Female scientist analysing petri dish
Female scientist analysing petri dish

Insight

Danish government presents new life sciences growth plan

Insight

Danish government presents new life sciences growth plan

A new growth plan for Danish life sciences will boost the already successful industry even more. The goal is to make Denmark one of Europe’s leading life sciences nations.

When

Denmark’s new life sciences growth plan will support the positive development of the life sciences industry, launching 36 specific initiatives targeted barriers and opportunities for the industry across the entire value chain – from research to commercialisation, approval and sales in the international export markets.



While Danish life sciences companies are already leading in the global markets for medicines and medical devices, and life sciences has become one of Denmark's strongest business areas, Denmark has the opportunity to strengthen its position in the field even more. This requires a constant focus on strengthening innovation, research and product development.



The development seen in recent year’s points to a major growth potential, provided Denmark continue the great work within the field of life sciences.

Our growth plan […] reduces some of the most significant barriers for businesses while also strengthening the entrepreneurship and investment culture. More start-ups and digital transformation will strengthen the growth layer of scale-ups within life science, allowing Denmark and Danish companies to be digital and technological frontrunners in the future as well.

Brian Mikkelsen, Minister for Industry, Business and Financial Affairs

Ministry of Industry, Business and Financial Affairs

Initiatives across six focus areas

Denmark’s new life sciences growth plan initiatives are spread across six-core focus area, including improving the framework conditions for research and development activities, improving the framework conditions for conducting clinical trials, boosting the Danish Medicines Agency, and creating better access to qualified and skilled labour.

“[…] we will introduce risk sharing in the subsidy system, evolve our strong cooperation between the public health service and the private health sector, make clinical research more attractive in Denmark, strengthen our efforts within medical devices and promote a strong and European-oriented Danish Medicines Agency,” explains the Minister for Health, Ellen Trane Nørby.

The growth plan is a result of a corporation between the Ministry of Industry, Business and Financial Affairs, the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Higher Education and Science and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark. 

Join an already strong life sciences industry

The Danish life sciences industry not only produces impressive export figures, with medical products constituting about 14,4 per cent of total Danish export in 2016, making it one of the country’s absolutely largest export products, it is also one of Denmark’s most productive sectors.

The pharmaceutical industry, for example, is one of Denmark’s most productive sectors with a productivity that measured on the value added per employee being approximately 2.6 times as large as the business community as a whole. 

The growth plan will come to strengthen an already strong life sciences environment in Denmark, by being an important contribution to the establishment of an even more attractive business environment for, among others, foreign companies.

[…] we shall increase our efforts to attract foreign life science investments. Foreign investments represent a major contribution to growth and employment in Denmark and provide us with new technologies and know-how.

Anders Samuelsen, Minister of Foreign Affairs

Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark

Among the initiatives to attract foreign companies to Denmark, are a breakdown of both economic and administrative boundaries for life sciences companies.

This includes, amongst others, improving the framework conditions for conducting clinical trials plus exempting commercial sponsors for all fees in connection with phase I trials.

The Danish growth strategy for life sciences in short

 

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If you want to know more about the Danish life sciences industry, or how to do business in Denmark, please do not hesitate to reach out to our dedicated advisors:

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  • Sarina Lohmann

    Title: Special Advisor – Maritime and transport – Analysis & Partnerships

    Area: Copenhagen

    Phone: +4533920423

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