

Vice-chancellor Eva Wiberg hopes that the discussions during the nomination process and the continued anchoring process will contribute to greater clarity.

"The assignment from the Board is to proceed with Sahlgrenska Life, but it has also stressed the importance of internal anchoring, highlighted the sustainability aspect and that the financial consequences need to be clear. I believe that what is being done now, that we listen to the needs of the organization and clarify the economic prerequisites, will promote further discussions and internal anchoring.”

According to Eva Wiberg, Sahlgrenska Life is about a common vision for strengthening life science in the region.

"Together with Region Västra Götaland, we have entered into this project with the best of intentions. We believe in strengthening the bands between education, research and health care and that it contributes to the benefit of both the patient and to research," she says.

The next step in the process is to carry out a review of the building programme, in order to assess in more detail what types of premises the University needs. After that, work will continue to develop a system document. The system stage is scheduled to be completed by summer 2022. A decision will then be made to enter into a rental agreement with Vitartes.

Work in progress by other parties

Work is also taken place by the other parties to the Sahlgrenska Life project to investigate and prepare for the decisions necessary for the implementation of the project.

The Board of Region Västra Götaland has recently taken an implementation decision. The decision means that the regional board will proceed with the implementation planning of houses 2 and 3, but also that the board of Sahlgrenska University Hospital and the Property Board is given the task of supplementing and clarifying operating costs and evacuation costs for building 1.

The City of Gothenburg is continuing its handling of the adoption of the detailed development plan.  

Please read more here:

• University of Gothenburg: The University Board endorses Sahlgrenska Life