Here's a scene that plays out constantly: An international researcher arrives in Stockholm. Their invitation letter says "Karolinska." They look it up on Google Maps. They see several results. They pick one. They get on the metro. 45 minutes later, they're in the wrong part of Stockholm, standing in front of a building that is definitely Karolinska — just not their Karolinska.
Welcome to Stockholm's most confusing naming situation.
The Players: A Naming Cheat Sheet
🎓 Karolinska Institutet (KI)
What it is: The university. One of the world's top medical universities. Research and education only — this is NOT a hospital.
Where it is: Two campuses — KI Solna (main campus) and KI Flemingsberg (south of Stockholm, in Huddinge municipality).
Fun fact: The 50 professors of KI's Nobel Assembly select the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine every year. This is the only university in the world that appoints a Nobel Prize.
→ ki.se
🏥 Karolinska Universitetssjukhuset
What it is: The hospital. One of Europe's largest university hospitals. Patient care, not pure research.
Where it is: Also two locations — Karolinska Sjukhuset Solna (the famous one, with the new building that cost 52 billion SEK) and Karolinska Sjukhuset Huddinge.
Formed: January 1, 2004, through a merger of the original Karolinska Sjukhuset (Solna, opened 1940) and Huddinge Universitetssjukhus (opened 1972).
Who runs it: Region Stockholm (not the government — this is a key distinction from KI, which is government-controlled).
🧬 SciLifeLab
What it is: National center for molecular biosciences. A collaboration between KI, KTH, Stockholm University, and Uppsala University.
Where it is: Adjacent to KI's Solna campus — on Tomtebodavägen. NOT inside the hospital.
The History: How One Name Became Five Addresses
Karolinska Institutet is founded as a school for military surgeons on Kungsholmen. Named after Karl XIII ("Carolinska"). Located next to Serafimerlasarettet hospital.
Karolinska Sjukhuset opens in Solna — built to complement KI's theoretical departments with a teaching hospital. Same name, same area, different institution.
Huddinge Sjukhus opens — a completely new hospital south of Stockholm. KI establishes a campus here too. Now KI has two campuses, and there are two hospitals.
The political decision that created maximum confusion: Karolinska Sjukhuset (Solna) and Huddinge Universitetssjukhus merge into Karolinska Universitetssjukhuset. Now Huddinge Hospital also carries the Karolinska name.
The new Karolinska Sjukhuset building opens in Solna — the "Nya Karolinska" (NKS). Cost: approximately 52 billion SEK. One of the most expensive hospital projects in history. Major political controversy.
The Map: Where Everything Actually Is
This is where it gets real. The distance between these locations is significant:
| Location | Municipality | Metro Station | From ↔ To |
|---|---|---|---|
| KI Campus Solna | Solna | Solna station (bus) | — |
| Karolinska Sjukhuset Solna | Solna | Solna station | 5 min walk from KI Solna |
| SciLifeLab | Solna | Solna station | 10 min walk from KI Solna |
| KI Campus Flemingsberg | Huddinge | Flemingsberg (pendeltåg) | 40 min from KI Solna |
| Karolinska Sjukhuset Huddinge | Huddinge | Flemingsberg (pendeltåg) | 40 min from Solna hospital |
⚠️ Common Mistakes
- "I'm going to Karolinska" — Which one? Your taxi driver will ask. Have the street address ready.
- Booking accommodation near "Karolinska Huddinge" — If your lab is in Solna, you're now 40 minutes away. And vice versa.
- Confusing Huddinge with Flemingsberg — Flemingsberg is the district within Huddinge where the campus is. Not all of Huddinge is near the hospital.
- Going to Södertälje instead of Södertörn — Södertörns Högskola (Södertörn University) is in Flemingsberg. Södertälje is a completely different city, 40 km southwest. Do not confuse them.
- Danderyds Sjukhus ≠ Karolinska — Danderyd Hospital is a separate hospital north of Stockholm. It has KI-affiliated researchers but is NOT Karolinska Sjukhuset.
The Nobel Connection
Karolinska Institutet holds a unique global distinction: it is the institution tasked by Alfred Nobel's will to select the laureate for the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine.
🏆 How the Nobel Prize Works at KI
- The Nobel Assembly at KI consists of 50 professors in medical subjects
- The Nobel Committee at KI (a working body of the Assembly) evaluates nominations throughout the year
- Every October, the Assembly votes on the prize winner
- The announcement is made from the Nobel Forum at KI's Solna campus
- This has been the case since the first Nobel Prize was awarded in 1901
So when you hear "the Nobel Prize was awarded by Karolinska," they mean the university (KI), not the hospital. The hospital has nothing to do with the Nobel Prize.
Quick Reference: "I Need to Go to Karolinska"
| If you're... | You need... | Go to... |
|---|---|---|
| A visiting researcher at KI | KI Campus | Solna (ask your host which campus!) |
| A patient needing emergency care | Emergency dept | Karolinska Sjukhuset Solna (or Huddinge) |
| A PhD student starting at KI | KI Campus | Check your department — Solna or Flemingsberg |
| Working at SciLifeLab | SciLifeLab | Tomtebodavägen, Solna (near KI Solna) |
| A clinical researcher | Hospital + KI | Depends on your project — could be either campus |
| Visiting Danderyds Sjukhus | Danderyd Hospital | NOT Karolinska — take the red line north |
How This Affects Where You Should Live
If You Work in Solna
Live north or central. Our rooms in Täby are ~40 minutes by transit. Avoid living south of Stockholm — you'd cross the entire city twice daily.
If You Work in Flemingsberg
Live along the pendeltåg line — Södertälje direction. Årstaberg, Huddinge, or Flemingsberg itself. Don't live in Täby — the commute (55+ min) crosses too many zones.
Pro tip: If your research involves both campuses (common for clinical researchers), living centrally near T-Centralen gives you reasonable access to both. But for most people, one campus will be your primary base — optimize for that.
Working at KI Solna, SciLifeLab, or Danderyds Sjukhus?
Our rooms in Täby are north of Stockholm — ideal for Solna campus access. 40 min to KI, 15 min to Danderyds Sjukhus. 1 Gbps fiber, workspace, kitchen, and sauna.