Centres of excellence
Light-touch Nordic coordination across the four operational centres of excellence.
PeopleConcentrated research investment produces 3–5x more high-impact publications than equivalent distributed funding. Sweden's SEK 255M Forte investment (2025) provides the foundation — this activity scales it to a Nordic network of 8–10 centres.
Transformation
From
Four operational Nordic women's-health centres currently work in parallel rather than together; the same methodological problems are solved separately across four PI offices, with coordination costs borne informally by individuals
To
Light-touch Nordic coordination across the four operational centres — joint methods, training exchanges, and a Nordic equivalent of the UK NIHR Policy Research Unit for evidence synthesis — turning four parallel centres into one cooperative system
Description
Centres of excellence are the institutional anchors with thematic depth, interdisciplinary scope, and ten-year horizons that host the research career pipelines described in R-P-1 and carry the data capacity that federated Nordic cohorts (R-D-2) depend on. Centres are where careers, methods, and data converge. Without them, women’s health research remains project-by-project, dissolving when individual grants end.
The four currently operational Nordic centres work in parallel rather than together. The same methodological problems are solved separately across four PI offices, and the coordination costs are borne by individuals in their spare time. Light-touch joint methods, training exchanges, and a Nordic equivalent of the UK NIHR Policy Research Unit for evidence synthesis would let the centres learn from one another and produce a single Nordic synthesis for the policy system to draw on. The centre PIs in dialogue, with NordForsk as convening partner, are positioned to take this step.
Evidence anchors
At a glance
- Natural lead
- Centre PIs in dialogue, with NordForsk as convening partner
- Indicative investment
- SEK 255M (Forte centres, calls opened 2025) + parallel national investments
Entry points
- NordicNordForsk coordinates cross-border centre network; harmonises research agendas
- NationalNational research councils fund centres aligned with national strengths
- RegionalUniversity hospitals host centres; provide clinical research infrastructure
Indicators
Output
- Forte centres established; research agendas defined
- 5+ centres operational across 3+ Nordic countries
- Nordic network of 8-10 centres with global recognition
Handoff
- First publications from centres inform C-Po-1 guideline development
- Centre evidence systematically feeds clinical guidelines and Innovation domain
- Centres serve as permanent authoritative source for Nordic women's health evidence
Outcome
- Women's health research output increases 20% in centre countries
- Nordic women's health publication impact factor rises to top-5 globally
Building on
Nordic foundations
International inspirations
Connected needs
Cite this need
Cite this need
Persson, J. (2026). R-P-2 Centres of excellence. In The Nordic Implementation Playbook for Women's Health 2040. CIFS. https://womenshealth2040.org/playbook#r-p-2