2025-05-15
Lund University secures €8.3 million from the EU to launch RAMP-UP, a new international PhD programme in regenerative medicine and ATMPs.
Lund University has received €8.3 million from the European Union to establish RAMP-UP, a new doctoral programme focused on regenerative medicine and advanced therapy medicinal products (ATMPs). Set to launch in autumn 2026, the programme aims to train the next generation of researchers and innovators in a field that holds the promise to revolutionise healthcare.
This major funding comes through Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions, part of the EU Horizon Europe research and innovation programme.
The idea for RAMP-UP began at the Lund Stem Cell Center with the ambition to prepare experts who can advance ATMPs from lab to clinic. After two years of dedicated planning and a 240-page application, the initiative has secured vital EU support.
ATMPs—medicines based on cells, genes, or engineered tissue—offer new treatment options for conditions like genetic disorders, cancer, and degenerative diseases such as Parkinson’s. These therapies are often life-changing where traditional treatments fall short.
The programme will host 55 PhD students, with 25 placed at Lund University. The rest will be distributed among partner institutions:
Leiden University (Netherlands)
Hannover Medical School (Germany)
Technical University of Denmark (DTU)
Additionally, 27 industry partners, regulatory agencies, Region Skåne, and Skåne University Hospital are involved.
“We’re training future experts in an international, interdisciplinary environment,” says Mattias Magnusson, RAMP-UP director and group leader at Lund Stem Cell Center.
Unlike traditional PhD programmes, RAMP-UP is open to students from multiple disciplines. This includes not only medical researchers but also engineers, health economists, and legal scholars.
Such collaboration across faculties helps shorten the path from idea to product, ultimately bringing down costs and increasing patient access. For context, the world’s most expensive drug currently costs €2 million per dose—underscoring the need for scalable, cost-effective solutions in ATMP development.
The programme follows the success of the Swedish National ATMP Research School and represents the next step: a European-scale effort.
“The vision required strong institutional support and the extraordinary commitment of our team,” says Johan Flygare, Director of the National ATMP Research School and scientific advisor for RAMP-UP.
The initiative not only highlights Sweden’s growing leadership in cell and gene therapy but also strengthens ties across Europe to accelerate ATMP innovation.