Uppsala a vibrant city in sweden sometimes referred to as the cambridge of sweden the city is a bustling university town situated just to the north of stockholm about 20 of its residents are students the citys history of entrepreneurship can be traced back to the 17th century with notable figures such as carl linnaeus a botanist and founder of the linnaean society uppsala is regarded as a significant innovation hub where academia and a distinctive business culture come together to foster the development of novel ideas since 1951 pharmacia one of the pharmaceutical giants in the world has called this place home additionally upsalite a pioneer nanotechnology innovation was created here by maria strmme the youngest technology professor in swedens history located in the heart of sweden uppsala boasts a population of close to 250000 with a large number of students due to its prestigious universities the citys geography is diverse with an abundance of green spaces historic architecture and modern infrastructure uppsala is known for its technological innovations particularly in the life sciences sector this is due to the presence of worldrenowned research institutions such as uppsala university the oldest university in sweden and the swedish university of agricultural sciences beijer alma which employed 2564 people as of december 2022 was the largest employer in the swedish county of uppsala fresenius kabi came in second with 1868 employees followed by cytiva sweden other notable startups that have become successful in the city include aurora innovation orexo hansoft and senzime uppsalas average monthly cost of living is 1352 placing it among the top 35 of the worlds most expensive cities the median earnings after taxes are 2295 which is sufficient to pay for living expenses for 17 months the city is ranked third in sweden and 77th top 08 on a list of the worlds best places to live the city boasts one of swedens lowest unemployment rates at less than 6 and an estimated gdp per capita of 495 thousand the rate of new companies starting and ending in uppsala is steady professional and commercial services make up the largest industry in uppsala employing 2751 percent of all city workers however the citys startup scene faces challenges such as access to funding and a shortage of skilled workers regardless the citys strong focus on sustainability and diversity has also helped to attract entrepreneurs from around the world