Tommy Andersson, Professor of Economics at Lund University School of Economics and Management, never imagined his research would one day lead to this—but his joy, pride, and commitment are unmistakable.
"Thirteen years ago, we began the planning phase in Sweden, and in 2019 we expanded to Denmark, and later to Finland, Iceland, and Norway. The program is called STEP (Scandiatransplant Exchange Program). Now, in 2026, there is a consensus on how kidney exchanges should be conducted across the entire EU, and almost all the pieces of the puzzle are in place for us to launch the pilot project during 2026," says Tommy Andersson.
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Tommy Andersson was involved from the start, developing the algorithms that make the kidney exchange program in Sweden possible. In cases where a family member can donate a kidney, the transplant can occur directly. However, if the donor's kidney does not match the patient, the exchange program becomes vital. The program enables matching across Scandinavia and soon across the entire EU.
"It is a time-sensitive and complex process where the surgeons' incisions are essentially made simultaneously. After that, for example, one kidney might be transported from Malmö to Gothenburg, another from Gothenburg to Helsinki, and a third from Helsinki to Malmö, and then the transplants take place," explains Tommy Andersson.
Kidney Transplantation Across Blood Groups
He further explains that a key reason for the simultaneous procedure is the risk of donors withdrawing if there is a delay. Transplants across blood group barriers and in cases where the donor and recipient have different tissue types were previously impossible. While these are currently avoided when possible, they are feasible, and the Swedish program was actually a pioneer in kidney transplantation across blood groups.
The kidney exchange program saves lives, reduces suffering, and saves time—but it also saves taxpayer money.
"Every transplant saves between eight and fifteen million SEK in public funds over a person's life cycle. The costs that are avoided include dialysis and the fact that those affected are often unable to work. On top of that, you can add the enormous gain in quality of life for the individual," says Tommy Andersson.
Access to Many More Donors
Tommy Andersson remains involved in the EU-wide efforts but emphasizes that several different groups and experts are developing the European program. He specifically mentions Péter Biró, a researcher in Budapest, as a key figure behind the new algorithms.
He explains that the hope is to carry out an international exchange sometime in 2026. In Scandinavia, about thirty operations of this type are performed annually, while there are hundreds when counting the whole of Europe. The strength of an international program is the access to a much larger pool of donors, which significantly reduces waiting times for patients. The ability to transplant across blood group barriers has led to a 20% increase in operations, and the Swedish program has already shortened waiting times—which could previously be up to two years—to just six months.
"The STEP exchange program is an excellent example of what can be achieved through interdisciplinary research. STEP and similar programs would not have been possible without research and expertise in medicine, computer science, and economics," Tommy Andersson concludes.