Unique conditions exist for undertaking R&D in a number of areas in Copenhagen and the Øresund Region. The region’s R&D strongholds can be summarised in the following areas:
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Biotech and pharmaceuticals
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Medical technology
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ICT
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Food
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Management and business administration
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Green industries
Biotech and pharmaceuticals
Copenhagen and Skåne, known collectively as Medicon Valley, encompass a concentration of leading pharmaceutical companies unmatched in Europe constituting approx. 60 per cent of Scandinavia’s total life science output. A total of 41,000 people, of which 3,500 are researchers, are employed in Medicon Valley. With the support of the region’s thriving academic and clinical life science research sector, this unique pharma concentration has positioned Medicon Valley as a leading cluster in four of the most commercially attractive disease areas: diabetes, applied neuroscience, cancer research, and basic and arthritis research in areas of immunology and inflammation
Medical technology
The Danish tradition for focusing on user needs in product development has given Copenhagen a strong medical technology industry. Truly innovative products came to the market already in the 1950s and 1960s when local companies developed the first disposable ostomy bag and pioneered sterile disposable hospital equipment, negating the need for costly and time-consuming sterilisation. Currently, several companies are creating new innovations by combining technologies within biotech and traditional medical technologies.
ITC
The Øresund region is furthermore the leading IT-cluster of Scandinavia and one of the most advanced IT-clusters in Northern Europe. The ITC industry in the Øresund Region employs approx. 104,000 people and hosts 12,000 companies. The region’s strong position is reflected in the number of international companies locating R&D offices in the region, amongst others Microsoft, Ericsson, Nokia, CSC, and Broadcom. Special areas of expertise are phonetics and e-solutions, wireless technology, and micro- and nanotechnology.
Food
Both Copenhagen and southern Sweden have proud traditions of first class research within agriculture and food processing. The region also enjoys access to high quality raw materials. This excellence forms the basis of one of the world’s most developed food sectors attracting global food producing companies such as Nestlé, Unilever, and Masterfoods – all of whom have established Nordic headquarters and/or R&D centres in the region.
Management and Business Administration
Extensive management and business administration competencies reside in Greater Copenhagen and the Øresund Region. The region is home to one of the largest business schools in Northern Europe, the Copenhagen Business School (CBS). CBS boasts a total of approx. 15,000 students, 400 researchers, 24 M.Sc. programmes, 14 B.Sc. programmes and 11 executive education programmes including a full time MBA programme. A part of CBS’ international profile is the cross European Master’s in International Management programme (CEMS) developed in collaboration between 17 of Europe's best management schools.
Green industries
The global focus on environmental sustainability has never been more intense. Problems with energy shortages, pollution and CO2 emissions have paved the way for a new global industry focused on the development of environmental technologies. In Denmark, high environmental standards and restrictive regulation have, in fact, supported the emergence of a globally competitive and highly innovative industry. Furthermore, the ongoing public investment in R&D programmes has been important in making the industry commercially successful and forging new strategic collaborations involving companies, universities, research laboratories and government authorities. The key areas within green industries are wind energy, water technologies, bio fuels, and fuel cells.
For more information, download the fact sheet ”Research & Development” here
