Erhvervsudvalget 2019-20
ERU Alm.del Bilag 109
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STATE OF
MEDICON VALLEY 2019
An Analysis of Life Science
in Greater Copenhagen
 ERU, Alm.del - 2019-20 - Bilag 109: Henvendelse af 16/12-19 fra Petter Hartman, Medicon Valley Alliance og Johan Wessman, Øresundsinstituttet, vedrørende analysen State of Medicon Valley Analysis
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STATE OF MEDICON VALLEY 2019
An Analysis of Life Science in Greater Copenhagen
Commissioned and published by: Medicon Valley Alliance.
This analysis has been prepared by Øresundsinstituttet and
was written by Jenny Andersson, Anna Palmehag,
Thea Wiborg and Johan Wessman.
Project manager: Jenny Andersson.
Translation: Justina Bartoli.
Coverphoto: News Øresund
November 2019
PREFACE
The winds of change continue to blow through Medicon Valley and the Danish and Swedish
life science industry. The region’s life science industry is still expanding, and new products
are being launched, although turnover in the region’s largest pharmaceutical companies has
temporarily plateaued. Novo Nordisk Foundation’s endeavour to establish a world-class inn-
ovation environment at COBIS in Copenhagen is progressing with the BioInnovation Institute.
Medeon Science Park in Malmö is expanding with the new structure Forskaren 1, and Lund’s
Medicon Village just inaugurated its newly constructed building The Spark.
Pharmaceutical exports are still rising. Between 2017 and 2018, Swedish life science
exports increased by 10.6%; in the same period, Danish life science exports increased by
7.7%. According to Statistics Denmark, the Danish pharmaceutical industry grew over 20%
between November 2017 and June 2019, and the sector now makes up one-fifth of Den-
mark’s industrial production. As the life science sector has grown more important for both
the Danish and Swedish national economies, and with the increasing pressure on public
healthcare systems in both countries, political interest has also grown. Denmark now has an
internationalisation strategy for health and the life sciences, and the Swedish government
presented an eight-point programme that forms the backbone for the upcoming Swedish life
science strategy. While there are many common points of interest in the two countries’ am-
bitions and their choice of strategical areas, there are also certain important differences. In
Denmark, the focus is clearly set on generating growth, and internationalisation and exports
are keywords. The Swedish debate centres more on co-operation, and partnerships between
private, public and academic actors are among the principal elements. Nordic collaboration
has no prominent role as yet, although the countries share many of the challenges that face
the sector in general.
There is also more potential for collaboration in academia. In a comparison with nine other
leading European life science clusters, it was concluded that Medicon Valley’s research-
ers are cited more often than average in 15 of the region’s 20 largest research areas. The
conclusion is part of a bibliometric analysis conducted by the Dutch research centre CWTS at
Leiden University on behalf of Medicon Valley Alliance. While the result should certainly be
considered a success for Medicon Valley, it also shows that there is still great potential for
continued development in which trans-Øresund collaboration is an important element.
With its 250 members, the Danish-Swedish network organization Medicon Valley Alliance
has a unique opportunity to build bridges between national and regional initiatives, as well
as to create stronger links between the industry, academia and public healthcare providers
in the region. In the years to come, Medicon Valley Alliance will place a strong emphasis on
strengthening the organisation’s role as a facilitator of increased collaboration between our
members, for the benefit of life science in Sweden and Denmark.
Copenhagen and Malmö
4 November 2019
Petter Hartman
CEO Medicon Valley Alliance
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. SUMMARY ................................................................................................................. 4
2. FACTS AND FIGURES ................................................................................................ 8
3. THE BEACONS OF MEDICON VALLEY ....................................................................... 18
4. CLUSTER RANKING ............................................................................................... 22
5. ANALYSIS ............................................................................................................. 50
6. APPENDIX ............................................................................................................. 54
- LARGER MEETINGS AND CONFERENCES ................................................................ 55
- REPORTS AND FACTS ............................................................................................... 56
- ORGANISATIONS ....................................................................................................... 58
- STATISTICS AND METHODOLOGY ................................................................................. 60
- REFERENCE LIST ....................................................................................................... 66
 ERU, Alm.del - 2019-20 - Bilag 109: Henvendelse af 16/12-19 fra Petter Hartman, Medicon Valley Alliance og Johan Wessman, Øresundsinstituttet, vedrørende analysen State of Medicon Valley Analysis
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2018 was a record year for the Danish
life science industry’s exports. In 2018,
the export of medical products and
devices was responsible for 15.4% of
Denmark’s total exports; that share
has doubled since 2008. Exports were
valued at nearly 106 billion DKK – more
than double what they were ten years
ago. Life science exports were also
record-high in Sweden in 2018, having
risen 10.6% compared to 2017.
PHOTO: NEWS ØRESUND
106 billion DKK
SUMMARY
Increase in tax contribution
in both countries
The life science sector in Denmark contri-
buted 19.6 billion DKK in revenue in 2017,
which is a 20% increase from 2016. Tax
contributions from Swedish life science
companies were 12.7 billion SEK in 2017;
this is a 5.2% increase from 2016.
GREAT POTENTIAL.
”Government funding for
specific collaborations between institutions in the
Øresund Region would spark a lot of collabora-
tions, because funding is usually what controls
how researchers organise their work”, says Anna
Blom, Professor of Medical Protein Chemistry at
Lund University, in an interview on page 38.
STABLE DEVELOPMENT
IN MEDICON VALLEY
Higher employment numbers, large acquisitions and hopes for a
new blockbuster drug in oral-tablet form from Novo Nordisk for the
treatment of type-2 diabetes are all indications of stable and positive
developments in the continued renewal of Medicon Valley’s life
science companies.
Employment rate on the rise
44 000 people are employed at Medicon Valley’s companies according
to the latest statistics from 2017 – a 3.4% increase in one year. If
consultants and subcontractors are included, the cluster’s importan-
ce is greater still. Last year, the largest employer, Novo Nordisk, had
16 300 employees in Denmark, and provided employment for another
7 900 people brought in via external companies. The majority of them
work at the company’s facilities in Zealand and in the Capital Region
of Denmark.
699
Danish life science patent applications to
the EPO in 2018. The number of Swedish
patent requests was 373.
The region’s researchers are cited more frequ-
ently than average in 15 of the 20 largest subject
areas for life science research in Medicon Valley.
This was shown in CWTS’ survey of scientific
publications and citations in the life sciences from
2006-2017. The 20 largest fields of research were
responsible for more than 50% of the total num-
ber of scientific publications in the life sciences in
Medicon Valley during the period examined.
PHOTO: NEWS ØRESUND
ILLUSTRATION: LÖNEGÅRD & CO
Acquisitions and new drugs bring growth
STOCKHOLM-UPPSALA
SCOTLAND
MEDICON VALLEY
NETHERLANDS
LONDON-CAMBRIDGE-OXFORD
FLANDERS
ÎLE DE FRANCE
BIOVALLEY
MUNICH
ZURICH
Beacons growing bigger
In 2018, the turnover of Medicon
Valley’s four largest life science
companies (Novo Nordisk, Lund-
beck, Ferring Pharmaceuticals and
LEO Pharma) remained stable at
154 billion DKK. If the region’s lar-
gest medtech company (Coloplast)
is included, it increased to 171
billion DKK.
44 000
Medicon Valley’s life science
sector employs 44 000 people.
In the shift from older to new pharmaceuticals, the global turnover for
Medicon Valley’s four largest life science companies (Novo Nordisk,
Lundbeck, Ferring Pharmaceuticals and LEO Pharma) plateaued; the
companies’ total turnover increased half a per cent last year, to 154
billion DKK. With the help of new drugs and acquisitions, turnover
is expected to rise again. In 2019 so far, there have been six major
acquisitions in Medicon Valley, worth more than 28 billion DKK. Of
these, five concern sales in which the acquiring company is based in
Medicon Valley. In addition, Widex, which manufactures hearing aids,
has merged with Sivantos and become the new, larger company WS
Audiology. An important new drug just won FDA approval in the USA:
Novo Nordisk’s Rybelsus (Semaglutide) will give patients with type-2
diabetes the option of an oral tablet instead of injections.
Rising Danish and Swedish life science exports
Positive development is also apparent on a national level in both
Denmark and Sweden. Danish life science exports rose by 7.7% last
year to 106 billion DKK. Swedish life science exports rose 10.6% to the
equivalent of 65 billion DKK. The number of patent applications sub-
mitted in the life sciences to the European Patent Office (EPO) last year
increased ten per cent in Denmark and four per cent in Sweden.
STATE OF MEDICON VALLEY • November 2019
5
PHOTO: LUNDBECK
 ERU, Alm.del - 2019-20 - Bilag 109: Henvendelse af 16/12-19 fra Petter Hartman, Medicon Valley Alliance og Johan Wessman, Øresundsinstituttet, vedrørende analysen State of Medicon Valley Analysis
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SUMMARY
SUMMARY
Increased tax contributions from the life
science sector
In Denmark, the life science sector’s total tax contri-
butions in 2017 increased 20% to 19.6 billion
DKK; in Sweden, tax contributions from the life
science sector rose 5.2% to 12.7 billion SEK. Read
more on page 13.
Competitive research
Measured in terms of scientific publications, resear-
ch in Medicon Valley is in a good place, as a cluster
ranking performed by the Dutch research centre
CWTS at Leiden University on behalf of Medicon
Valley Alliance shows.
Medicon Valley’s research in the life sciences
is cited significantly more frequently than the
international average in 15 of the region’s 20 largest
areas of research. When it comes to the seven largest
of these subject areas, the region places around
midway or just below in a comparison with nine
other outstanding European life science clusters,
according to CWTS’ analysis.
Biochemistry – a strong area
The four fields of research to generate the largest
number of scientific publications in the life sciences
in Medicon Valley from 2006-2016 were Bioche-
mistry & Molecular Biology, Endocrinology &
Metabolism, Oncology, and Neuroscience.
– Biochemistry is a strong area for us – in
Copenhagen as well as here in Lund, says Bo
Ahrén, Pro Vice-Chancellor of Lund University in
an interview on pages 23-26 of this report.
An example to which Lund University is happy
to give prominence is the new Wallenberg Centre
for Molecular Medicine at Lund University, where
the focus is on research in regenerative medicine.
Of these four areas of research, the first three
place relatively well in the European cluster com-
parison – near the median. In the global compa-
rison, they are distinctly above average. Neurosci-
ence, which is often used to exemplify the region’s
areas of strength, placed rather poorly however,
with the lowest citation frequency compared to the
other nine leading European life science clusters.
A subject area with a citation frequency well above
the international average is Medicine, General &
Internal. Read more on pages 28-33.
The subject areas in which development is
strongest is clearly linked to where the research
resources are, according to several of the people
interviewed for this report. In part, this is because
of political investments; in recent years, the Swedish
6
and Danish governments have prioritised e.g.
antimicrobial resistance and personalised medicine.
The industry also exerts influence, particularly in
Denmark, where companies have a tradition of
creating research foundations with a great deal of
resources to distribute.
ESS and MAX IV will affect life science
Another important factor that has yet to make a
mark in the bibliometric analyses is the growth
expected to accompany the materials research
facilities ESS and MAX IV, which will also affect
the life sciences. Whilst the synchrotron radiation
facility MAX IV in Lund is still in its start-up
phase, the pan-European neutron research facility
ESS in Lund is currently being constructed. The
new research infrastructure is expected to create
new opportunities in everything from bioche-
mistry and molecular biology to microbiology,
biotechnology and pharmacology; in extension,
these can also be applied to many more areas in
the life sciences.
Similar biobanks in Denmark and Sweden
Situated in a venerable white building just outside
of central Copenhagen is Denmark’s State Serum
Institute (SSI). SSI’s collaboration with Swedish
universities is so intensive that the computer-gene-
rated network analysis performed by the research
institution CWTS at Leiden University identified
it as a Swedish actor. The close collaboration is
largely because Sweden and Denmark have similar
biobanks and registers, giving researchers the
opportunity to carry out significantly larger regis-
ter-based studies through collaboration between
the countries.
– Collaboration with Sweden is clearly so-
mething we seek out – or that the Swedes seek out;
it goes both ways. We’ve accrued know-how, and
we co-publish many articles with Swedes every year.
We know whom to contact, says Mads Melbye,
Director of the State Serum Institute in Denmark.
Read more on page 42.
Trans-Øresund cooperation
In addition to biobank collaboration, there are a
number of other contiguous areas spanning the
Øresund. This report is published by Medicon
Valley Alliance, a network organisation for compa-
nies, universities and society across the Øresund.
Denmark is very involved in the new materials
research organisations MAX IV (operational) and
European Spallation Source (operational in 2023)
STATE OF MEDICON VALLEY • November 2019
in Lund. Together with regional governments and
universities, the Danish government has funded a
beamline at MAX IV. When it comes to European
Spallation Source, Denmark and Sweden are both
host nations, and the facility’s data management
and software centre (DMSC) is situated at COBIS
in Copenhagen.
At Novo Nordisk Foundation’s major invest-
ment BioInnovation Institute at COBIS, the vice
chairman is a Swede: Bo Ahrén, pro vice-chancel-
lor of Lund University.
Many researchers collaborate at Swedish and
Danish universities. But as Professor of Medical
Protein Chemistry at Lund University Anna Blom
says in an interview on page 38, there’s more work
to be done to increase university collaboration
across the Øresund.
– Government funding for specific collabora-
tions between institutions in the Øresund Region
would spark a lot of collaborations; funding is
usually what controls how researchers organise
their work.
Politicians in Region Skåne and the Capital Region
of Denmark recently decided to increase collabo-
ration across the Øresund. They are exploring new
possibilities for a shared Danish-Swedish ambulance
helicopter and collaboration within e.g. paediatrics
and exchange of knowledge about the large hospital
constructions underway in both countries.
LIFE SCIENCE DEFINITION
Life science can be defined as
the study of living organisms
(including microorganisms,
plants, animals and human
beings), but when describing
a life science cluster, life
science is seen in a broa-
der context. It includes the
pharmaceutical, biotechno-
logy and medical technology
industries, as well as the
academic institutions con-
ducting research within life
science and hospitals treating
patients in the clinic.
Bo Ahrén, Pro Vice-Chancellor of Lund
University.
MAX IV in Lund.
Katrine Krogh Andersen, Dean of Resear-
ch at the Technical University of Denmark.
Copenhagen Bio Science Park, Cobis.
The Spark, Medicon Village in Lund.
Thue Schwartz, Professor at the Uni-
versity of Copenhagen.
STATE OF MEDICON VALLEY • November 2019
7
PHOTO: NEWS ØRESUND, LUND UNIVERSITY - PERRY NORDENG
 ERU, Alm.del - 2019-20 - Bilag 109: Henvendelse af 16/12-19 fra Petter Hartman, Medicon Valley Alliance og Johan Wessman, Øresundsinstituttet, vedrørende analysen State of Medicon Valley Analysis
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PHOTO: NOVOZYMES
FACTS AND FIGURES
According to the latest statistics, the number of employees is on the rise in the life sci-
ence sector in Medicon Valley and in Denmark and Sweden in general; patent applica-
tions are up; exports are increasing, and the sector’s contributions to the state coffers
are growing in both countries. In Denmark, tax contributions from the life science
sector grew 20% in 2017 compared to the previous year, and Danish exports have more
than doubled over the past ten years.
• Life science exports from Denmark and
Sweden have hit an all-time high. Danish life
science exports are now worth close to 106
billion DKK, having more than doubled over the
past ten years. Swedish life science exports
have also reached a record high after rising
10.6% in 2018.
• In 2017, Danish life science sector contributed
19.6 billion DKK in tax revenue; this is 20%
more than the preceding year. In total, income-
and corporation tax contributions from Swedish
life science companies were 12.7 billion SEK in
2017; this is a 5.2% increase from 2016.
• In 2018, Danish companies submitted 699
patent requests in the life sciences to the EPO;
this is a 10% increase from 2017. In Sweden the
increase was a more modest 4%.
• There were 44 000 employees in Medicon Valley
in 2017 – the most recent year for which sta-
tistics are available. Compared with 2016, this
represents a 3.4% increase.
• Medicon Valley’s main life science municipality is
Gladsaxe (Bagsværd) outside Copenhagen; there
are 8 600 employees in the life sciences in that
Danish district. Among the companies there are
Novo Nordisk’s headquarters and large facilities,
as well as the sister company Novozymes.
• The second-largest municipality is Copenha-
gen, where there are 6 400 employees. Closely
following Copenhagen with 6 000 employees
is Ballerup. In Skåne, Malmö is the principal
municipality for the life sciences with its 2 000
employees.
RECORD-HIGH TAX CONTRIBUTIONS FROM
DANISH LIFE SCIENCE IN 2018
In Denmark as in Sweden, in 2017 the life science industry contributed more in taxes than in the
preceding year. In Denmark, the rise has been substantial with a 20% increase in total tax revenue.
Life science exports from Denmark and Sweden have hit an all-time high. Danish life science exports
are now worth close to 106 billion DKK, having more than doubled over the past ten years. Swedish
life science exports have also reached a record high after rising 10.6% in 2018.
FACTS AND FIGURES:
Positive development
for Danish and Swedish
life science
The rise in the Danish life science industry’s tax
contribution was substantial in 2017. The increase
has been due to record high corporation tax. In
total, the companies paid 10.4 billion DKK in
corporation tax; this is 42% more than the prece-
ding year. In Sweden, contributions from corpora-
tion tax on life science companies is at its highest
since 2011.
When it comes to patent applications to the
EPO in the life sciences, the number of requests
STATE OF MEDICON VALLEY • November 2019
from Denmark increased 10% in 2018 compared
to the previous year. In Sweden, there was a 4%
increase in the same period. Danish life science ex-
ports have doubled in the past ten years, although
the increase from 2016 to 2017 was greater in
Sweden (10.6%).
The number of employees in Medicon Valley
was 44 000 in 2017 – a 3.4% increase compared
to the previous year. At 6.2%, the increase in the
region was greatest in Skåne.
9
 ERU, Alm.del - 2019-20 - Bilag 109: Henvendelse af 16/12-19 fra Petter Hartman, Medicon Valley Alliance og Johan Wessman, Øresundsinstituttet, vedrørende analysen State of Medicon Valley Analysis
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FACTS AND FIGURES
FACTS AND FIGURES
RISING EMPLOYMENT IN MEDICON VALLEY
There were 44 000 employees in Medicon Valley in 2017 – the most recent year for which statistics are
available. Compared with 2016, this represents a 3.4% increase. Within the region, the Capital Region
of Denmark saw a 3.9% increase; Region Zealand had a 1.1% decrease, and Skåne experienced a 6.2%
upswing between the two years. This is shown by figures from Statistics Sweden and Statistics Denmark.
EMPLOYMENT IN LIFE SCIENCE BY REGION IN DENMARK AND SWEDEN
Rest of Sweden
Oslo
4 500
Stockholm-
Uppsala region
16 600
In 2017, the number of people employed in the life
science sector rose in Denmark as well as Sweden
compared to the previous year. In Denmark, there
was a 2.3% increase; in Sweden that number was
6.2%. Looking at the total period 2008-2017, Den-
mark saw an annual increase of 1.8%, while Sweden
saw a 1.3% decrease.
Västra Götaland County is the Swedish region
in which the greatest increase – 7% – occurred
between 2016 and 2017; Skåne (6.2%) and
Stockholm-Uppsala (5.8%) were not far behind.
In Denmark, the greatest increase took place in the
Capital Region of Denmark (3.9%), and there was
a 1.1% decrease in Region Zealand.
These figures are based on statistics from Statistics
Sweden and Statistics Denmark and are not directly
comparably with figures from earlier reports; the re-
ason is that the methodological definition of biotech
companies has been broadened for this report.
In numbers: Medicon Valley’s life science sector
employs 44 000 people. Of these, 32 700 are in
the Capital Region of Denmark, 6 300 are in Re-
gion Zealand, and 5 000 are in Skåne. In Sweden
on the whole, the sector employs 33 500 people;
in Denmark that number is 43 200.
The Capital Region of Denmark is respon-
sible for 74% of employment in the life science
sector in Medicon Valley and nearly 76% of
total employment in the Danish cluster. Stock-
holm-Uppsala is responsible for about 50% of
Swedish employment in the life sciences. Medicon
Valley’s part of the total employment in the life
science sector in Denmark and Sweden is 57%.
Medicon Valley’s main life science municipality is
Gladsaxe (Bagsværd); there are 8 600 employees in the
life sciences in that Danish district. Among the com-
panies there are Novo Nordisk’s headquarters and large
facilities, as well as the sister company Novozymes.
The graphic showing the five largest municipalities in
Denmark and the three largest in Sweden is based on
data from Statistics Sweden and Statistics Denmark, as
well as information provided by the largest companies
and Øresundinstituttet’s own research. The second-lar-
gest municipality is Copenhagen, where there are 6
400 employees and companies such as H. Lundbeck,
Ferring Pharmaceuticals and Genmab. Closely fol-
lowing Copenhagen with 6 000 employees is Ballerup,
where e.g. Leo Pharma’s headquarters and facilities for
Novo Nordisk are located.
In Skåne, Malmö is the principal municipali-
ty for the life sciences with its 2 000 employees.
Among the companies there are Novo Nordisk’s
Swedish office, Lundbeck, Leo Pharma and Fer-
ring, as well as the headquarters for Atos Medical,
Arjo and PolyPeptide. Helsingborg and Lund have
the same number of employees in the life sciences
– 1 100 – and include e.g. McNeil (Helsingborg)
and Baxter (Lund).
PHOTO: NEWS ØRESUND
Stockholm
Gothenburg
Västra
Götaland
7 400
Capital Region
of Denmark
Rest of Denmark
32 700
*
Skåne
5 000
Malmö
4 200
Copenhagen
Region
Zealand
6 300
Source: Statistics Denmark, Statistics Sweden and information from the biggest life science companies in Denmark.
EMPLOYMENT AND CHANGE OVER TIME*
2017
Change 2016-17
Annual change 2008-17
LIFE SCIENCE EMPLOYMENT
44 000
42 000
40 000
38 000
36 000
34 000
32 000
30 000
Denmark
Capital Region of Denmark
Region Zealand
Denmark, rest of
Sweden
Skåne
Stockholm-Uppsala region
Västra Götaland
43 200
32 700
6 300
4 200
33 500
5 000
16 600
7 400
4 500
44 000
2.3%
3.9%
-1.1%
-3.9%
6.2%
6.2%
5.8%
7.0%
6.6%
3.4%
1.8%
2.3%
0.8%
-0.3%
-1.3%
-3.5%
-1.5%
1.2%
-1.6%
1.3%
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
Sweden, rest of
Medicon Valley
Denmark
Sweden
Source: Statistics Sweden, Statistics Denmark and information from the
biggest life science companies
Source: Statistics Sweden, Statistics Denmark and information from the biggest life science companies. * The figures from Statistics Denmark have
been adjusted due to a systematic review of the employment figures for all of the Danish municipalities in Medicon Valley. Read more about the
methods used on pages 60-65, in the Appendix.
STATE OF MEDICON VALLEY • November 2019
STATE OF MEDICON VALLEY • November 2019
10
11
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FACTS AND FIGURES
FACTS AND FIGURES
EMPLOYMENT IN
LIFE SCIENCE IN SKÅNE
AND ZEALAND BY
MUNICIPALITY*
Hillerød
3 500
Ballerup
6 000
Gladsaxe
(Bagsværd)
8 600
INCREASE IN THE LIFE SCIENCE INDUSTRY’S
CONTRIBUTION TO DANISH AND SWEDISH ECONOMY
– DANISH CORPORATION TAX AT A RECORD HIGH
In Denmark as in Sweden, in 2017 the life science industry contributed more in taxes than in the
preceding year. For Danish life science companies, the rise has been substantial. The increase has
been due to corporation tax, which is at a record high. In Sweden, contributions from corporation tax
on life science companies is at the highest level since 2011.
Hel-
singborg
1 100
Kalundborg
3 700
Lund
1 100
Copenhagen
6 400
Malmö
2 000
Source: Statistics Sweden, Statistics Den-
mark and information from the biggest
life science companies. Read more about
the methods used on pages 60-65, in the
Appendix.
* The map shows the five biggest life scien-
ce municipalities in Denmark and the three
biggest in Skåne.
Some examples of companies in the largest life science municipalities
Gladsaxe: 8 600 employees
Headquarters and large facilities for Novo Nordisk
and Novozymes.
Ballerup: 6 000 employees
Novo Nordisk, LEO Pharma (headquarters, research
and production site), GN Hearing, Symphogen and
Pfizer are all based in Ballerup Municipality.
Copenhagen: 6 400 employees
H. Lundbeck (headquarters and factory), Ferring Phar-
maceuticals (research facility). The Danish capital is
also the location of Xelia Pharmaceuticals, Genmab and
several foreign life science companies such as Novartis,
Boehringer Ingelheim, Stryker and AstraZeneca.
Kalundborg: 3 700 employees
Production sites for Novo Nordisk and Novozymes.
Hillerød: 3 500 employees
Novo Nordisk, Fujifilm - formerly Biogen (production
site), PolyPeptide and Zymenex.
Malmö: 2 000 employees
Atos Medical (headquarters), Arjo (headquarters),
Rechon Life Science, PolyPeptide Group, Nordic
Drugs, Qpharma and numerous national and regional
headquarters from the life science sector, e.g. Lund-
beck, LEO Pharma and Novo Nordisk.
Lund: 1 100 employees
Lund’s life science environments are dominated
by the medtech company Baxter (Gambro Lundia),
Alligator Bioscience, Camurus and several smaller
biotech companies at the science parks Medicon
Village and Ideon.
Helsingborg: 1 100 employees
McNeil, which develops and manufactures quit
smoking products, is the largest life science company
in Helsingborg.
In 2017, Danish life science companies paid 10.4
billion DKK in corporation tax; this is 42% more
than the preceding year. 2017 was a record year
for Denmark in general when it comes to the total
contributions from corporation tax – on the whole,
it brought 72 billion DKK to the state coffers. Alt-
hough corporation tax has been lowered in recent
years, an analysis by the Danish Ministry of Taxa-
tion has shown that revenue from corporation tax
has never been higher. This is in part because there
are more companies paying corporation tax, and in
part because Danish companies’ taxable surplus has
returned to the same level as in the years before the
financial crisis. According to the Ministry of Taxa-
tion’s report, production companies are responsible
for one third of corporation tax. It may be assumed
that this development is particularly strong in the
life science sector, which contributed 42% more in
2017 than in the previous year.
Income tax revenue from employees in the life
science sector also increased 2.6%. On the who-
le, the life science sector contributed 19.6 billion
DKK in tax revenue for a 20% increase in one year.
Compared to 2008, the contributions from the
sector more than doubled in 2017, and the annual
percentual growth was 9.7%.
The life science sector’s share of the total revenue
from income and corporation tax in Denmark was
3.4% in 2017. That share has grown significantly
since 2008, when it was 1.9%. Furthermore, com-
pared to 2016, it has increased 0.4 percentage units.
19.6 billion DKK (+20%)
On the whole, the life science sector contributed
19.6 billion DKK in revenue in 2017, which is a
20% increase from 2016.
THE LIFE SCIENCE SECTOR’S
SHARE OF THE TOTAL INCOME-
AND CORPORATION TAXES
4,00%
3,50%
3,00%
2,50%
2,00%
1,50%
1,00%
0,50%
0,00%
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
Denmark
2013
Sweden
2014
2015
2016
2017
Source: Statistics Denmark, the Swedish Tax Agency and
Statistics Sweden
While the development in Sweden has not been
quite as pronounced, the life science sector’s tax
revenue contributions also rose from 2016 to 2017.
In total, income- and corporation tax contributions
from Swedish life science companies were 12.7
billion SEK in 2017; this is a 5.2% increase from
2016. In Sweden as well, corporation tax has risen
most – 8.9% – while income tax from the sector’s
employees has increased two per cent, like in Den-
TAX CONTRIBUTIONS IN LIFE SCIENCE 2017
Denmark (billion DKK )
Euro (million)
Sweden (billion SEK)
Euro (million)
Income tax
Corporation tax
Income and corporation tax
9,2
10,4
19,6
1 239
1 391
2 631
7.0
5.7
12.7
732
591
1 323
Source: Sveriges Riksbank and Danmarks Nationalbank. Converted to Euros using the average Euro exchange rate for 2017 (9.6326 SEK for 1 Euro and
7.4386 DKK for 1 Euro). Because of differences in the Danish and Swedish tax systems, the tax figures are not directly comparable. Read more about
the sources and differenced in the Appendix on pages 60-65.
STATE OF MEDICON VALLEY • November 2019
STATE OF MEDICON VALLEY • November 2019
12
13
 ERU, Alm.del - 2019-20 - Bilag 109: Henvendelse af 16/12-19 fra Petter Hartman, Medicon Valley Alliance og Johan Wessman, Øresundsinstituttet, vedrørende analysen State of Medicon Valley Analysis
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FACTS AND FIGURES
FACTS AND FIGURES
mark. In a more long-term perspective however,
the amount contributed via corporation tax has not
grown; instead, the total revenue from life science
companies’ corporation tax has dropped 12% since
2008, which corresponds to 788 million SEK.
In Sweden, companies in the life science sector
are responsible for 1.9% of the total contributions
from corporation- and income tax. The share has
maintained the same level since 2014, but was
previously higher. It reached a peak in 2009, when
2.5% of the total tax revenue came from companies
in the life science sector.
increase of 2018 compared to the previous year was
in biotechnology – 29%. Applications for pharma-
ceuticals patents on the other hand decreased 13%,
going from 96 in 2017 to 84 in 2018.
Among the Danish and Swedish companies on
the EPO’s list of last year’s 25 top applicants are
Novo Nordisk in medical technology (15th with
PHOTO: NOVOZYMES
80 applications), pharmaceuticals (14th with 25
applications), and in biotechnology (16th with 29
applications). In addition, Danish Novozymes is
in 3rd place for biotechnology with its 115 appli-
cations. AstraZeneca, whose roots are in Sweden
and the UK, came 21st in pharmaceuticals with 22
applications.
THE LIFE SCIENCE SECTOR’S TOTAL
CONTRIBUTIONS FROM INCOME-
AND CORPORATION TAX IN SWEDEN
(IN BILLIONS OF SEK)
20
16
12
8
4
0
THE LIFE SCIENCE SECTOR’S TOTAL
CONTRIBUTIONS FROM INCOME-
AND CORPORATION TAX IN DEN-
MARK (IN BILLIONS OF DKK)
20
16
12
8
4
0
NUMBER OF LIFE SCIENCE PATENT
APPLICATIONS TO EPO FROM
SWEDEN AND DENMARK
750
700
650
600
550
500
450
400
350
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
300
250
Sweden
Income tax
Corporation tax
Income tax
Denmark
Corporation tax
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
Denmark
2014
Sweden
2015
2016
2017
2018
Source: Statistics Denmark, the Swedish Tax Agency and Statistics Sweden
Source: EPO
PATENTS – SHARP RISE IN THE NUMBER OF
APPLICATIONS IN DANISH PHARMACEUTICALS
The number of Danish patent applications in the life sciences to the European Patent Office (EPO)
rose 10% last year. The greatest increase was in pharmaceuticals, although most patents are still
sought for biotechnology. Swedish patent applications rose by 4% – most were in biotech – but medi-
cal technology continues to dominate.
TOP TEN TECHNOLOGICAL FIELDS REPRESENTED IN DANISH AND
SWEDISH PATENT APPLICATIONS FOR THE PERIOD 2009–2018 AND
2018 (IN PARENTHESES)
SWEDEN
Place
Technological field
Number of
applications
DENMARK
Technological field
Number of
applications
1
2
3
Digital communication
Telecommunications
Transport
Medical technology
Computer technology
Mechanical elements
Measurement
Civil engineering
Machine tools
Other special machines
9 366 (1 192)
2 915 (228)
2 880 (294)
2 532 (200)
1 956 (212)
1 535 (117)
1 385 (120)
1 382 (123)
1 143 (86)
1 062 (103)
Biotechnology
Medical technology
Engines, pumps, turbines
Pharmaceuticals
Civil engineering
Audio-visual technology
Other special machines
Food chemistry
Electrical machinery, apparatus, energy
Measurement
2 458 (271)
1 928 (234)
1 522 (298)
1 335 (194)
1 241 (126)
1 090 (168)
839 (125)
793 (92)
757 (112)
677 (89)
In 2018, Danish companies submitted 699 patent
requests in the life sciences to the EPO; this is a
10% increase from 2017 and the highest entry
in the years for which statistics are available; i.e.
since 2009. When it comes to subject matter, the
greatest increase in patent requests in Denmark
was in pharmaceuticals – from 123 applications
in 2017 to 194 in 2018; this represents a 58%
increase. Despite a slight – four per cent – decrease
in 2018 compared with the previous year, most
patent applications in Denmark are still submitted
in biotechnology (271).
When it comes to patent applications from
Swedish life science companies, the rise in numbers
from 2017 to 2018 was somewhat more modest:
four per cent, from 358 to 373. Whilst develop-
ment has been consistently positive since 2014,
it has not yet returned to the 2010 peak, when
the number of patent requests was 521. In 2018,
Swedish applications to the EPO were predomi-
nantly in medical technology (200). The sharpest
4
5
6
7
8
9
699
10
…
16
20
Pharmaceuticals
Biotechnology
893 (84)
688 (89)
Danish life science patent applications to the
EPO in 2018. The number of Swedish patent
requests was 373.
Source: EPO. Understanding this table: The first figure denotes the number of patent applications for the entire period of 2009–2018 within the respec-
tive technological fields. The figure for the number of patent applications in 2018 is in parentheses. The year indicates the publication date, which is 18
months after the filing of the national application.
STATE OF MEDICON VALLEY • November 2019
14
STATE OF MEDICON VALLEY • November 2019
15
 ERU, Alm.del - 2019-20 - Bilag 109: Henvendelse af 16/12-19 fra Petter Hartman, Medicon Valley Alliance og Johan Wessman, Øresundsinstituttet, vedrørende analysen State of Medicon Valley Analysis
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FACTS AND FIGURES
FACTS AND FIGURES
Life science exports from Denmark and Sweden have hit an all-time high. Danish life science exports
are now worth close to 106 billion DKK, having more than doubled over the past ten years. Swedish
life science exports have also reached a record high after rising 10.6% in 2018. China took over
Germany’s place as Sweden’s largest export market. While China is also a growing market for the
Danish life science industry, the US remains Denmark’s largest export market.
Millions DKK
After a rather weak 2017 with little growth,
Danish life science exports rose significantly in
2018. Total exports are nearly 106 billion DKK
for a 7.7% increase compared to 2017; looking
at the past decade, this represents more than a
doubling of exports. Danish life science exports
are responsible for more than 15% of Denmark’s
total exportation of goods; that is the highest share
recorded between 2008-2018.
The US is Denmark’s largest export market. In
2018 it grew still more, and life science exports to
the USA were valued at 28 billion DKK – a 21%
increase compared to 2017. After the US, China is
the Danish life science industry’s largest export mar-
ket. Medical products and devices worth 8.7 billion
DKK were exported to the Chinese market, but the
increase from 2017 – one per cent – was minimal.
Seen in a long-term perspective however, exports to
China have risen substantially. The average annual
growth between 2008-2018 was 23%.
Danish exports to Germany, Sweden, the UK
and Italy decreased in 2018. The four countries are
among the top-ten export markets for the Danish
life science industry. Exports to France and Cana-
da rose however, and the two countries are now
6th and 10th respectively on the top-ten list. In
a long-term perspective, exports rose to all of the
Danish life science industry’s ten largest markets
between 2008-2018.
China overtook Germany and became Sweden’s
largest export market for life science products last
year. In 2018, exports to China were valued at 12 bil-
lion SEK – a 21% increase compared to 2017. As in
Denmark, Swedish life science exports to the Chinese
market have risen markedly in the past decade. From
2008 to 2018, the average annual growth was 29%.
Germany is the second-largest export market for the
Swedish life science industry, followed by the US.
The annual growth to these two markets has been
somewhat more modest but nonetheless positive. Ex-
ports to France, Belgium and the UK have fallen in
the past decade, however. There was growth in all of
the export markets on the top-ten list in 2018 with
the exception of the UK; exports to Britain decreased
five per cent compared to 2017.
The Swedish life science industry’s exports in
2018 were worth a total of 89 billion SEK (equiva-
lent to nearly 65 billion DKK); that is a 10.6% rise
compared to 2017, and a record high for the deca-
de. The life science industry is responsible for 6.2%
of Sweden’s total exportation of goods – a share that
has been quite stable in recent years.
Sweden and Denmark are both important export
countries for medical products and devices; in
relation to the population, Denmark holds 4th and
Sweden 10th place on the list of countries with the
most life science exports per capita. The country
with the highest exports in the life science sector is
Germany, which is responsible for 15.2% of global
sales. Following Germany are Switzerland and
the US; Ireland is the largest exporter in terms of
population size, followed by Switzerland, Belgium
and Denmark.
THE PRINCIPAL EXPORT MARKETS
FOR DANISH LIFE SCIENCE
Exports in millions
(DKK ) 2018
Annual
growth
08-18
USA
China
Germany
Japan
27 899
8 689
5 786
4 992
4 802
3 642
3 581
2 915
2 684
2 632
15%
23%
3%
6%
2%
2%
6%
10%
6%
11%
VALUE OF EXPORTS IN LIFE
SCIENCE, IN MILLIONS (DKK)
110 000
100 000
90 000
80 000
70 000
60 000
50 000
40 000
Sweden
France and Monaco
Great Britain
Norway
Italy
Canada
Source: Statistics Denmark
THE TOP 20 COUNTRIES WITH THE MOST LIFE SCIENCE EXPORTS PER CAPITA
Denmark is the world’s fourth largest exporter of pharmaceuticals and medtech measured in export per capita during
2018, while Sweden holds tenth place on the global list.
Percentage of
global life
science export
Percentage of
global life
science export
THE PRINCIPAL EXPORT MARKETS
FOR SWEDISH LIFE SCIENCE
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
Sweden
2015
2016
2017
2018
Denmark
Country
Export per
capita, USD
Country
Export per
capita, USD
Exports in millions
(DKK) 2018
Annual
growth
08-18
Ireland
Switzerland
Belgium
Denmark
Singapore
Netherlands
Slovenia
Germany
Austria
Sweden
12 578
9 769
4 944
2 895
2 362
2 303
1 894
1 354
1 301
999
8.3%
11.3%
7.7%
2.3%
1.8%
5.4%
0.5%
15.2%
1.6%
1.4%
Malta
Israel
Hungary
France
Italy
United Kingdom
Lithuania
Finland
Czech Republic
Hong Kong SAR,
China
877
798
708
566
523
507
414
395
360
354
0.1%
1.0%
0.9%
5.1%
4.3%
4.6%
0.2%
0.3%
0.5%
0.4%
Figures are for medical and pharmaceutical products and medical
instruments, apparatuses etc.
Source: Statistics Denmark and SCB/Statistics Sweden and Riksbanken.
China
Germany
USA
9 010
8 347
8 174
4 484
3 865
3 080
2 795
2 620
1 917
1 714
29%
4%
1%
22%
4%
-4%
3%
-3%
-3%
10%
LIFE SCIENCE EXPORTS IN DEN-
MARK AND SWEDEN IN 2018
Millions
DKK
Export
share 2018
Growth
(one
year)
Annual
growth
2008-2018
Japan
Norway
France
Australia
Belgium
Great Britain and
Northern Ireland
Netherlands
Denmark
Sverige
105 876
64 786
15.4%
6.2%
7.7%
10.6%
8.7%
2.9%
Source: UN Comtrade Database, World Bank and Danmarks Nationalbank.
STATE OF MEDICON VALLEY • November 2019
Source: Statistics Denmark and SCB/Statistics Sweden and Riksban-
ken. Figures are for medical and pharmaceutical products and medical
instruments, apparatuses etc. Annual growth is calculated on figures in
national currency
STATE OF MEDICON VALLEY • November 2019
Source: SCB/Statistics Sweden and Riksbanken.
* Annual growth is calculated on figures in national currency.
16
17
PHOTO: NOVOZYMES
RECORD-HIGH LIFE SCIENCE EXPORTS
 ERU, Alm.del - 2019-20 - Bilag 109: Henvendelse af 16/12-19 fra Petter Hartman, Medicon Valley Alliance og Johan Wessman, Øresundsinstituttet, vedrørende analysen State of Medicon Valley Analysis
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PHOTO: LUNDBECK
THE BEACONS OF MEDICON VALLEY
Medicon Valley is still in transformation. New chief executives have taken the
helms of the region’s four major pharmaceutical companies since 2017. The com-
panies’ sales have plateaued, but new products are being launched. Some of the
region’s biotech companies have entered a strong growth phase, and several deals
worth billions of crowns have been presented this year. New investments are a
keyword when it comes to the region’s life science parks.
• The Novo Nordisk Foundation,
The Lundbeck Foundation, Dr
Frederik Paulsen Foundation
and the LEO Foundation control
the ownership of Medicon
Valley’s largest companies:
Novo Nordisk, H. Lundbeck,
Ferring Pharmaceuticals and
LEO Pharma. Foundation
ownership prevents acquisition
and thus secures the compa-
nies’ continued presence in the
region in the future. Foundation
ownership also means that
company management can act
with a long-term perspective.
Some of the foundations invest
in new biotech companies
and make large donations to
universities in the region.
Medicon Valley is also home
to a globally leading cluster of
hearing aid manufacturers:
Oticon, GN Hearing and WS
Audiology.
• Medicon Valley’s biotech com-
panies are thriving. Since 2014,
New York-based Bristol-My-
ers-Squibb has invested 13
billion DKK in Danish biotech
companies. Bavarian Nordic,
Zealand Pharma and Genmab
are just a few examples of Da-
nish companies making strong
headway. And there are more
and more biotech companies
sprouting forth from Lund’s
science parks Medicon Village
and Ideon.
• There are also many medtech
companies in the region, such
as Coloplast, Baxter (formerly
Gambro), Arjo, Nolato Medical
and Atos Medical.
• Medicon Valley’s academic
spectrum in the life sciences
is broad, with nine learning
institutions that do research
in the field. Globally leading
diabetes research and neuros-
cientific research take place at
the University of Copenhagen,
as well as at Lund University.
DTU and Malmö University are
both highly advanced in areas
such as bioengineering and
biological surfaces.
THE WINDS OF CHANGE ARE STILL SWEEPING
THROUGH MEDICON VALLEY
The region’s major pharmaceutical and biotech companies are not the only ones making strong
progress. The beacons of research and innovation are shining brighter; the materials research
facility MAX IV in Lund is operational and European Spallation Source in Lund, whose data centre
is in Copenhagen, will open the doors to its first researchers in 2023. The BioInnovation Insti-
tute is moving along at Copenhagen Bio Science Park, and Medicon Village in Lund and Medeon
Science Park in Malmö are adding on. Ideon Science park in Lund is also growing.
THE BEACONS OF
MEDICON VALLEY:
New strategies,
directors and products
The new materials research facilities MAX IV and
European Spallation Source are expected to have
an important impact on the life science industry.
We can also see thriving science parks like Medicon
Valley in Lund, Medeon in Malmö, and COBIS in
Copenhagen – where the Novo Nordisk Founda-
tion is funding the new BioInnovation Institute
with the aim to create a leading innovation environ-
ment for the life sciences. Together, this means an
even stronger foundation for life science research.
STATE OF MEDICON VALLEY • November 2019
Change is also afoot for the big pharmaceutical
companies; there are new chief executives for the
four largest of them (Novo Nordisk 2017, Lund-
beck 2018 and Ferring and LEO Pharma 2019).
Strategies are being modernised and research invest-
ments are starting to make their marks as new pro-
ducts. The region’s largest pharmaceutical company,
Novo Nordisk, received FDA-approval for its new
diabetes products Ozempic and Rybelsus, which are
expected to be blockbusters.
19
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THE BEACONS OF MEDICON VALLEY
THE NOVO NORDISK FOUNDATION GROUP
Novo Nordisk Foundation is an industrial foundation
whose objective is to act as majority shareholder in the
publicly traded Novo Nordisk and Novozymes, as well as
to support scientific, humanitarian and social causes.
Novo Holdings
is the Foundation’s wholly owned subsi-
diary. It manages the Foundation’s endowment and its
controlling interests in the publicly traded companies
Novo Nordisk and Novozymes. Via the platforms Seeds,
Ventures and Principal Investments, investments are
made in external biotech companies at various stages of
development. Novo Holding also has 13 large, more long-
term investments, including investments in five Danish
companies: Chr. Hansen, Sonion, Symphogen, Veloxis
Pharmaceuticals and Xellia Pharmaceuticals.
Novo Nordisk
is the original company behind the
group, and today it is Denmark’s largest pharmaceu-
tical company and a globally leading insulin manu-
facturer. The company also makes drugs for obesity,
haemophilia and growth disorders.
Turnover 2018:
111.8 billion DKK
Number of employees 2018:
43 202, of whom 16 300 in
Denmark and 85 in Sweden.
Facilities in Medicon Valley:
Headquarters in Bagsværd
outside Copenhagen and offices in Ørestad and Malmö.
Research facilities in Måløv and Hillerød. Production
facilities in Værløse, Søborg, Måløv, Gentofte, Køge,
Kalundborg and Hillerød.
Novozymes
was founded in 2000 as a demerger from Novo
Nordisk. Novozymes is a publicly traded biotechnology
company and a globally leading manufacturer of industrial
enzymes as well as a major producer of microorganisms.
Turnover 2018:
14.4 billion DKK.
Number of employees 2018:
6 427, of whom
2 687 in Denmark.
Facilities in Medicon Valley:
Headquarters and R&D in
Bagsværd and production facilities in Kalundborg and
Copenhagen. Research facility in Lyngby.
THE LUNDBECK FOUNDATION
Is an industrial foundation whose objective is to maintain
and expand the activities of H. Lundbeck and to provide
funding for scientific research. The Foundation is the
largest shareholder in the publicly traded companies H.
Lundbeck and ALK-Abelló, as well as in Falck A/S. The
Foundation also invests in life science companies.
H. Lundbeck
is a global pharmaceutical company specia-
lising in drugs for psychiatric and neurological disorders.
Turnover 2018:
18.1 billion DKK
Number of employees 2018:
5 389, of whom 1 769 in
Denmark and 75 in Sweden.
Facilities in Medicon Valley:
Headquarters and produc-
tion in Valby/Copenhagen and production in Odsherred.
Office in Malmö.
FERRING PHARMACEUTICALS
Is a wholly privately owned pharmaceutical company with
its roots around the Øresund. Ferring is run by Frederik
Paulsen through the Dr Frederik Paulsen Foundation.
There are also a number of pharmaceutical companies in
Malmö with a historic link to Ferring: PolyPeptide Group,
Qpharma, Nordic Drugs and Euro Diagnostica.
Turnover 2018:
1.89 billion EUR
Number of employees 2018:
6 500, of whom 575 in Den-
mark and 19 in Sweden
Facilities in Medicon Valley:
Ferring Pharmaceuticals
A/S, also called Ferring International Pharma Science
Centre, and Ferring Lægemidler A/S in Ørestad (Copen-
hagen), and a sales office in Malmö and API-manufactu-
rer Syntese in Hvidovre Municipality outside Copenhagen.
Headquarters in Switzerland.
LEO FOUNDATION
Was established in 1984 to secure LEO Pharma’s future
as an independent, research-based Danish pharmaceu-
tical company. The foundation also supports internatio-
nal research with focus on dermatology.
LEO Pharma
is an entirely privately/foundation-owned phar-
maceutical company with focus on the development and
production of medicines for dermatology and thrombosis.
Turnover 2018:
10.4 billion DKK
Number of employees 2018:
5 847 of whom 2 119 in Den-
mark and 35 in Sweden.
Facilities in Medicon Valley:
Headquarters, R&D and pro-
duction in Ballerup outside Copenhagen. Office in Malmö.
GLOBALLY LEADING HEARING AID MANUFACTURERS
Around Copenhagen there is a globally leading cluster of
hearing aid manufacturers: Oticon, GN Hearing and WS
Audiology (merger of Widex and Sivantos).
MEDTECH MORE COMMON IN SKÅNE
Coloplast is the largest medtech company in Zealand.
Other large medtech companies in Skåne are Baxter (for-
merly Gambro), Arjo, Nolato Medical and Atos Medical.
BIOTECH BUSINESS BOOM
There are thriving biotech companies on both the
Swedish and Danish sides of Medicon Valley, such as
Bavarian Nordic, Genmab, Zealand Pharma, Symphogen,
Alligator Bioscience and Camurus.
Figures for companies’ turnover and number of employ-
ees have been supplied by the companies themselves.
STATE OF MEDICON VALLEY • November 2019
THE BEACONS OF MEDICON VALLEY
SUCCESS STORY.
Pharmaceutical and biotech companies in Greater Copenhagen are a
success story characterised by several large pharmaceutical companies complemented
by successful biotechnology companies. But Medicon Valley is more than just pharmaceu-
ticals and biotech. The region also has successful medtech companies, a globally leading
cluster of hearing aid manufacturers, growing science parks and the two large materials
research facilities MAX IV and European Spallation Source, the latter of which is currently
under construction in Lund, and ESS data management centre DMSC in Copenhagen.
PHARMACEUTICAL COMPA-
NIES with headquarters or
former headquarters in the
Capital Region of Denmark
dominate Medicon Valley’s
Ferring
largest groups in pharmaceuticals and
Novo Nordisk
biotechnology. The four large groups
Lundbeck
LEO Pharma
Novo Nordisk, Lundbeck, Ferring and
LEO Pharma and the foundations that
own them have also acted as a ventu-
re capital investor and a nursery for
many of the researchers in Greater
Copenhagen. A number of biotechnology companies have emerged since the
late 1990s, such as Genmab, Zealand Pharma, Bavarian Nordic and Sympho-
gen in Denmark and Alligator Bioscience and Camurus in Skåne.
4
5
PHOTO: NEWS ØRESUND
SCIENCE PARKS
in Medicon
Medicon Village, Lund
20
PHOTO: NEWS ØRESUND
9
University of Copenhagen
UNIVERSITIES. Greater Copenhagen’s
academic spectrum in the life sciences
is broad, with nine learning institutions
conducting research in the field. Globally
leading diabetes research and neuro-
scientific research take place at the University of
Copenhagen, as well as at Lund University. The lear-
ning institutions also have other strong life science
research, for example on metabolic diseases and
plant biology. In addition, DTU and Malmö University
are both highly advanced in areas such as bioengine-
ering and biological surfaces.
Valley focus completely or signifi-
cantly on the life sciences: COBIS
(Copenhagen), DTU Science Park
(Hørsholm and Kongens Lyng-
by), Ideon (Lund), Medicon Village (Lund)
and Medeon (Malmö). Also included are the
start-up ecosystem Symbion (Copenhagen)
and the food- and health-oriented science
park Krinova (Kristianstad), which focus
partially on the life sciences.
PHOTO: NEWS ØRESUND
 ERU, Alm.del - 2019-20 - Bilag 109: Henvendelse af 16/12-19 fra Petter Hartman, Medicon Valley Alliance og Johan Wessman, Øresundsinstituttet, vedrørende analysen State of Medicon Valley Analysis
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PHOTO: LUNDBECK
CLUSTER RANKING
Medicon Valley research in the life sciences is cited significantly more often than
the international average in 15 of the region’s 20 major areas of research. When
it comes to the seven largest of these subject areas, the region places around
midway or just below in a comparison with nine other outstanding European life
science clusters, according to an analysis by the Dutch research centre CWTS.
• The five subject areas in which
Medicon Valley’s research insti-
tutions produced the greatest
number of scientific publica-
tions from 2006-2016 were Bio-
chemistry & Molecular Biology
(4.7% of total publications),
Endocrinology & Metabolism
(3.9%), Oncology (3.7%), Neu-
roscience (3.5%) and Medicine,
General & Internal (3.2%). This
was shown by a bibliometric
analysis performed by the Dut-
ch research institution CWTS at
Leiden University on behalf of
Medicon Valley Alliance.
• Together, the 20 largest rese-
arch areas in Medicon Valley
are responsible for more than
50% of the scientific publica-
tions in the period studied.
• In 15 of those areas, publi-
cations by Medicon Valley
researchers were cited
significantly more often than
the international average
for their respective fields of
research from 2006-2017. The
remaining five are just above
or below the average in the
international comparison.
• Compared with nine other
leading European life science
clusters, Medicon Valley
places around midway in the
seven largest subject areas in
the region.
• The Swedish government has
taken initiatives to get more
researchers and students
from abroad to stay in the
country, and the Danish go-
vernment is also seeking to
make it easier to recruit quali-
fied experts from abroad.
THE CITATION FREQUENCY OF MEDICON VALLEY
IS SIGNIFICANTLY ABOVE AVERAGE IN 15 OF
THE REGION’S 20 LARGEST SUBJECT AREAS
The three fields of research to generate the largest number of scientific publications in the life
sciences in Medicon Valley from 2006-2016 were Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Endocrino-
logy & Metabolism, and Oncology, as shown in a bibliometric analysis performed by the Dutch
research institution CWTS at Leiden University on behalf of Medicon Valley Alliance. The analysis
also shows that the citation frequency for publications in 15 of the region’s 20 largest fields of
research was significantly above the international average. Compared with nine other European
life science clusters, Medicon Valley places around midway.
CLUSTER RANKING:
A unique comparison
of ten European life
science clusters:
fields of research
Life science researchers in Medicon Valley produ-
ced scientific publications in a very large number
of subject areas from 2006-2016. More than half
of those publications can be attributed to the 20
largest fields of research however, as shown in the
graphic on page 28. Unsurprisingly, the largest
field of research is Biochemistry & Molecular
Biology, which is one of the broadest categories in
CWTS’ subject classification.
– Biochemistry is a strong area for us – in
STATE OF MEDICON VALLEY • November 2019
Copenhagen as well as here in Lund, says Bo
Ahrén, Pro Vice-Chancellor of Lund University.
An example to which Lund University is happy
to give prominence is the new Wallenberg Centre
for Molecular Medicine at Lund University, where
the focus is on research in regenerative medicine.
The Dean of Research at the Technical Univer-
sity of Denmark (DTU), Katrine Krogh Andersen,
calls attention to her university’s strength and
aptitude in biochemistry and microbiology – this
23
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Oft cited: Medicon Val-
ley’s researchers
The region’s researchers are cited
significantly more often than average
in 15 of the 20 largest subject areas for
life science research in Medicon Valley.
This was shown in CWTS’ survey of
scientific publications and citations in
the life sciences from 2006-2017.
STOCKHOLM-UPPSALA
SCOTLAND
MEDICON VALLEY
”Government funding for
specific collaborations
between institutions in the
Øresund Region would spark
a lot of collaborations, be-
cause funding is usually
what controls how research-
ers organise their work.”
Anna Blom, professor of Medical Protein
Chemistry at Lund University, in an inter-
view about funding, research conditions in
the region, and Øresund collaboration, in
which she sees great potential for develop-
ment. Read more on page 38.
PHOTO: NEWS ØRESUND
NETHERLANDS
LONDON-CAMBRIDGE-OXFORD
FLANDERS
ILLUSTRATION: LÖNEGÅRD & CO
Close to the middle in a
European comparison
Medicon Valley is above the median
when it comes to the number of cita-
tions per scientific publication from
an international perspective. But in a
comparison with nine other leading
European life science clusters, the
Swedish-Danish region comes in at
just about in the middle, as a review
of the seven largest topics in Medicon
Valley showed. The study was perfor-
med by the Dutch research institute
CWTS at Leiden University.
ÎLE DE FRANCE
BIOVALLEY
MUNICH
ZURICH
The ten largest areas of research in
the life sciences in Medicon Valley
Based on scientific publications from
2006-2016.
1. Biochemistry & molecular biology
2. Endocrinology & metabolism
3. Oncology
4. Neurosciences
5. Medicine, general & internal
6. Public, environmental & occupational
health
7. Pharmacology & pharmacy
8. Cardiac & cardiovascular systems
9. Immunology
10. Surgery
BIOBANKS BRINGING SCANDINAVIANS TOGETHER.
Swedish and Danish biobanks are comprehensive
and similarly structured. That has been giving rese-
archers at e.g. the State Serum Institute and Lund
University a reason to work transnationally in order
to access more material. The Danish government’s
State Serum Institute collaborates so frequently
with Sweden that a data-generated network analysis
located it in Sweden. See page 42 for more.
A unique comparison of
ten European clusters
On behalf of Medicon Valley Alliance, the
Dutch research institute CWTS at Leiden
University performed a bibliometric
comparison of ten
leading European life
science clusters based
on their total influence
Based on the international average in the respective
in the research world.
Thue Schwartz, professor at Novo Nord-
isk Center for Basic Metabolic Research
at the University of Copenhagen, be-
lieves that getting his research results
out there is important, so he developed
a number of spin-off companies. Read
more in the interview on page 40.
20
MAJOR FIELDS OF RESEARCH.
The 20 largest fields of research were respon-
sible for more than 50% of the total number
of scientific publications in the life sciences in
Medicon Valley during the period examined.
PHOTO: REGION SKÅNE - ROGER LUNDHOLM
”It is very, very important that
we perform good basic rese-
arch, because one can never
predict what will turn out to
be exciting. But at the end of
the day, the most important
thing is that the results we
produce can be used.”
Most quoted
fields, the five topics in the life sciences within which
Medicon Valley’s researchers’ scientific publications
were most frequently cited from 2006-2017 are:
• Medicine, general & internal (MNCS: 1.71)
• Cell biology (MNCS: 1.61)
• Genetics & heredity (MNCS: 1.46)
• Plant sciences (MNCS: 1.40)
• Sport sciences (MNCS: 1.39)
An MNCS score of 1 entails that a publication has been
cited as frequently as the international average in
its field of research. This list is based on the 40 main
research areas in the life sciences in Medicon Valley.
PHOTO: NEWS ØRESUND
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CLUSTER RANKING
CLUSTER RANKING
is also substantiated in the university’s internal
analysis, which foregrounds e.g. DTU’s research in
medical protein chemistry.
Biochemistry and molecular biology are also an
area in which smaller universities in Medicon Val-
ley perform research. Among others, the universi-
ties in Roskilde and Malmö perform research that
can be fully or partially
categorised in that field.
According to Anna Blom, Professor of Medical
Protein Chemistry at Lund University and head of
the Swedish Research Council’s Scientific Council
for Medicine and Health, the biochemistry groups
in the region – and in Skåne specifically – ma-
intain a strong international level, but they can
hardly be called globally-leading.
– In my opinion, this is due in part to under-
funding and an excessive administrative burden
placed on researchers, as well as lacking infra-
structure. Contemporary research requires extre-
mely advanced methods – not least animal models
and expensive equipment. That’s not something
that can be maintained by individual research
groups; it needs to be created by the universities,
and the extent to which that is being done isn’t
sufficient, she says.
Read more about Anna Blom’s research on the
complementary system of the immune system in
an interview on page 38.
Linking research and industry
Endocrinology & Metabolism follow Biochemistry
& Molecular Biology in size order and have long
since been an important research subject in the
region, particularly at the larger universities and
university
hospitals. The subject area concerns
research on hormones and metabolism and inclu-
des e.g. diabetes. It can be linked to the region’s
successful life science industry.
– Endocrinology is high on the list, which is
not strange – there’s a strong tradition in the field,
built on the foundation cast by Novo Nordisk,
says Bo Ahrén from Lund University.
Research and industry have gradually develo-
ped a relationship of mutual exchange, and each
contributes to the other.
– It’s also related to the Novo Nordisk Founda-
tion’s strategic investments in that area. Endocrino-
logy and metabolism have been an important part
of the pharmaceuticals industry in the Copenhagen
area. We consider that particular subject area a
strong one for us, and there are also implications
for the industry, where we’ve for example trained
employees, says Mogens Holst Nissen, Vice Dean
26
PHOTO: NEWS ØRESUND
MEDICON VALLEY MIDWAY BETWEEN EUROPEAN LIFE SCIEN-
CE CLUSTERS FOR SCIENTIFIC PUBLICATIONS AND CITATION
FREQUENCY
In a comparison with nine other outstanding European life science clusters, the per-
centual increase in the number of scientific publications from 2006-2016 was greatest
in Medicon Valley. The Danish-Swedish region took sixth place in the comprehensive
comparison, both for articles for produced and citation frequency, as an analysis per-
formed by the research institute CWTS on behalf of Medicon Valley Alliance shows. The
analysis results were presented in detail in last year’s annual report ”State of Medicon
Valley 2018 – An Analysis of Life Science in Greater Copenhagen”. The following is a
summary of the report.
Bo Ahrén, Pro
Vice-Chancellor of
Lund University.
• Medicon Valley’s researchers produced 32 027
scientific publications in the life sciences during
the period studied, 2006-2016. From 2006-2017,
13% of those publications were among the 10%
most frequently cited in their respective fields.
• The number of scientific publications in Medicon
Valley increased 23% from the period 2006-2009 to
the period 2013-2016; the increase was percentu-
ally greater than in any other cluster in the study.
• The study comprised a bibliometric comparison
of ten European life science clusters, one of which
is Medicon Valley. It was carried out by the Dutch
research institute CWTS at Leiden University on
behalf of Medicon Valley Alliance. The study inclu-
ded the following clusters:
- London-Cambridge-Oxford
- The Netherlands
- Île de France/Paris
- Flanders
- Stockholm-Uppsala
- Scotland
- Medicon Valley
- Zurich
- BioValley (a German-French-Swiss cluster that
includes Basel, Alsace, Freiburg, Karlsruhe, Mul-
house and Strasbourg)
- Munich
• The European life science clusters in the
comparison that produced the greatest number of
scientific publications during the period studied
were London-Cambridge-Oxford (116 263), the
Netherlands (90 779), and French-German-Swiss
BioValley (49 925). The clusters with the largest
proportion of scientific publications among the
ten per cent most frequently cited internationally
in their respective fields were London-Cam-
bridge-Oxford (17%), Zurich (16%), and Scotland
(15%).
• The clusters in the comparison that resemble
Medicon Valley most closely are Stockholm-Upp-
sala, Flanders, and to a degree, Munich.
• International collaboration was a part of 54% of
Medicon Valley’s scientific publications and led to
significantly more citations than publications that
were the result of national collaboration or the
work of individual research groups. The research
networks in the transborder region are however
predominantly national.
• Internal research networks in Sweden and
Denmark are markedly stronger than research
networks that cross the Øresund Strait, as shown
by CWTS’ network analysis of the Swedish and
Danish research institutions with which actors in
Medicon Valley collaborate in the life sciences.
Although practical issues and border obstacles
throw a spanner in the works, universities in Med-
icon Valley believe that more trans-Øresund coo-
peration could strengthen research. The research
facilities ESS and MAX IV, as well as a coordinated
strategy for diabetes research, are highlighted as
ways to bring the region closer together.
• Life science research is performed in several
hospitals on the Danish side of the strait, whilst
on the Swedish side it is concentrated primarily in
Skåne University Hospital.
FACTS: DEFINITION OF
SUBJECT CATEGORIES
• The publications were categorised according to
the scientific journals in which they were publis-
hed. Each journal was attributed to one or more
subject categories using fractional counting; by
the same principle, a publication that appeared
in that journal was seen as belonging to these
subject categories.
• The subject categories were defined by
aggregating Web of Science’s journal subject
categories. This was done according to the
fixed classification system called the NOWT
system (Netherlands Observatory for Science
and Technology). NOWT is a formal cooperation
between the Centre for Science and Technology
Studies (CWTS) linked to Leiden University and
the Maastricht Economic Research Institute on
Innovation and Technology (MERIT) of Maastricht
University, and is funded by the Dutch Ministry
of Education, Culture and Science, Directorate
Research and Science Policy.
• The subject categories encompass areas of va-
rying size; for example, Biochemistry & Molecular
Biology covers a broad field with many scientific
journals, whilst other subject areas may include
significantly fewer scientific journals.
STATE OF MEDICON VALLEY • November 2019
STATE OF MEDICON VALLEY • November 2019
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CLUSTER RANKING
CLUSTER RANKING
MAIN FIELDS OF RESEARCH AND THEIR IMPACT
The diagram shows the 40 subject areas in which research institutions in Medicon Valley produced the greatest number of
scientific publications from 2006-2016, as well as the citation degree of these publications in relation to the international
average in each respective research area (MNCS) from 2006-2017. 1 indicates that a publication has been cited as frequ-
ently as the calculated average for its field of research. In the diagram, the colour blue indicates an MNCS score over 1.2
(above average), red an MNCS score of 0.8-1.2 (average), and orange an MNCS score below 0.8 (below average).
MNCS
1.25
1.31
1.23
1.09
1.71
0.99
1.13
1.24
1.11
1.30
1.28
1.30
1.25
1.61
1.40
1.10
1.25
1.46
1.30
1.34
1.20
1.19
1.18
1.06
1.09
1.19
1.16
1.25
0.88
1.21
1.19
1.14
1.38
0.99
0.75
1.20
1.14
1.39
0.99
1.22
Biochemistry & molecular biology
Endocrinology & metabolism
Oncology
Neurosciences
Medicine, general & internal
Public, environmental & occupational health
Pharmacology & pharmacy
Cardiac & cardiovascular systems
Immunology
Surgery
Microbiology
Clinical neurology
Physiology
Cell biology
Plant sciences
Food science & technology
Gastroenterology & hepatology
Genetics & heredity
Dentistry/oral surgery & medicine
Biotechnology & applied microbiology
Veterinary sciences
Obstetrics & gynecology
Nutrition & dietetics
Radiology, nuclear medicine & medical imaging
Psychiatry
Dermatology
Hematology
Rheumatology
Medicine, research &experimental
Biochemical research methods
Peripheral vascular disease
Infectious diseases
Anesthesiology
Pediatrics
Zoology
Orthopedics
Urology & nephrology
Sport sciences
Ophthalmology
Respiratory systems
for Research at the Faculty of Health and Medical
Sciences at the University of Copenhagen.
Thue Schwartz, Professor at the University of
Copenhagen’s Novo Nordisk Foundation Center
for Basic Metabolic Research, points to the impor-
tance of research hospitals that have been linked
to diabetes research and industry for a long time:
Hvidovre Hospital and Gentofte Hospital, as well
as Steno Diabetes Center.
– They are very important. Both clinical
research and basic research in endocrinology have
flourished in research hospitals, he says.
He also points out that the University of
Copenhagen and Lund University have collabo-
rated closely in the field, though in his opinion,
the collaboration was more comprehensive several
decades ago than it is today.
Read more about Thue Schwartz’ research on how
metabolites – the metabolic substance made when
the body breaks down food – affect receptors in the
adipose tissue of the body in an interview on page 40.
Research performed at university hospitals
and research institutions
In descending size order according to CWTS’ bib-
liometric comparison, the major fields Biochemistry
& Molecular Biology and Endocrinology & Meta-
bolism are followed by Oncology, then Neurosci-
ence, which is also linked to the region’s life science
industry. Cancer research is distributed throughout
many of the region’s learning institutions, and
is among other things the primary focus of the
Danish organisation the Danish Cancer Society.
Neuroscience has long since been an important field
of research, with multiple centres and operations at
Lund University, where research on e.g. Parkinson’s
and Alzheimer’s has been internationally acclaimed.
The University of Copenhagen has also made active
investments in the area, particularly in recent years.
Following Neuroscience is Medicine, Gene-
ral & Internal, which primarily includes clinical
research and care for widespread diseases such as
lung- and heart disease, diabetes, and neurological
disorders, particularly in combination. Research
is primarily performed at the university hospitals
in Copenhagen and elsewhere in Zealand and in
Skåne.
The subject area is followed by Public, Environ-
mental and Occupational Health, a transdiscipli-
nary field concerned with improving a nation’s
health and investigating the effect of surroundings
and work environments on health. The Danish
National Institute of Public Health should be
mentioned in relation to the latter area. It is loca-
ted in Copenhagen, although it is officially part of
Aarhus University. The institute’s research focuses
PHOTO: NEWS ØRESUND
Thue Schwartz,
Professor at the
University of
Copenhagen.
0
0,5
Low (<0.8)
1
1,5
2
Average
2,5
3
High (>1.2)
3,5
4
4,5
5
Share of output (%)
Source: CWTS B.V.
• The five subject areas in which Medicon Valley’s resear-
ch institutions produced the greatest number of scientific
publications from 2006-2016 were Biochemistry & Mole-
cular Biology (4.7% of total publications), Endocrinology
& Metabolism (3.9%), Oncology (3.7%), Neuroscience
(3.5%) and Medicine, General & Internal (3.2%).
• Fifteen of Medicon Valley’s 20 largest areas of
research are on a level that the research institute
CWTS classifies as high with regard to the publica-
tions’ citation degree in relation to the international
average within each respective subject field (MNCS)
from 2006-2017. That entails that their MNCS
score is over 1.2 on a scale in which 1 indicates
that a publication has been cited as frequently as
the calculated average for its respective field of
research. The remaining five research areas in the
top 20 range from 0.99 and 1.13, i.e. approximately
or slightly above average.
• Based on the 40 research areas in which the most
research is performed in Medicon Valley – which are
represented in this diagram – the most frequently
cited publications by Medicon Valley researchers in
relation to the average for their respective fields of
research were from Medicine, General & Internal
(MNCS: 1.71), Cell Biology (1.61), Genetics & Heredity
(1.46), Plant Sciences (1.40) and Sports Science (1.39).
• Of the 40 research areas in the diagram, there is
only one – Zoology – whose citation frequency is
lower than 0.8.
28
STATE OF MEDICON VALLEY • November 2019
STATE OF MEDICON VALLEY • November 2019
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CLUSTER RANKING
CLUSTER RANKING
BIOCHEMISTRY AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY
TEN LIFE SCIENCE CLUSTERS IN COMPARISON
• On behalf of Medicon Valley Alliance, the research
institute CWTS at Leiden University conducted a
comparison of the bibliometric performance of
ten life science clusters in Europe, one of which is
Medicon Valley:
- London-Cambridge-Oxford
- Netherlands
- Île de France/Paris
- Flanders
- Stockholm-Uppsala
- Scotland
- Medicon Valley
- Zurich
- BioValley (a German-French-Swiss cluster that
includes Basel, Alsace, Freiburg, Karlsruhe, Mul-
house and Strasbourg)
- Munich
• In the report, clusters are defined as areas in
which universities and other research institutions
are fairly densely located in a specific geographic
area, where internal collaboration is customary or
habitual, and where there is an established cluster
organisation of some kind.
• Based on these criteria, we compiled a list of 15
European life science clusters. To do this, we identi-
fied the geographic areas that are home to the first
25 universities on the European list of the greatest
number of published articles in the field “Biomedi-
cal and Health Sciences” in the Leiden Ranking
2012-2015, as well as studying the selection in a
number of earlier reports on life science clusters
to avoid overlooking clusters where e.g. there is no
single, large university, or no transborder clusters.
• We then reduced these 15 clusters to ten by
analysing how many articles were published by
universities in the 15 European life science clusters,
and the frequency with which they were cited. The
comparison was done in Leiden Ranking “Biomedi-
cal and Health Sciences” 2012-2015.
• The clusters differ in terms of size and the
number of research institutions. Some clusters
are larger, more well positioned and conduct more
research than others. The objective has been to
represent the clusters’ significance and research
positions in relation to one another, and not to show
how each cluster performs according to its own
unique conditions – a project that would require a
significantly larger scope than the present one.
• The comparison has been done for the years
2006-2016. Citations have also been counted
through 2017.
• The source was the research database Web of
Science, and the publications selected for these
regions were limited to those designated to the hig-
her-level category of “Medical and Life Sciences”.
• All of the scientific publications in the relevant cate-
gories and journals from each region were counted,
regardless of whether the research was conducted at
e.g. a university, university hospital, other research
institutions, or at a commercial enterprise.
The diagram shows the number of scientific publications (total publications) in the respective subject area from
2006-2016, as well as the citation degree of these publications in relation to the international average in the respective
research areas (MNCS) from 2006-2017. 1 indicates that a publication has been cited as frequently as the average for its
respective field of research.
1,8
BioValley
1,7
1,6
London-Cambridge-
Oxford
Zürich
1,5
Scotland
MNCS
1,4
Netherlands
München
Flanders
1,3
Medicon Valley
Île de France/Paris
1,2
Stockholm-Uppsala
1,1
1,0
0
1 000
2 000
3 000
4 000
5 000
6 000
7 000
8 000
Total publications
Source: CWTS B.V.
• Compared with the other life science clusters in the analysis, Medicon Valley places eighth for both the
number of publications and for the citation frequency of the publications in relation to the international avera-
ge in each respective field of research.
on e.g. equality in healthcare and the health effects
of lifestyles, and an important area that has begun
to emerge is mental health. Malmö University also
carries out research in that area – like the Natio-
nal Institute of Public Health, the focus is on e.g.
equality in healthcare and health.
The seventh largest field of research with regard
to the number of scientific publications in CWTS’
comparison is Pharmacology and Pharmacy, which
concerns how substances such as pharmaceuticals
interact with the human body or other living or-
ganisms. Research in the field is performed at e.g.
the University of Copenhagen, Lund University,
and DTU, where the Dean of Research Katrine
30
Krogh Andersen foregrounds Pharmacology as one
of the university’s more important subject areas.
Many citations from an international per-
spective
Together, the 20 largest research areas in Medicon
Valley are responsible for more than 50% of the
scientific publications in the period studied. In 15
of those areas, publications by Medicon Valley rese-
archers were cited significantly more frequently than
the international average for their respective fields
of research from 2006-2017. The remaining five are
just above or below the average in an international
comparison.
STATE OF MEDICON VALLEY • November 2019
If the perspective is broadened to encompass the
40 largest research areas in Medicon Valley from
2006-2017, only one subject – Zoology – was cited
significantly less frequently than the international
average for its respective field of research.
The representation of these results is further
modulated by CWTS’ comparison with nine other
successful life science clusters in Europe, specifical-
ly French-German-Swiss BioValley, Flanders, Île de
France, London-Cambridge-Oxford, Munich, the
Netherlands, Scotland, Stockholm-Uppsala and
Zurich. In this group of clusters, Medicon Valley’s
placement was in the middle in most cases, both
in terms of the number of scientific publications
STATE OF MEDICON VALLEY • November 2019
produced and the citation frequency of those
publications – see the diagrams on pages 31-34.
Neuroscience places lowest
One subject area that falls out of line is Neurosci-
ence; whilst Medicon Valley researchers’ publica-
tions were cited slightly more often than the global
average, in terms of citations, the region clearly
performed more poorly in the European compa-
rison. This came as a surprise to Bo Ahrén, Pro
Vice-Chancellor at Lund University.
– Neuroscience is one of the very strongest areas
in Lund when it comes to medicine; that has been
the case for decades, and the tradition is strong.
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CLUSTER RANKING
CLUSTER RANKING
PHOTO: NEWS ØRESUND
ENDOCRINOLOGY & METABOLISM
1,6
Zürich
Scotland
1,5
London-Cambridge-
Oxford
Netherlands
1,4
MNCS
Flanders
1,3
Stockholm-Uppsala
Medicon Valley
1,2
Île de France/Paris
1,1
München
BioValley
1,0
0
500
1 000
1 500
2 000
2 500
3 000
Total publications
• Medicon Valley places third compa-
red to the other life science clusters
in the analysis. Only London-Cam-
bridge-Oxford and the Netherlands
produced a greater number of scien-
tific publications than Medicon Valley
during the period in question.
• In terms of the number of citations
with regard to the international
average in each respective field of
research, Medicon Valley is at the
middle and shares sixth place with
Stockholm-Uppsala.
Kerstin Tham, Vice Chancellor at Malmö University.
Katrine Krogh Andersen, Dean of Research at DTU, the
Technical University of Denmark.
ONCOLOGY
1,7
1,6
London-Cambridge-
Oxford
Scotland
Flanders
Netherlands
1,5
1,4
MNCS
• Medicon Valley is just below the
average compared to the other life
science clusters in terms of both the
number of citations (seventh place)
and citation frequency (sixth place).
1,3
Zürich
1,2
Medicon Valley
Stockholm-Uppsala
BioValley
1,1
München
1,0
0
500
1 000
1 500
2 000
Île de France/Paris
2 500
3 000
3 500
4 000
Total publications
NEUROSCIENCES
1,8
1,7
The same goes for Denmark, where Lundbeck is
the driving force. The results were low all the same.
I had expected different results, considering the
excellent researchers we have here, many of whom
are absolutely at the forefront globally, he says.
None of the people interviewed had a clear under-
standing of or explanation for the low results. Mogens
Holst Nissen, Vice Dean for Research at the Univer-
sity of Copenhagen’s Faculty of Health and Medical
Sciences, believes that could be about to change,
however. Neuroscience, as mentioned, is one of the
areas in which the University of Copenhagen has
made growth investments, e.g. by recruiting research-
ers and pooling strength in a common institution.
– Neuroscience in particular is in a phase that
we expect to mean continued development and a
reinforcement for the region. We expect that it will
be discernible in the future, in the years to come,
he says.
Remarkably high number of citations in
Medicine, General & Internal
A very successful subject area in terms of the
citation frequency of Medicon Valley researchers’
scientific publications is Medicine, General &
Internal. During the period studied (2006-2017),
the MNCS score for the area was 1.71 (a score of
1 entails that a publication was cited as frequently
as the international average for its field of resear-
ch). The score is comparatively a very high one.
Medicine, General & Internal comprises clinical
research and care for widespread diseases such
as COPD, heart failure, diabetes, neurological
STATE OF MEDICON VALLEY • November 2019
London-Cambridge-
Oxford
1,6
1,5
Zürich
• Medicon Valley’s citation frequency
is the lowest of all ten clusters in the
comparison, and it places seventh
for the number of publications.
1,4
Scotland
1,3
München
BioValley
Netherlands
disorders, or infections. In other words, there is no
sharp divide between Medicine, General & Inter-
nal and the other major fields of research.
Bo Ahrén reasons that the comparatively poorer
result for Neuroscience could be related to the way
the research has been classified.
– There are of course sources of error in biblio-
metry. However, the other subject areas have the
placement one would expect them to, he says.
Despite the high citation frequency for research
in Medicine, General & Internal in Medicon Valley,
the region still remains close to the median in rela-
tion to the other nine European clusters studied.
There are other such examples in which Medi-
con Valley maintains its place in the middle in the
European comparison, e.g. Public, Environmental &
Occupational Health. This is true although Medicon
Valley researchers’ citation frequency in that particu-
lar area is unusually low compared to the internatio-
nal average: the MNCS score is 0.99 and thus lower
than the international average.
However, according to the Dutch research insti-
tution CWTS, which performed the bibliometric
analysis, based on the material no general conclu-
sions can be drawn regarding whether a European
trend can be discerned concerning the areas in
which research is performed and how frequently
the scientific publications are cited.
Private foundations make major invest-
ments in the life sciences
The subject areas in which development is strongest
is clearly linked to where the research resources are,
33
MNCS
Stockholm-Uppsala
1,2
Île de France/Paris
Flanders
1,1
Medicon Valley
1,0
0
1 000
2 000
3 000
4 000
5 000
6 000
Total publications
32
STATE OF MEDICON VALLEY • November 2019
PHOTO: NEWS ØRESUND
The diagrams below show the number of scientific publications (total publications) in the respective subject area from
2006-2016, as well as the citation degree of these publications in relation to the international average in the respective
research areas (MNCS) from 2006-2017. 1 indicates that a publication has been cited as frequently as the average for its
respective field of research.
 ERU, Alm.del - 2019-20 - Bilag 109: Henvendelse af 16/12-19 fra Petter Hartman, Medicon Valley Alliance og Johan Wessman, Øresundsinstituttet, vedrørende analysen State of Medicon Valley Analysis
2126822_0018.png
CLUSTER RANKING
CLUSTER RANKING
MEDICINE, GENERAL & INTERNAL
2,5
2,3
2,1
Stockholm-
Uppsala
London-Cambridge-
Oxford
Netherlands
Scotland
1,9
MNCS
1,7
Medicon Valley
Flanders
1,5
• Medicon Valley is close to the
median compared to the other life
science clusters, despite the high
MNCS score of 1.71. Medicon Valley
places fourth for citation frequency
and sixth for the number of publi-
cations.
1,3
Zürich
München
1,1
BioValley
A student at
Mærsk Tårnet,
University of
Copenhagen.
Île de France/Paris
0,9
0
500
1 000
1 500
2 000
2 500
3 000
3 500
4 000
4 500
5 000
Total publications
PUBLIC, ENVIRONMENTAL & OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH
1,3
Zürich
1,2
London-Cambridge-
Oxford
Scotland
1,1
Netherlands
1,0
Stockholm-Uppsala
Medicon Valley
• Medicon Valley is close to the
middle compared to the other selec-
ted life science clusters, despite the
relatively low MNCS score. Medicon
Valley places fourth for the number
of publications and fifth for citation
frequency.
0,9
BioValley
Flanders
0,8
Île de France/Paris
München
0,7
0
500
1 000
1 500
2 000
2 500
3 000
3 500
4 000
Total publications
Total publications
PHARMACOLOGY & PHARMACY
1,4
Scotland
Zürich
1,3
Stockholm-Uppsala
London-Cambridge-
Oxford
1,2
Flanders
BioValley
Medicon Valley
Netherlands
1,1
• With an MNCS score of 1.13, the
region shares seventh place in
a comparison of the life science
clusters’ citation frequency. Medicon
Valley comes in sixth for the number
of scientific publications.
München
Île de France/Paris
1,0
0
500
1 000
1 500
2 000
2 500
3 000
3 500
Total publications
according to several of the people interviewed for
this report. In part, this is because of political in-
vestments; in recent years, the Swedish and Danish
governments have prioritised e.g. antimicrobial
resistance and personalised medicine. The industry
also exerts influence, particularly in Denmark,
where companies have a tradition of creating rese-
arch foundations with a great deal of resources to
distribute. In the life sciences, two such foundations
are the Novo Nordisk Foundation and the Lund-
beck Foundation. The practice is less common in
Sweden, although the Wallenberg Foundations are
one example that they do exist there as well.
– Private foundations are distributing more and
more funds; there has been an enormous increase in
the past ten years, so that there are more resources
for research in private foundations than in the
public ones. The life sciences are an area in which
the majority of resources are clearly in private
foundations, so we can reinforce those environme-
nts, says Katrine Krogh Andersen, who was Dean
of Research at the Technical University of Denmark
(DTU) at the time of the interview.
In January 2020, she will take over her new
position as Dean of the Faculty of Science at the
University of Copenhagen.
As an example, she mentions the multiple rese-
arch centres started by the Novo Nordisk Foun-
dation, such as the Novo Nordisk Foundation
Center for Biosustainability at DTU, as well as the
STATE OF MEDICON VALLEY • November 2019
Novo Nordisk Foundation’s so-called Challenge
Programme, with investments of 60 million DKK.
– It’s thus a question of some very large invest-
ments made by these foundations, which target
excellent researchers – both Danish and internatio-
nal researchers that they’d like to bring to Denmark.
I think that within a few years that will mean a real
fortification of research in the life sciences, she says.
Katrine Krogh Andersen also points out that
since this development just started around ten
years ago, only the first phase is visible in the bib-
liometric analyses being performed now.
– Since research funds are predominantly distribu-
ted by actors external to the universities, the lear-
ning institutions themselves have a difficult time
influencing the direction of the research being
performed, says Anna Blom from Lund University.
Lund University is also involved with the distri-
bution of research grants from the Swedish Research
Council, and it is part of numerous Swedish resear-
ch committees and foundations.
– The university has extremely limited possibi-
lities to steer my research – because all of my fun-
ding is external and in part from the government,
but above all from private financiers such as the
Wallenberg Foundations or the Swedish Cancer
Society. That being so, it’s important to invest in
individuals and develop them. Ideally both women
and men, she says.
35
MNCS
MNCS
34
STATE OF MEDICON VALLEY • November 2019
PHOTO: NEWS ØRESUND
The diagrams below show the number of scientific publications (total publications) in the respective subject area from
2006-2016, as well as the citation degree of these publications in relation to the international average in the respective
research areas (MNCS) from 2006-2017. 1 indicates that a publication has been cited as frequently as the average for its
respective field of research.
 ERU, Alm.del - 2019-20 - Bilag 109: Henvendelse af 16/12-19 fra Petter Hartman, Medicon Valley Alliance og Johan Wessman, Øresundsinstituttet, vedrørende analysen State of Medicon Valley Analysis
2126822_0019.png
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Erik Bisgaard Madsen, Trine Winterø and Mogens Holst Nissen, three of the vice deans at the University of Copenhagen.
Anna Blom emphasises the importance of
individual researchers who construct a successful
environment in a particular area and in doing so
lay the foundation for a strong field of research at
their university or in their region.
– When I came here in 1993, diabetes was not
yet the very largest research area at Lund Universi-
ty. The successful environment that we have today
was built up by Professor Leif Groop, who was
recruited from Finland and was a wonderful leader
for many years. He was a brilliant researcher him-
self, but he was also able to recruit a whole pool of
researchers. Now that he’s retired, there’s a whole
group of younger professors in the field of diabetes
with a variety of competencies, and together
they’re creating a fantastic environment, she says.
According to Blom, the case is similar in e.g.
neuroscience.
Thue Schwartz, Professor at the Novo Nord-
isk Center for Basic Metabolic Research at the
University of Copenhagen, is also convinced that
individual researchers can play a vital role in the
emergence of a successful field of research.
Schwartz also strongly emphasises the funding
opportunities that the Novo Nordisk Foundation
and others provide within the life sciences, specifi-
cally in metabolism and endocrinology.
Effects of ESS and MAX IV not yet apparent
in the analysis
Another important factor that has yet to make a
mark in the bibliometric analyses is the growth
expected to accompany the materials research
facilities ESS and MAX IV, which will also affect
the life sciences. Whilst the synchrotron radiation
facility MAX IV in Lund is still in its start-up pha-
36
se, the pan-European neutron research facility ESS
in Lund is currently being constructed. ESS’ data
centre is located in Copenhagen. The new research
infrastructure is expected to create new opportuni-
ties in everything from biochemistry and molecular
biology to microbiology, biotechnology and phar-
macology; in extension, these can also be applied to
many more areas in the life sciences.
In addition, the research facilities are expec-
ted to have a broader influence on the research
community.
– Building up MAX IV and ESS will attract
Danish researchers and lead to increased interna-
tionalisation, as well as more collaboration with
Denmark within those fields, says Bo Ahrén from
Lund University.
International collaboration generally leads to
an increase in the citation impact of scientific
publications, Ahrén points out, and other rectors
and deans foreground the importance of working
together – not only in Medicon Valley, but in a
broader international perspective.
Prioritisation and profiling as strategies
According to Kerstin Tham, Vice Chancellor
at Malmö University, an investment with the
potential to strengthen the region would be a more
clearly defined prioritisation according to subject
area. She recommends for example a research
strategy in diabetes to give the region a stronger
profile in relation to e.g. Stockholm-Uppsala.
– Comparisons like these are valuable and allow
us to see the strengths we have and could perhaps
reinforce further. One such area of strength is en-
docrinology. It would be incredibly valuable if the
region created an even more defined image compa-
STATE OF MEDICON VALLEY • November 2019
red with other regions, perhaps by focusing more
on prediabetes and preventative measures. I believe
in defining a profile rather than competing for the
same research funds and researchers, she says.
Mogens Holst Nissen from the University of
Copenhagen thinks along similar lines; he believes
that prioritisation of subject areas is important.
– In terms of continued growth for the region,
one might ask whether one should aspire for
broad research coverage. Perhaps broad coverage
is important in education, but in research? If we
compare fields, what are the clinical areas in which
we’re particularly strong? Which basic research
areas? he says, and continues:
– Not for the sake of finding differences, but
rather in order to be able to say: Are there any
areas where we can find synergies, or fields for
which we need to make sure we secure funding?
Resources need to be available for an area in order
to maintain research within that area.
Bibliometrics need a context
The rectors and deans interviewed for this report
all emphasise that there are many factors besides
the number of scientific publications and citations
that define a successful life science cluster.
– What’s missing from bibliometric analyses is
the ecosystem: how it’s measured and on what it’s
based. What does it entail that Novo and Lund-
beck are here, and GSK and Pfizer are in London?
There are some fundamental differences, says Trine
Winterø, Vice Dean for Innovation and External
Relations at the Faculty of Health and Medical
Sciences at the University of Copenhagen.
Erik Bisgaard Madsen, Vice Dean for Public and
Private Sector Services at the Faculty of Science at
the University of Copenhagen, points out that bib-
liometric delineations are always somewhat random.
– The Faculty of Science contributes quite
positively to the publication rates in Medicon
Valley. Science is actually strong. But the biblio-
metric analysis overlooks areas such as biostatistics;
it usually isn’t counted as part of the life sciences.
Hence, there are certain biases here, and because
of them the analysis needs to be taken with a grain
of salt, he says.
On the other hand, there is a point to analyses
like these, because they render visible strong areas,
and in extension, they can attract investments in
industry, says Mogens Holst Nissen, Vice Dean
for Research at the Faculty of Health and Medical
Sciences at the University of Copenhagen.
– Pharmaceutical- and biomedicine companies
can locate areas in which they know they can
invest, and they can be certain of finding edu-
cated researchers, such as doctoral students, to
make contributions in the field of research they’ve
chosen, he says.
PHOTO: SIMON SKIPPER
Research at the Da-
nish Cancer Society
in Copenhagen.
STATE OF MEDICON VALLEY • November 2019
37
PHOTO: NEWS ØRESUND
 ERU, Alm.del - 2019-20 - Bilag 109: Henvendelse af 16/12-19 fra Petter Hartman, Medicon Valley Alliance og Johan Wessman, Øresundsinstituttet, vedrørende analysen State of Medicon Valley Analysis
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Anna Blom is Professor of Medical Protein Chemistry at Lund University and the head of a research
group that focuses on a part of the immune system called the complement system. She believes that
research in Sweden would benefit from more long-term research grants – and suggests specially
designated funds for trans-Øresund collaboration. In Blom’s opinion, the current research exchange
between the Swedish and Danish parts of the region is far too meagre.
Earlier this year, Anna Blom was appointed ”Wal-
Anna Blom then got a position at Lund University,
lenberg Scholar”, receiving a five-year grant of 18
located at the Wallenberg Laboratory in Malmö.
million SEK for free basic research from the Knut
She started out there as a post-doc, but today she is
and Alice Wallenberg Foundation. Blom heads a
a professor and the head of a large research group.
group of 20 researchers whose research work focuses
She is also chair of the Swedish Research Council’s
on the complement system, which forms a part of
Scientific Council for Medicine and Health, has a
the innate immune system in
part-time position in clinical
all organisms from humans to
chemistry at the clinic at Skå-
”I have a small colla-
sea cucumbers. The work of
ne University Hospital, and
the research group – which,
is assistant prefect for strate-
boration with Copen-
according to Anna Blom, can
gical issues at her institute.
hagen, but that’s be-
be counted among the top
– I have a lot of other
cause there is someone
tasks on top of those, as
five globally in its field – has
female professors typically
come to expand: the research
there in exactly my
ranges from studying how
do. For better or worse – it
research field.”
bacteria defend themselves
takes time away from doing
against the complement sys-
research, but on the other
hand, someone has to help create an environment
tem in the hopes of finding alternatives to antibio-
tics to investigating complement’s role in rheuma-
that works well, she says.
tological illnesses related to the immune system to
Loyalty to her academic institution is one of the
find new kinds of therapy or improve diagnostics.
reasons Anna Blom chose to stay at Lund University.
She also sees many advantages to working in Skåne
In addition, Anna Blom and her colleagues study
the complementary system’s role in diabetes. The
and the Øresund Region – from Sweden being a
group is also continuing work with their discovery
country with fairly good gender equality and one in
that people with breast cancer whose cancer cells
which, in Anna Blom’s experience, meritocracy is ali-
produce a larger amount of the protein COMP
ve and well and corruption is practically non-existent
have poorer prognoses, a much higher number of
– to the area’s good communications, which make it
metastases, respond worse to treatment, and suc-
relatively easy to recruit new employees.
cumb much more quickly to the disease.
Of the 20 researchers in Anna Blom’s group,
– In part, it can be used as a diagnostic tool – if
only two are Swedes – the rest are from e.g. Greece,
a woman who gets breast cancer has indications of
Germany, Turkey, Italy, and England. The choice
that protein, the treatment should presumably be
was a conscious one made by Anna Blom, who se-
eks the exchange of ideas and experience that occurs
significantly more offensive, since the prognosis is
worse. And of course, we also try to figure out: Can
when people with different backgrounds meet. She
we use this knowledge to develop a treatment? says
has practically never worked with Danes, however,
Anna Blom.
and finds that a more extensive collaboration with
the Danish part of Medicon Valley is lacking.
– There are no natural meeting places; at any rate
Her path to Lund University began in her home-
I’ve never been invited to any or seen any relevant
town Krakow, where she studied molecular biology,
occasions. I have a small collaboration with Copen-
and continued through Uppsala University, where
hagen, but that’s because there is someone there in
she wrote her master’s thesis and prepared her
exactly my research field. He could just as well be
defence in medicinal and physiological chemistry.
38
STATE OF MEDICON VALLEY • November 2019
Anna Blom heads an immunology research group at Lund University.
in Brussels; I would be working with him just the
same.
As Anna Blom sees it, there is a lack of interest
in the Øresund Region in Stockholm, both when
it comes to regional development as well as in
terms of research.
– Government funding for specific collabora-
tions between institutions in the Øresund Region
would spark a lot of collaborations; funding is
usually what controls how researchers organise
their work.
She’d also like to see transborder conferences, for
example in her own field of immunology. Or more
meeting places and networks where researchers can
meet and get to know each other.
– Occasionally I’m invited to Copenhagen as an
opponent for a PhD defence, and looking at that
fantastic, new research building Mærsk Tower – yes,
well, there must be a whole lot of research being
done there. That’s exciting, but I have no idea who
the researchers are, she says.
Even if she prefers to recruit internationally and
work with researchers around the globe, Anna Blom
sees a lot of benefits to local collaborations across
the Øresund Strait. A major advantage is that the
proximity makes it easier to perform experiments
together, and that the universities can share expen-
sive equipment and facilities. On top of that, Anna
Blom sees a climate-friendly aspect to choosing
collaboration partners who are nearby.
– I just went to San Diego to give a lecture;
flying 24 hours back and forth for that purpose is
crazy. It isn’t sustainable, and I don’t think it can
continue. A lot of people want to meet in person –
and that can really be necessary when the discus-
STATE OF MEDICON VALLEY • November 2019
sions are complicated – and in those cases it’s so
much easier to go to Denmark, she says.
Through her position at the Swedish Research
Council and other research foundations, Anna
Blom has insight into how research funding works
from the perspective of the government as well as
from that of the researcher. She believes that the
potential is there for improvements that would
benefit research in the region and give it more of a
competitive edge.
– There is a definite need for more stability
and long-term funding so researchers can dedicate
themselves to somewhat more risky research en-
deavours that might not produce results for a long
time, because that is a precondition for finding real
breakthroughs, she says.
She also points out the size of grants; a typical
grant from the Swedish Research Council lasts for
three years and the length of a post-doc position.
– When you apply for a grant in for example the
USA, you can receive full funding for the project at
hand. Here, the grant covers maybe ten or twenty
per cent of what is needed. I write around 20 app-
lications a year just to be able to maintain a group,
because my university doesn’t give me any funding
other than my own salary. That is the case for most
of the people in my department, she says.
In the long term, Anna Blom hopes to be able to
contribute to increased knowledge and improved
diagnostics or treatments for illnesses.
– Personally, I enjoy simply understanding
things, seeing how they work. And discovering
something that no one has ever seen before. That’s
the driving force, it’s really the best, she says.
39
PHOTO: NEWS ØRESUND
SEEKING INTERNATIONAL EMPLOYEES – BUT
NOT FINDING COLLABORATION WITH DENMARK
 ERU, Alm.del - 2019-20 - Bilag 109: Henvendelse af 16/12-19 fra Petter Hartman, Medicon Valley Alliance og Johan Wessman, Øresundsinstituttet, vedrørende analysen State of Medicon Valley Analysis
2126822_0021.png
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Thue Schwartz divides his time between basic research on how the building blocks created when the
body breaks down food affect receptors in adipose tissue and bringing the results of his research to
the public via the companies he starts up. He is a professor at the Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for
Basic Metabolic Research at the University of Copenhagen, and collaborations with Sweden have been
extremely important throughout long stretches of his career thus far.
metabolites function as both units of energy and
Collaboration with Swedish research colleagues
neurotransmitters, e.g. in adipose tissue. In the
already took off at the start of Thue Schwartz’ career.
work they do, they collaborate closely with other
Though he trained as a doctor, he chose to begin re-
colleagues at the Novo Nordisk Center for Basic
searching gastrointestinal hormones. At the time – in
Metabolic Research, but also with a research group
the 1970s and 80s – there was an excellent research
from the Wallenberg Laboratory at the Sahlgrenska
group at Lund University that focused on the very
Academy at the University of Gothenburg that
same subject as Thue Schwartz’ group at the Uni-
specialises in the importance
versity of Copenhagen, just
”There is clearly too
of gut flora for health.
using a different approach.
– I invested in equipment
– Lund – with Rolf
little public funding.
at Sahlgrenska with Profes-
Håkansson in pharmacology
It’s a bit of a shame
sor Fredrik Bäckhed, who is
and Frank Sundler in ana-
based there, and I employed
tomy – was our most impor-
that we’re so depen-
him part-time in my division
tant collaboration partner
dent on the private
of the centre (Novo Nordisk
and we worked together very
Foundation Center for Basic
closely, he says.
foundations.”
Metabolic Research). After we
Little by little, Thue
had been sharing knowledge and resources for a few
Schwartz’ research came to be more about how
years we received a large research grant together with
hormones affect receptors in the body. He worked at
Jens Nielsen from Chalmers, says Thue Schwartz.
Novo Nordisk for a while in the 1990s, but chose to
At the moment, he isn’t involved in any collabo-
return to the university. A few years later, he started
rations in what is traditionally classified as Medicon
his own biotech company, 7TM Pharma. His resear-
Valley or the Øresund Region.
ch grew more specifically oriented toward endocrino-
– But if you expand the Øresund Region to
logy and metabolism around ten years ago, when he
include Gothenburg, I am. After all, it’s the same
was part of a funding application for the centre that
train line, he says.
is now the Novo Nordisk Center for Basic Metabolic
Research, where he is now professor.
Parallel to his research, Thue Schwartz has started
– I was still involved with receptors, but this
up a number of companies as a way to bring his
time I was working with receptors for metabolites,
research out into the world. He was also involved
he says, referring to the metabolic substance created
in starting up Denmark’s first biotech venture fund,
when the body breaks down food, or in fatty tissue.
BankInvest BBU.
They’re generally considered the building blocks
The youngest company in which he is part-ow-
of the body, or seen as small units of energy, Thue
ner is Embark Biotech, whose goal is to develop
Schwartz explains.
new treatment methods for obesity. It’s based on the
– But from our perspective, many also function
group’s research into new ways to stimulate adipose
as extracellular signal molecules, so the way they
tissue to use fat, rather than store it.
work is that they’re created in one cell and send a
– In November of 2018 we signed an extensive
signal to the adjacent cell, or to the cell that creates
collaboration-, research- and development contract
the metabolite. When we started ten years ago it
with Novo Nordisk, says Thue Schwartz, but he
was an entirely new field of research, he says.
doesn’t want to say much more about it.
Thue Schwartz and the research group of 12-
He points out that the contract with Novo
15 people he leads are trying to understand how
40
STATE OF MEDICON VALLEY • November 2019
Parallel to his research work, Thue Schwartz has started up several companies.
Nordisk was signed at a very early stage, the reason
being that the parties involved knew each other well
and trusted each other.
– We were confident that they would receive it
well – and vice versa – and the development has
been insanely good. It’s great to see that basic resear-
ch can be put to good use, he says.
Thue Schwartz believes that the conditions for per-
forming life science research in Medicon Valley are
extraordinarily good because of the good funding
opportunities in Denmark. As he sees it though,
that’s mostly due to resources from large research
foundations like the Novo Nordisk Foundation and
the Lundbeck Foundation.
– There is clearly too little public funding. It’s
a bit of a shame that we’re so dependent on the
private foundations, he says.
At the same time, he considers the research fun-
ding from the Novo Nordisk Foundation very po-
sitive, particularly because of its broad scope; there
are possibilities to apply for funding for everything
from large research centres to specific research
projects to the recruitment of new researchers or for
giving young researchers opportunities abroad.
– You can basically apply for funds to do
anything. That’s extremely important. And it isn’t
limited to endocrinology and metabolistic research,
even if they do welcome those; it covers biomedical
research and other areas as well, says Thue Schwartz.
In addition, he highlights that the Novo Nord-
isk Foundation often grants long-term funding
with relatively few partners involved, which leaves
more in the coffers for each research group and
STATE OF MEDICON VALLEY • November 2019
allows for more focused collaboration.
Thue Schwartz points out that he believes there
are good opportunities to fund newly established
companies as well, since there are funds available for
many different phases of development. The Novo
Nordisk Foundation is also very active via Novo
Holdings in that respect, he says.
Personally, Thue Schwartz finds the combination
of research and entrepreneurship important.
– It is very, very important that we perform good
basic research, because one can never predict what
will turn out to be exciting. But at the end of the
day, the most important thing is that the results we
produce can be used. Basic research is what motivates
me, for us to understand what’s going on – but one
great and important thing is that we can utilise that
basic research for patient treatment, he says.
He believes that research in endocrinology and me-
tabolism will continue to be a strong area for Medi-
con Valley in the future. The factors that strengthen
the region in that area right now – like the interplay
of research and industry, funding opportunities and
the existing tradition in endocrinology and metabo-
lism – should endure, says Thue Schwartz.
– There will of course be changes to the areas of
focus, but that’s just variations on a theme. While
gut hormones were the most important thing
last century, I think that the focus will shift more
and more to fatty tissue. Another thing is that
our understanding of the central nervous system’s
importance in endocrinology has been a very good
field of research, but I think in the future it’s going
to be really, really big, he says.
41
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BRINGING RESEARCH RESULTS TO THE PEOPLE
WITH SPIN-OFF COMPANIES
 ERU, Alm.del - 2019-20 - Bilag 109: Henvendelse af 16/12-19 fra Petter Hartman, Medicon Valley Alliance og Johan Wessman, Øresundsinstituttet, vedrørende analysen State of Medicon Valley Analysis
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SCANDINAVIAN BIOBANKS INSTRUMENTAL IN
EXTENSIVE TRANSBORDER COLLABORATION
Denmark’s State Serum Institute (SSI) collaborates extensively with Swedish universities – so
much so that a computer-generated network analysis located the Danish research institute as
part of Sweden. This is largely because Sweden and Denmark have similar biobanks and registers,
giving researchers the opportunity to carry out significantly larger register-based studies through
collaboration between the countries.
– Collaboration with Sweden is clearly something
we seek out – or that the Swedes seek out; it goes
both ways. We’ve accrued know-how, and we
co-publish many articles with Swedes every year.
We know whom to contact, says Mads Melbye,
Director of the State Serum Institute.
There are four main themes for research at the
institute: epidemiologic research, vaccine research,
research on infectious disease preparedness – e.g.
antibiotic resistance and the development and
implementations of new diagnostic methods – and
research on congenital disease. In addition, SSI
runs the Danish National Biobank. Of the ca 700
employees at the state-run research institute, which
operates under the auspices of the Danish Ministry
of Health, around 150 work primarily in research.
SSI is currently working to build up a large
centre for antimicrobial resistance with the World
Bank and others.
– We are very actively involved in antimicrobial
resistance and collaborate internationally. But we
also have large-scale projects in other areas, such
as e.g. a vaccine development project and a large
genetic project, says Mads Melbye.
He is unsurprised by the results of the com-
puter-generated network analysis performed by
the research centre CWTS at Leiden University.
Collaboration between different research institu-
tions is shown in different colours, so actors who
produce scientific publications together frequently
are automatically assigned the same colour. In the
specific network analysis that shows collaboration
between research institutions in Medicon Valley
– both internally and with other research institu-
tions throughout Sweden and Denmark – SSI is
lot of people from Sweden, says Mads Melbye.
conspicuous; it is the only actor that the computer
He admits that he is astonished by how little
program VOSviewer does not place in its own
contact there is between the universities in Malmö
country’s network.
and Lund and the large research institutions in
– We try to work on a Scandinavian level with
Copenhagen.
our register-based studies. We use large population
– The contact is more specific to individuals
groups, and in many of our projects we include
– we don’t take part in any special events. I find
the Swedish population as well. In such cases,
that there is unbelievably little being done on an
all of Sweden is included. But in many of the
organisational level to pull the region together. I
projects, there are researchers in Malmö or Lund
don’t know of any specially designated facilities or
whom we’ve met who present the Swedish data set,
research funds, or common infrastructures. The
says Mads Melbye.
only thing that comes to mind are the big materi-
In Scandinavia and Sweden in particular, the
als research facilities; besides them I don’t know of
registers are organised in
any other projects, he says.
such a similar manner that
An opportunity to which
”I find that there is un-
Mads Melbye– who is also
extensive collaboration is
motivated, he explains.
believably little being
a professor at Stanford Uni-
In addition to regis-
the
– calls
done on an organisa-
versity in is a USA doc-pro-
ter-based studies, SSI also
attention
post
collaborates occasionally with
tional level to pull the
gramme in Silicon Valley
universities in Lund, Malmö
where 30 post docs receive
region together.”
and the rest of Sweden on
assistance commercialising
specific research projects.
their research results, me-
Within Medicon Valley, for example, there have
eting every fortnight with industry representatives,
been collaborations focusing on infectious diseases, advisers and other start-up companies.
oncology and blood disorders.
– Something similar would be conceivable for
– At the moment however, there is no specific
the Øresund Region. Thirty students could be ta-
project tying together the Øresund Region per se.
ken on, regardless of whether they live in Sweden
It’s more that many of our employees live on the
or Denmark. It would also be a way to bring
other side of the Øresund Strait, and we recruit a
together industry and academia, he says.
FACTS
Denmark’s State Serum Institute (SSI) is located
as part of Sweden in the network analysis. This
is largely because Sweden and Denmark have
similar biobanks and registers, giving resear-
chers the opportunity to carry out significantly
larger register-based studies through collabo-
ration between the countries.
State Serum Institute (SSI) in the network
analysis which shows Swedish and Danish
collaborative partners in the life sciences
(2006-2016).
To read more of the network analysis prepared
by the research institution CWTS at Leiden Uni-
versity to which this article refers, see Medicon
Valley Alliance’s 2018 annual report: State of
Medicon Valley 2018 – An Analysis of Life Science
in Greater Copenhagen.
THREE CURRENT RESEARCH ENDEAVOURS IN THE LIFE SCIENCES
• The International Centre for Interdisciplinary So-
lutions on AMR is the name of the knowledge and
research centre on antimicrobial resistance that
the State Serum Institute is currently building up
with World Bank and the collaborative organisa-
tion Consultative Group on International Agricul-
tural Research (CGIAR), which works to secure
the future food supply. Last November, Den-
mark’s then-Minister of Health Ellen Trane Nørby
signed a memorandum of understanding with the
ambition to construct the centre and eventually
generate 400-500 jobs in Denmark. Two Danish
ministries are involved in the project: the Ministry
of Health (formerly the Ministry of Health and the
Aged), which is behind the State Serum Institute,
and the Ministry of the Environment and Food.
• Genomic Medicine Sweden is a project that aims
to make practical use of genomic innovation in
health care and implement a sustainable preci-
sion medicine infrastructure in Sweden. Region
Skåne is coordinating the work, which involves
all of the Swedish regions and brings together
clinics, researchers, companies and patient
organisations.
• The Capital Region of Denmark, Region Zealand,
the University of Copenhagen, and the Technical
University of Denmark (DTU) are also working col-
laboratively on a shared data infrastructure project
to be used by clinicians and researchers in their
work with precision medicine. In addition, a ge-
nome centre is being created to assist clinics and
researchers with analyses, as well as a biobank
centre that will support researchers whose studies
are based on biological samples and genetics.
42
STATE OF MEDICON VALLEY • November 2019
STATE OF MEDICON VALLEY • November 2019
43
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CLUSTER RANKING
CLUSTER RANKING
Source:
The universities and research institutions own numbers.
Life science researchers includes professors, associate professors, lecturers, post docs, doctoral students,
etc. See footnotes in the Appendix for more information about the figures.
* Researchers at the hospitals in the region often conduct research part-time. Some of the researchers
at the hospitals and at the Danish Cancer Society also have part-time positions at the universities in the
region.
**The numbers for Lund University are not complete.
PHOTO: NEWS ØRESUND
11. REGION SKÅNE*
14.
1. REGION ZEALAND*
Life science researchers: 550
of which professors: 30
of which doctoral students: 140
Life science students: -
PHOTO: NEWS ØRESUND
Life science researchers: ca 1 800
of which professors: 107
of which doctoral students: 736
Life science students: -
PHOTO: NEWS ØRESUND
3.
6.
2.
1.
7.
8.
4.
5.
9.
PHOTO: NEWS ØRESUND
13.
12.
10. 11.
12. THE SWEDISH UNIVER-
SITY OF AGRICULTURAL
SCIENCE IN ALNARP
PHOTO: NEWS ØRESUND
2. ROSKILDE UNIVERSITY
Life science researchers: 55
of which professors: 6
of which doctoral students: 19
Life science students: 459
PHOTO: NEWS ØRESUND
Life science researchers: 189
of which professors: 21
of which doctoral students: 60
Life science students: 564
PHOTO: NEWS ØRESUND
7. AALBORG UNIVERSITY
IN COPENHAGEN
Life science researchers: 22
of which professors: 3
of which doctoral students: 4
Life science students: n.a.
9. DANISH CANCER SOCIETY*
Life science researchers: 162
of which professors: 9
of which doctoral students: 52
Life science students: -
13. LUND UNIVERSITY**
Life science researchers:
3 533
of which professors: 189
of which doctoral students: 1 122
Life science students: ca 2 780
3. TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY
OF DENMARK (DTU)
Life science researchers: 1170
of which professors: 82
of which doctoral students: 442
Life science students: 4 024
PHOTO: NEWS ØRESUND
Other learning institutions:
Copenhagen Business School (CBS) does not conduct life science research in the traditional
sense, but it is touched upon, for example through research in organisation and public
management.
The vocational school the Copenhagen School of Design and Technology conducts a small
amount of research on optometry.
PHOTO: NEWS ØRESUND
4. UNIVERSITY OF COPENHAGEN
Life science researchers: 6 809
of which professors: 682
of which doctoral students: 2 673
Life science students: 15 283
5. THE NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF
PUBLIC HEALTH (NIPH), UNIVER-
SITY OF SOUTHERN DENMARK
Life science researchers: 97
of which professors: 6
of which doctoral students: 15
Life science students: -
6. REGION HOVEDSTADEN*
Life science researchers: 3 748
of which professors: 231
of which doctoral students: 813
Life science students: -
STATE OF MEDICON VALLEY • November 2019
8. STATE SERUM INSTITUTE
Life science researchers: 150
of which professors: n.a.
of which doctoral students: n.a.
Life science students: -
STATE OF MEDICON VALLEY • November 2019
10. MALMÖ UNIVERSITY
Life science researchers: 120
of which professors: 30
of which doctoral students: 86
Life science students: ca 2 000
14. KRISTIANSTAD
UNIVERSITY
Life science researchers: 50
of which professors: 8
of which doctoral students: 10
Life science students: ca 800
44
45
PHOTO: KRISTIANSTAD UNIVERSITY
PHOTO: NEWS ØRESUND
PHOTO: NEWS ØRESUND
PHOTO: NEWS ØRESUND
PHOTO: NEWS ØRESUND
UNIVERSITIES, REGIONS AND RESEARCH
INSTITUTIONS
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25th best in the world
in medicine and the life
sciences
...is how the University of Copenhagen
placed in the QS World Ranking Life
Sciences & Medicine in 2019.
LUND UNIVERSITY ON TOP IN THE TIMES
HIGHER EDUCATION RANKING.
The University
of Copenhagen tends to be the region’s highest
ranked centre of learning, but Lund University
topped the list of Medicon Valley’s learning
institutions in the Times Higher Education
Ranking list.
PHOTO: NEWS ØRESUND
Three influential ranking lists
UNIVERSITY
TIMES HIGHER EDUCATION
RANKING 2020 (2019)
101 (116)
96 (98)
184 (163)
201-250 (194)
251-300 (251-300)
301-350 (251-300)
601-800 (601-800)
SHANGHAI RANKING
2019 (2018)
QS WORLD RANKING
2020 (2019)
University of
Copenhagen
Lund University
Technical University of Denmark (DTU)
Aalborg University
University of Southern Denmark
Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
Roskilde University
26 (29)
101-150 (101-150)
101-150 (151-200)
201-300 (201-300)
301-400 (301-400)
301-400 (201-300
-
81 (79)
92 (92)
112 (112)
324 (343)
372 (376)
-
-
Greatest number of scientific
publications: University of
Copenhagen
Of Medicon Valley’s centres of lear-
ning, the University of Copenhagen
produced the greatest number of
scientific publications in the period
2014-2017, which is the most recent
period studied in the official Leiden
Ranking (i.e., not the special report
prepared for Medicon Valley Alli-
ance). The same goes for the field
Biomedical and Health Sciences.
Leiden Ranking is based solely on the
number of scientific publications and
the frequency with which they have
been cited as compared to averages
in their respective subject areas.
The placement of the region’s universities varies significantly between ranking lists. They are also based
on different criteria: Times Higher Education Ranking, Shanghai Ranking and QS World Ranking all take
into account scientific publications and citations, but other than that, their parameters are rather diverse.
Shanghai Ranking for example takes into consideration the number of Nobel Prize winners and other
distinctions, as well as scientific publications in the journals Nature and Science. For QS World University
Ranking, the university’s academic reputation comprises 40% of the assessment, whilst Times Higher
Education considers e.g. instruction, which comprises 30% of the criteria.
American universities top the list
Seen globally, the ranking lists are
dominated by American universities. In
Europe, the highest placing universities
are primarily British, as well as Swiss.
PHOTO: NEWS ØRESUND
TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY OF DENMARK CITED
MOST FREQUENTLY.
The Technical Univer-
sity of Denmark (DTU) is the seat of learning
in Medicon Valley whose articles were most
often among the ten per cent most frequently
cited in their respective subject areas, accor-
ding to the Leiden Ranking for 2014-2017. If
looking exclusively at research in Biomedical
and Health Sciences, the University of Copen-
hagen was highest on the list, followed by
DTU and Lund University.
Roskilde and Malmö
Universities – to each
its own list
The universities that feature on more
or less all of the larger ranking lists
are: University of Copenhagen, Lund
University, DTU, Aalborg University,
the Swedish University of Agricul-
tural Sciences and the University of
Southern Denmark – the three lat-
termost of which have branches in
Medicon Valley, whilst their primary
operations are outside of the region. In
addition, Roskilde University is on the
Times Higher Education’s list (place-
ment 601-800), and Malmö University
ranks 401-450 on QS’ special list for
the Life Sciences & Medicine.
Footnote: Shanghai Ranking is published by the independent orga-
nisation ShanghaiRanking Consultancy. Times Higher Education is
published by the eponymous journal and reviewed by Pricewaterhou-
seCoopers (PwC). QS World University Rankings is published by the
British student guidance company Quacquarelli Symonds (QS).
PHOTO: NEWS ØRESUND
… but it’s difficult to see a trend
Looking back on recent years, there are no clearly
discernible trends for the region as a whole –
neither positive nor negative. There is no ranking
list in which all of the region’s centres of learning
have placed higher – or lower – over time; their
placements vary from list to list.
One university whose ranking has improved sig-
nificantly however is Aalborg University, which has a
small-scale life science research division in Medicon
Valley. The University of Copenhagen is also ranked
increasingly higher on most of the ranking lists.
Improved placement...
The University of Copenhagen
has improved its position in
the Shanghai Ranking, moving
from number 43 in 2009 to
number 26 in 2019.
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CLUSTER RANKING
CLUSTER RANKING
GOVERNMENT INITIATIVES FAVOUR MORE INTER-
NATIONAL RESEARCHERS IN MEDICON VALLEY
The Danish government wants to make it easier to recruit qualified personnel from abroad, and more
and more researchers on both sides of the Øresund Strait are being employed by the materials resear-
ch centres ESS and MAX IV. The Swedish government has proposed a bill that will make things easier
for international students and researchers and let them stay in Sweden after their time at a university
or college. The number of international talents who took advantage of tax relief schemes in Sweden
and Denmark also rose in 2018 and 2016; the latter is the most recent year for which relevant Danish
statistics are available. The number of international students in the region rose slightly between the
scholastic year 2016-17 and 2017-18 due to increases in the Danish part of Medicon Valley.
NUMBER OF INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS IN THE STUDY YEAR 2017/18
Number of students
Skåne
Stockholm-Uppsala region
Västra Götaland
Sweden, rest of
Sweden
1 048
3 952
1004
2 022
8 026
of whom in research
programmes
Change 2008/09 - 2017/18
309
1 592
237
261
2 399
14%
37%
28%
35%
32%
FACTS: IMPROVED TAX RELIEF SCHEME IN DENMARK
• Both Denmark and Sweden offer special tax
schemes for foreign employees to make it easier for
companies and universities to attract talent from
other countries.
• The Danish system is distinctly more advanta-
geous. While a key employee in the Danish scheme
needs to earn a minimum of 65 100 DKK per month
including employee benefits, a foreign expert in
Sweden needs a monthly salary of 91 001 SEK to be
approved.
• When comparing the minimum level for the salary
in Denmark and Sweden, it is important to note that
the salary on a Swedish payslip is generally lower
than its Danish counterpart due to differences in
the way the social security systems are financed. In
Sweden, employers have to pay employer contri-
butions for the employee in addition to their salary,
whilst in Denmark, the social security system is
financed via income taxes.
• In Sweden, tax relief can be received for a period of
maximum three years; in Denmark, the tax relief pe-
riod was extended from five to seven years in 2018.
Eastern Denmark
Denmark, rest of
Denmark
2 449
1 525
3 974
925
339
1 264
124%
60%
94%
Medicon Valley
Source: Statistics Sweden and Statistics Denmark
3 497
1 234
93%
48
STATE OF MEDICON VALLEY • November 2019
STATE OF MEDICON VALLEY • November 2019
49
PHOTO: NEWS ØRESUND
Already in 2018, changes were made to make the
Danish tax relief scheme more attractive, with the
maximum period for which it could be used extended
from five to seven years. At the same time, the fixed tax
rate rose one percentage unit, from 26% to 27%.
An agreement between the new Danish govern-
ment and the parties that support it made following
the 2019 elections stipulates that employers with a
concrete shortage of qualified personnel should be
able to recruit qualified workers from abroad more
easily. Precisely which services this will encompass
and the ways in which the process will become ea-
sier will be determined by the Minister of Employ-
ment, according to an announcement made by the
Danish government this June.
In response to a new EU-directive on the topic,
the Swedish government is planning to introduce
new rules for residency permits given to inter-
national researchers and students as of 1 January
2020. Researchers and students at higher learning
institutions will be able to e.g. remain in Sweden
for up to one year after completing their studies
or research in order to seek employment or start a
company of their own. In addition, in some cases,
those with residency permits that allow them to
study or do research in another EU-country may
be able to study or do research in Sweden.
Recruitment of researchers to the neutron rese-
arch facility ESS, located in Lund and with a data
centre in Copenhagen, is also underway, as is the
taking on of new employees for the synchrotron
radiation facility MAX IV – which is also in Lund
and already operational. At ESS, which is co-ow-
ned by 13 European nations, there are already
researchers from 50 countries. The facility will be
opened to users in 2023.
Together with both governments’ initiatives
in the area, it is probable that this will affect the
number of international researchers who come to
Medicon Valley for employment continuing to rise
in the coming years.
In 2018, the number of international research-
ers who were approved for the Swedish tax relief
scheme increased slightly, going from 740 in 2017
to 786 in 2018. In 2018, 1 042 applications to par-
ticipate in the scheme were submitted. These figures
are all for Sweden, not Medicon Valley specifically.
In Denmark, the most recent figures available
are for 2016 and were published in the beginning
of 2018. Statistics show a steady increase in the
number of international researchers who participa-
ted in the Danish tax relief scheme for researchers
and key employees almost every year since 2001.
Between 2001-2016, there was an increase from
647 to 2 645 participants, and only in 2011 did
the number decrease slightly.
International students
In eastern Denmark, the number of international
students in the life sciences who were enrolled in
a programme on 1 October increased six per cent
from 2016 to 2017, according to data from Sta-
tistics Denmark. Statistics show that the number
continued to rise in 2018 as well, albeit slightly
more slowly. That means that the trend is conti-
nuing: the number of international students in
the life sciences in eastern Denmark has increased
steadily every year since 2007.
In the rest of Denmark however, the number of
students in the life sciences decreased four per cent
in 2017 compared to 2016, and the decrease grew
in 2018.
Thus, while the number of international stu-
dents in life science programmes in eastern Den-
mark increased, the corresponding figure in Skåne
decreased by five per cent between the scholastic
year 2016-17 and 2017-18, according to statis-
tics from Statistics Sweden. More recent statistics
are not yet available for Sweden. The decrease in
Skåne goes against the trend elsewhere in Sweden
for the period in question.
When looking at the past five years however,
the number of international students in the life
sciences in Skåne appears to be relatively stable,
whilst the number of research students has decre-
ased slightly over the same period in the Swedish
part of Medicon Valley.
On the whole, the number of international
students enrolled in life science programmes in
Medicon Valley increased two per cent in the scho-
lastic year 2017-2018, to 3 497; this is due to the
greater number of international students in eastern
Denmark, which offsets the decrease in Skåne.
The number of international research students
in the region rose four per cent in the same period;
this is also due to increases on the Danish side of
the Øresund Strait. The number remained essenti-
ally unchanged in Skåne.
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PHOTO: BAVARIAN NORDIC
ANALYSIS
The businesses of Medicon Valley are transforming. Among other things, there
are fresh strategies, new products and company acquisitions. On the macro level,
development is stable: exports and employment numbers are up, and the number
of patent applications has increased.
•
Things are going well for the life science indu-
stry in Denmark, Sweden and Medicon Valley.
Danish pharmaceutical exports rose 7.7% in
2018, and Swedish exports rose 10.6%. In 2017
there were 44 000 people employed in the life
sciences in Medicon Valley – a 3.4% increase
in one year. But the sector’s importance for the
region reaches far wider. On top of Novo Nord-
isk’s 16 300 employees in Denmark at the end
of 2018, 7 900 people were brought in as consul-
tants from external companies; employment via
subcontractors should be added to this.
One indication of the strong revivification of
Medicon Valley’s companies are six large
company acquisitions made in 2019, which
were worth over 28 billion DKK. The acquiring
companies were Lundbeck, LEO Pharma, Ba-
varian Nordic, Zealand Pharma and Fujifilm.
Furthermore, one of the region’s major hea-
ring aid manufacturers, Widex, merged with
Sivantos; today, the new company is called
WS Audiology. For Medicon Valley’s larger life
science companies, the transition also means
renewed strategies.
•
This September, Novo Nordisk received approval
from the American FDA for Rybelsus (semaglu-
tide), its new type-2 diabetes drug in oral tablet
form. Some analysts believe that it will prove a
new blockbuster drug. It won’t necessarily gene-
rate as many new Danish jobs in Medicon Valley
as previous Novo Nordisk best-sellers however,
as the company made large investments in a
manufacturing plant for the tablets in the US.
For several years now, the innovation- and sup-
port system for the life science sector has been
in a development phase that includes national
life science offices and strategies, new materials
research facilities, and flourishing science parks.
Research is also an area of strength. According to
an analysis performed by the Dutch research cen-
tre CWTS at Leiden University, the region’s resear-
chers are cited with above average frequency in 15
of Medicon Valley’s 20 principal subject areas.
•
•
MEDICON VALLEY’S TRANSITION: THE NEXT STEP
The reorganisation and renewal of companies in Medicon Valley’s is continuing at a high pace: there
have been new strategies, technologies and pharmaceuticals, as well several large company ac-
quisitions. According to the latest statistics available, employee numbers are on the rise in Medicon
Valley’s life science sector – and in Denmark and Sweden in general. There are more patent appli-
cations, exports are increasing, and the sector’s contribution to the state coffers is growing in both
countries. Conditions are improving for the life science cluster to be able to have a stabilising effect
– even in the next recession – as support grows with new national life science offices, new materials
research facilities and thriving science parks.
ANALYSIS:
Acquisitions and
product launches
Restructuring and growth set the tone for Danish
and Swedish life science, particularly in the trans-
border Medicon Valley region. In recent years, the
supporting structure for the life sciences, which
is both innovative and promotes exportation,
has undergone important developments. On the
whole, the conditions have improved for the life
sciences to become a sector with a stabilising effect
STATE OF MEDICON VALLEY • November 2019
in the next recession, at least on the Danish side of
Medicon Valley. In Skåne, there are no life science
companies giving local employment to more than
1 000 employees.
On the Danish side of Medicon Valley, the four
largest life science companies and the region’s major
medtech company employ a total of 22 200 people
locally. But life science is also growing in Skåne – there
51
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ANALYSIS
ANALYSIS
are new biotech companies, thriving science parks, and
two materials research facilities.
In 2018, the turnover of the region’s four major life
science companies (Novo Nordisk, Lundbeck, Ferring
Pharmaceuticals and LEO Pharma) and Medicon
Valley’s largest medtech company (Coloplast) grew one
per cent to 171 billion DKK. The differences between
the companies are many, however. Coloplast and
Lundbeck are bringing both profit and turnover to
new heights, whilst the other three companies are in a
transitional phase that has temporarily slowed growth.
Changing external factors have made the transi-
tion a necessity; pricing pressure has increased on the
crucial American market, affecting Novo Nordisk in
particular. The companies also need to adapt to new
technologies with biopharmaceuticals, personalized
treatments and the sector’s drift toward food and
ICT. It’s not a given, however, that the new initiatives
will generate as many new Danish jobs as before.
Novo Nordisk for example already decided in 2015
to invest 13.6 billion DKK in new facilities to pro-
duce a future treatment for type-2 diabetes in tablet
form. Of the 800 new positions this would generate,
700 were expected to be in the US. The American
pharmaceuticals market remains the most important
market for Danish companies.
New strategies
LEO Pharma for example is in a major transformatio-
nal phase and on the way to becoming a global enter-
prise with new biopharmaceuticals in dermatology and
skin disorder analysis aided by AI technology that uses
smartphone cameras. Major acquisitions, sales and
partnerships have helped transform the company – in-
cluding the acquisition of Japanese Astellas’ dermatolo-
gy business for €675 million in late 2015.
In an interview in 2018, Ferring’s owner and chair-
person Frederik Paulsen described his aim to comple-
tely transform the company, whose headquarters are in
Switzerland, but whose roots are around the Øresund.
The acquisition of Reebotix strengthened the com-
pany’s microbiota platform, and Ferring Holding has
acquired a platform for the treatment of bladder cancer.
Novo Nordisk has been going through a rough
patch with pricing pressure on the important Ame-
rican market, but has also been renewing its diabetes
treatment products. This September, Novo Nordisk
received FDA-approval for Rybelsus, its new semag-
lutide-based drug in tablet form for type-2 diabetes.
The drug Ozempic was approved in 2017 and is a
treatment in semaglutide injection form that only
needs to be taken once a week. Semaglutide also has a
weight-reducing effect, and many analysts believe that
52
it will be a blockbuster drug. Novo Nordisk is current-
ly expanding the world’s largest insulin manufacturing
plant in Kalundborg for 650 million DKK and has
also made major investments in the US.
Acquisitions worth billions
Another indication that the life science cluster in
Medicon Valley is in a transitional phase are the
large acquisitions made in 2019.
•
October 2019:
Bavarian Nordic
acquires
two vaccines from GlaxoSmithKline – against
rabies and tick-borne encephalitis – for up to 6
billion DKK.
Zealand Pharma
acquires Encycle Therapeu-
tics in Canada for 540 million DKK.
•
September 2019:
Lundbeck’s
new CEO Deborah
Dunsire acquires the American biotech company
Alder Biopharmaceuticals for USD 1.95 billion.
•
August 2019:
Fujifilm
completes the acquisition
of Biogens large-scale biologics manufacturing
site located in Hillerød near Copenhagen (with
almost 800 employees) for USD 890 million.
•
July 2019:
LEO Pharma
completes the acqui-
sition of German Bayer’s prescription derma-
tology drug. The companies have not disclosed
the acquisition amount.
•
May 2019:
Lundbeck
acquires American Abi-
de Therapeutics for up to 2.65 billion DKK.
•
March 2019: The Danish hearing aid ma-
nufacturer
Widex
merges with Sivantos.
Operating under the new name WS Audiology,
the company opens its headquarters in Lynge,
Denmark, and in Singapore.
National focus on the life sciences
In recent years, the life sciences have increasingly
become a focal point for the Danish as well as the
Swedish government. Both countries have establis-
hed national offices for the life sciences. In February
2019, Denmark launched an internationalisation
strategy with seven key areas that will help realise
the government’s vison of making Denmark one
of Europe’s leading life science nations. Sweden’s
national coordinator for the life sciences, Jenni
Nordborg, has been tasked with creating a national
life science strategy aimed at making Sweden a
leading nation in the field. Eight prioritised areas
have already been selected.
Major investments are being made in the two mate-
rials research facilities on the Swedish side of Medicon
Valley, in Lund. MAX IV and the upcoming European
Spallation Source, ESS, are both expected to have an
important impact on life science research. Both are
being co-funded by Denmark. ESS, for which Sweden
and Denmark are host nations, will be operational
in Lund in 2023, but ESS’ Data Management and
Software Centre (DMSC) at COBIS in Copenhagen
was already inaugurated on 29 October 2019.
Collaborating biobanks
Another concrete national collaboration effort is
the data exchange between the national biobanks,
which are a unique research resource. Swedish and
Danish biobanks are comprehensive and similarly
structured. Read more on page 42.
A Danish strength in the life sciences is the fact that
the country’s major pharma companies are steered by
industrial foundations, which prevents the companies
from being acquired whilst also ensuring the dona-
tion of profits to research. The largest of them is the
Novo Nordisk Foundation, which also makes its mark
on the Swedish side of Medicon Valley. The Novo
Nordisk Foundation’s latest major endeavour is the
BioInnovation Institute, BII, at COBIS in Copenha-
gen. The ambition with BII is to create an outstanding
innovation environment that leads to more research
results from the life sciences being developed into new
companies. On the Swedish side of the Øresund, the
foundation-owned Medicon Village Science Park in
Lund did some adding on, whilst Medeon Science
Park in Malmö is currently expanding its premises.
National life science offices, collaborating Da-
nish-Swedish biobanks and universities, new materials
research facilities and expanding science parks all mean
that the support and innovations systems in the life
sciences have gained greater power, both nationally
and in Medicon Valley.
Research in Medicon Valley is also competitive in
a global context. It can be seen clearly that Medicon
Valley researchers are cited with significant above-av-
erage frequency internationally in 15 of the region’s
STATE OF MEDICON VALLEY • November 2019
Greater Copenhagen
MEDICON VALLEY
is the bi-national life sci-
ence cluster spanning the island of Zealand
in Eastern Denmark and the Skåne region of
Southern Sweden. Today, the Danish-Swedish
region is marketed internationally with the
name ‘Greater Copenhagen’, and its increasing
population has reached four million residents.
In Sweden, the same geographical area is often
called the ‘Øresund Region’.
RECORD-BREAKING DANISH
EXPORTS
2018 was a record year for the Danish life
science industry’s exports. In 2018, the export of
medical products and devices was responsible
for 15.4% of Denmark’s total exports; that share
has doubled since 2008. Exports were valued at
nearly 106 billion DKK – more than double what
they were ten years ago. Life science exports
were also record-high in Sweden in 2018, having
risen 10.6% compared to 2017.
20 most important subject areas. The conclusion is
part of a bibliometric analysis conducted by the Dutch
research centre CWTS at Leiden University on behalf
of Medicon Valley Alliance. The four areas of research
that generated the greatest number of scientific publi-
cations in the life sciences in Medicon Valley from
2006-2016 are biochemistry and molecular biology,
endocrinology and metabolism, and oncology.
In a comparison of publication volume and
citation frequency in the region’s seven largest subject
areas, Medicon Valley places in the middle or slightly
below compared with nine other European life
science clusters. Read more about the cluster ranking
of research on page 22.
On the macro level, the latest statistics show there
have been continued notable successes in Denmark
and Sweden and within Medicon Valley. Pharma-
ceutical exports are increasing dramatically in both
countries and the number of patent applications in the
life sciences is growing, as is the number of employees.
In 2017 there were 44 000 people employed in the
life sciences in Medicon Valley. But the importance for
the region’s labour market is greater still. At the end
of 2018, just Novo Nordisk had 16 300 employees in
Denmark (converted to full-time). If personnel hired
via consultant companies are included, 24 800 people
were employed by Novo Nordisk. Today, Novo Nord-
isk is the Danish company with the highest profits,
and its turnover has increased from 29 billion DKK in
2004 to 112 billion DKK in 2018.
53
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PHOTO: ASTRA ZENECA
APPENDIX
LARGER MEETINGS AND CONFERENCES
Below are some of the larger meetings and conferences being arranged in the Greater
Copenhagen Region in the coming year, as well as a selection of international meeting
places in which representatives from organizations and companies from the region’s life
science cluster will be participating.
• 7 November 2019, Stockholm
Bioscience 2019
• 11 November 2019, Rome
European Statistical Forum
• 11-13 November 2019, Hamburg
BIO-Europe
• 13-14 November 2019, London
European Microbiome
Congress
• 18-19 November 2019, Berlin
Synbio Markets
• 18-21 November 2019,
Düsseldorf
Medica
• 19 November 2019, Copenhagen
Healthtech Nordic Investor
Forum 2019
• 20 November 2019, Boston
Drug Development Boot
Camp 2019
• 27 November 2019, Copenhagen
NOME Annual Meeting
• 4-5 December 2019, New York
The Nordic-American Life
Science Conference
• 10-11 December 2019,
Marseille
BioFIT 2019
• 11 December 2019, London
Genesis 2019
• 27-30 January 2020, Dubai
Arab Health
• 31 January 2020, Copenhagen
Medicon Valley Alliance New
Year’s Reception
• 7 February 2020, Zurich
Swiss Nordic Bio 2020
• 13 February 2020, Rotterdam
Innovation for Health
• 20-24 March 2020, Amsterdam
EAU20
• 23-25 March 2020, Paris
BIO-Europe Spring
• 8 April 2020, Lund
The Future of Swedish
and Danish Life Science
• 8-12 April 2020, Tokyo
A Gateway to Japanese
Healthcare Market
• 28-30 April 2020, Copenhagen
Int. Forum on Quality &
Safety in Healthcare
• 24 June 2020, London
Anglonordic Life Science
Conference
• 5-9 September 2020, Copenhagen
EuroTox 2020
• 8-10 September 2020, Malmö
Nordic Life Science Days 2020
• November 2020, Copenhagen
Medicon Valley Alliance
Annual Meeting
APPENDIX:
Facts and definitions
NORDIC LIFE SCIENCE DAYS RETURNS TO MALMÖ
The annual Nordic Life Science Days was held in
Malmö from 10-12 of September this year. It was the
third time the conference was held in Sweden’s third
largest city, and this year there was a record number
of companies and organisations participating from 40
different countries. Around 60% of the 1 300 delegates
were from the Nordic countries, but there was a
significant increase in Chinese, German, and American
participants, according to managing director Olivier
Duchamp, who spoke to News Øresund. Moreover,
there was an increased investor presence this year.
Sweden-BIO was the event’s main organiser, and
holding the event in Malmö was a chance to showcase
their logistic-and professional expertise. Nordic Life
Science Days will return to MalmöMässan next year
from September 8-10 .
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APPENDIX
APPENDIX
REPORTS AND FACTS
The following is a selection of recent reports
from the life sciences in Sweden, Denmark and
Greater Copenhagen.
Before the change of government in Denmark
this June, the parting administration released two
reports.
The first is called
Internationaliserings-
strategi for sundhed og life science
(Internationa-
tionalisation strategy for health and the life sciences;
in Danish), published by the Ministry of Health
in February. Via seven central areas of focus, the
report describes how Denmark can become one of
Europe’s leading life science nations by increasing
exports and attracting greater knowledge and more
investments in the health- and life science sectors.
A second report entitled
Danske styrker inden
for forskning, teknologi og uddannelse
(Danish
strength in research, technology and education; in
Danish), prepared by IRIS Group for the Danish
Business Authority in June of 2019, describes
a series of research and technology strengths in
Denmark and highlights healthtech, food science,
biotech and pharmaceuticals as areas of strength.
According to the report, life science research is
strong both in terms of scientific production, resear-
ch quality and industry collaboration.
Earlier this year, Region Skåne released a report
called
Skånska Styrkeområden – ett underlag till
regionalt tillväxt- och innovationsarbete i Skåne
(Scanian areas of strength – a basis for regional
growth and innovation in Skåne; in Swedish). The
report puts the spotlight on the life science industry
as one of seven areas of strength and a highly
productive sector, and medical and physiological
research as the region’s most outstanding research.
Rambøll also did an investigation of the life science
industry, publishing the report
Innovationsframtid
Skåne – analys av branschområden
(Innovation
future Skåne – sector area analysis; in Swedish) in
April of 2019. The report highlights three sectors in
which “smart specialisation” is underway: precision
medicine; construction, supply and renovation; and
material innovation and production. In addition,
the report points out that there are 50 medicine-
and pharmaceuticals businesses in the region, and a
total of 301 companies in personalized medicine.
56
Invest in Skåne brought out a report
in a joint effort
with Invest in Stockholm, Business Region Göteborg
and SwedenBio called
Bridging the Gap – a sur-
vey-based report on financing activities in the Life
Science sector
in May, 2019. The report underscores
that the most common source of funding for life
science companies is private equity financing. Public
fund programmes and public equity offers are the
second most frequently used funding sources.
Funding details were also an issue touched on in
Lä-
gesrapport 2019: investeringar och kvalitet, fokus
life science
(Progress report: investments and quality,
focus life science; in Swedish), released by Forska!Sve-
rige. Among other things, the results indicate that
around 25% of the total state-sponsored funding goes
to medical research and development in Sweden.
Forska!Sverige was also responsible for an opinion
survey about medical research in August, 2019.
80% of Swedes believe that investments in medical
research can and should be increased. 87% believe
that Sweden should be a leading nation when it
comes to medical research, since according to the
population Sweden is involved in the development
of new medical products and health care treatments.
The report
Omvärldsanalys – styrkeområden gynn-
samma för utvecklingen av life science i Sverige
(Competitive Intelligence – Favorable Areas of
Strength for Life Science Development in Sweden;
English presentation available) from February
2019 was prepared for Sweden’s Innovation Agency
Vinnova. Regarding research, the report highlights
Region Skåne’s research environments as a position
of strength, as well as its research infrastructure
and innovation that supports innovation structu-
res. The region is also foregrounded as specialised
in personalised medicine. However, according to
respondents to the report’s survey, procuring funds
for mid-sized (30-100 million SEK) life science
innovation projects is difficult.
In the Danish Association of the Pharmaceutical Indu-
stry’s annual report
Lægemiddelindustriens nøgletal
(The pharmaceutical industry: key figures; in Danish)
from February 2019 mentions e.g. that the life science
industry comprises just one-third of all private research
and development work in Denmark.
STATE OF MEDICON VALLEY • November 2019
In September, the Confederation of Danish
Industry (DI) released the analysis
Sundhedsindu-
strien er afgørende for Danmark
(The healthcare
industry is vital for Denmark; in Danish), which
notes that every second company and over 80% of
employment in the healthcare industry is in the ca-
pital region. It also highlights that the pharmaceuti-
cal industry was responsible for 28% of the Danish
economy’s value growth between 2007-2017, taking
into consideration that the sector comprises just one
per cent of Denmark’s total employment.
Health data is another central area of the life science in-
dustry to come under the lens in the report
Værdien af
bedre adgang til sundhedsdata
(The value of improved
access to health data; in Danish), prepared by Deloitte
this June. According to the pharmaceuticals industry,
increased use of and access to data would facilitate
fulfilling the need for new pharmaceuticals, recruiting
patients for clinical trials, and evaluating effects – and
side effects – for the authorities, so new pharmaceuticals
could be used to help patients more quickly.
In an international context, Deloitte released
the report
Global Life Science Outlook,
which
describes big data as the new rapid growth currency
of the medical sector in the effort to deliver more
personalised products. The report mentions that the
increased use of data and digital solutions can en-
sure improved patient involvement, provide better
insight for the evaluation of clinical trials, and make
the product development process faster.
The annual report
Pulse of the Industry
from
Ernst & Young came out in September of 2019.
It highlights that data-driven business models and
-solutions are crucial for continued growth in the
sector – which saw rising profits around the globe
for the third consecutive year. Digital solutions
and artificial intelligence are also in the spotlight
as particular areas for increased innovation in the
medtech industry; the American federal agency for
food and drugs (FDA) has already approved at least
33 algorithms.
The European Federation of Pharmaceutical Indu-
stries and Associations published the annual report
The Pharmaceutical Industry in Figures in June.
It notes e.g. that research and development for
the pharmaceutical market is experiencing strong
growth in Brazil (11.4%), China (7.3%) and India
(11.2%), whilst the five largest European markets
have grown an average of five per cent.
Finally, in September the report
Achieving a
Healthier and More Sustainable Future for All
was released by the International Federation of
Pharmaceutical Manufacturers and Associations
(IFPMA). In it, the organisation highlights three
general strategies that are necessary to ensure
universal health care. Among other things they in-
clude disease surveillance and appropriate response
systems, investments that are both sufficient and
innovative, and improved access to medicine and
vaccines at lower costs.
This report,
“State of
Medicon Valley 2019”,
is an annual report,
published for the first
time in November
2016. The report has
been prepared by
the Danish-Swedish
knowledge centre
Øresundsinstituttet
and commissioned by
the network organi-
sation Medicon Valley
Alliance.
STATE OF MEDICON VALLEY • November 2019
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APPENDIX
APPENDIX
ORGANISATIONS
TRADE AND NETWORKING ORGANISATIONS:
• ASCRO
– Swedish association focused on clinical
research and clinical trials
• BioPeople
– a publicly-funded catalyst for collabora-
tion between companies and public research
• Cluster Excellence Denmark
- a support function
for clusters and innovative networks in Denmark
co-funded by the Danish Agency for Institutions and
Educational Grants and the regions
• CHC,
Copenhagen Healthtech Cluster – Danish organi-
sation that aims to create growth opportunities within
healthcare
• CHI,
Copenhagen Health Innovation – Danish organis-
ation focused on developing new educational and
development activities within healthcare
• Dansk Biotek
– Danish trade organisation for compa-
nies in biotechnology
• EuropaBio,
the European Association for Bioindustries
– European trade organisation for the biotechnology
industry
• EFPIA,
European Federation of Pharmaceuticals Indu-
stries and Associations – European trade association
for the pharmaceutical industry in Europe
• FOIN,
the Association of Innovative Settings in Den-
mark – Danish trade association for science parks and
innovative settings, formerly Forskerparkforeningen/
The Science Park Organisation
• Healthcare Denmark
– Danish organisation with politi-
cal mandate to market the Danish health care sector
• IFPMA,
International Federation of Pharmaceutical Ma-
nufacturers & Associations - international trade associ-
ation for pharmaceutical companies and associations
• Kemi & Life Science
– Danish trade community and
network for distributors and manufacturers of chemicals
• Lif Danmark
– Trade association for the pharmaceuti-
cal industry
• Lif Sverige
(researching pharmaceutical companies) –
Trade association for manufacturers of pharmaceuticals
• Life Science Law DK
– an independent society that
aims to improve legal conditions for the Danish life
science industry
• Medicoindustrien
– Danish trade association for
companies that produce, sell, or have an interest in
medical equipment
• MVA,
Medicon Valley Alliance – Networking and mem-
ber organisation in the Danish-Swedish life science
cluster Medicon Valley in Greater Copenhagen
• Pharma Danmark
– trade union for academics
employed in the Danish life science industry
• Swecare
– Swedish member organisation that works
for broad collaboration with the health and healthcare
sectors
• SwedenBIO
– Swedish trade association for the life
science sector
• Swedish Labtech
– Swedish trade association for com-
panies working in diagnostics, laboratory equipment,
analysis and biotechnology
• Swedish Medtech
– Swedish trade association for
medical technology
• SISP,
Swedish Incubators & Science Parks – Swedish
trade association for incubators and science parks
• Synapse Life Science Connect
– a student-driven,
non-profit organisation that strives to link the academic
bioscience community and the life science industries
• In addition, there are the broader trade organisations
Dansk Industri (Confederation of Danish Industry) and
Dansk Erhverv (Danish Chamber of Commerce) and Han-
delskammaren (Sweden’s Chamber of Commerce) and
Svenskt Näringsliv (Confederation of Swedish Enterprise).
• Tillväxtanalys
– Swedish authority with tasks such as
analysing and evaluating Swedish growth policies
• Vetenskapsrådet
– Swedish authority that works to
promote Swedish research
• Vinnova
– Swedish authority that works to improve
opportunities for innovation and research
• Wonderful Copenhagen
– Danish organization
working to attract e.g. life science conferences to the
Medicon Valley region
LEARNING AND RESEARCH INSTITUTIONS IN MEDI-
CON VALLEY WITH ACTIVITY IN THE LIFE SCIENCES:
• University of Copenhagen
– A large university with
departments for health and medical sciences, science,
humanities, law, social sciences and theology.
• Technical University of Denmark (DTU)
– A technical
university in Kongens Lyngby, just north of Copenhagen.
• Roskilde University
– A university in the middle of
Zealand with emphasis on transdisciplinarity.
• Aalborg University in Copenhagen
– A campus of
Aalborg University in Jutland with a broad range of
departments.
• The National Institute of Public Health (NIPH), Uni-
versity of Southern Denmark
– A research institution
that is part of the University of Southern Denmark, but
also serves the Danish authorities, supporting them
with research and counsel on public health.
• CBS
– A university in Copenhagen with focus on
economics, as well as educational training in Business
Administration and Bioentrepreneurship.
• Copenhagen School of Design and Technology
– An
institute of higher education in Copenhagen with some
research in optometry.
• Capital Region of Denmark
– The region encompasses
a large number of hospitals, predominantly in Copen-
hagen and northern Zealand. The largest of them is
Rigshospitalet.
• Region Zealand
– The region encompasses a number
of hospitals, primarily in Zealand and Lolland. The
most important of them is Zealand University Hospital
in Roskilde and Køge.
• The State Serum Institute, Copenhagen
– A research
institution of the Danish Ministry of Health. Its focus
is on diagnostics, epidemiological monitoring and
vaccination research.
• The Danish Cancer Society, Copenhagen
– A patient
organisation to fight cancer. With a research centre in
Copenhagen.
• Lund University
– A large university with departments
for medicine, science, technology, the humanities, law,
economics, theology, art, music and theatre.
• Malmö University
– A new university with a transdisci-
plinary focus.
• The Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences in
Alnarp
– One of the largest campuses of the Swedish
University of Agricultural Sciences, which has campu-
ses throughout Sweden. Its main areas are landscape
architecture, horticulture and plant production.
• Kristianstad University
– A college in north-eastern
Skåne with a strong focus on education.
• Region Skåne
– The region encompasses a number
of hospitals in Skåne, the largest of which is Skåne
University Hospital in Lund and Malmö.
MEDIA:
• Dagens medicin
– Swedish journal about the health-
care sector
• Dagens medicin, Dagens Pharma, Kommunal Sund-
hed and Praktisk medicin
– Danish journals about the
healthcare sector
• European Biotechnology News
– European journal
about life science
• Greater Copenhagen Life Science Magazine
- Scandi-
navian life science magazine published by the Danish
marketing and advertising agency Nem Media
• Kemivärlden Biotech
– Scandinavian journal for chem-
istry, chemical engineering and biotechnology
• Labiotech.eu
– European news site on the biotechno-
logy industry
• Life Science Sweden
– Journal on the Swedish bio-
technology, medical technology and pharmaceutical
industries
• Medwatch
– Danish news site on the medical and
pharmaceutical industries
• Nordic Life Science News
– journal and news site on
the Nordic life science industry
• Pharma Industry
– Swedish trade journal for the phar-
maceutical industry
PUBLIC ACTORS:
• Copenhagen Capacity
– A public initiative to promote
investments and economic development in Greater
Copenhagen
• Erhvervsfremmebestyrelse
(The Danish Executive
Board for Business Development and Growth) – a part
of the Danish Business Authority that promotes and
funds decentralized business approaches
• Erhvervsstyrelsen
– Danish business authority that
works to improve companies’ competitive strength
• Innovationsfonden
– Fund from the Danish Ministry
of Higher Education and Science that invests in new
knowledge initiatives
• Invest in Skåne
– A public initiative to attract foreign
investments to the region, promote exports and inter-
nationalisation for companies in the Skåne region
• Läkemedelsverket/Medical Products Agency
– Swedish
authority that tests and approves pharmaceuticals
• Lægemiddelstyrelsen /Danish Medicines Agency
–
Danish authority that tests and approves pharmaceuticals
• Patent- och registreringsverket/Swedish Patent and
Registration Office
– Swedish authority for intellectual
property rights
• Danish Patent and Trademark Office/Patent- og
Varemærkestyrelsen
– Danish authority for intellectu-
al property rights
• Styrelsen for Forskning og Innovation
– Danish autho-
rity that works to strengthen research and innovation
• The Government Offices of Sweden’s coordinating
Office for Life Science
– was established in 2018 and
is working among other things with a new life science
strategy.
• The Life Science Office at Denmark’s Ministry of
Industry, Business and Financial Affairs
– the govern-
ment office responsible for the implementation of the
Danish national strategy for life science.
• Tillväxtverket
– Swedish authority to promote compa-
nies’ competitive strength
STATE OF MEDICON VALLEY • November 2019
SCIENCE PARKS IN MEDICON VILLAGE THAT COM-
PLETELY OR SIGNIFICANTLY FOCUS ON THE LIFE
SCIENCES:
• DTU Science Park
– focus on deep tech. Located in
Hørsholm and Lyngby. Formerly known as Scion DTU.
• Cobis
– focus on life science. Located in Copenhagen.
Owned by DTU Science Park and Symbion.
• Symbion
– focus on life science, foodtech, edtech, hard-
ware/makerspace and SaaS. Located in Copenhagen.
• Ideon
– focus on future transportations, smart cities,
smart materials and health tech. Located in Lund.
• Krinova
– focus on food, the environment and health.
Located in Kristianstad.
• Medeon
– focus on life science. Located in Malmö.
• Medicon Village
– focus on life science. Located in Lund.
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APPENDIX
APPENDIX
cerns that fulfil the criteria described in ’Defining the Life
Science Sector’. Income tax is determined geographically
according to where the income is earned, and not where
the employee resides. Thus, border commuters from
Sweden are included in the analysis of Danish income tax.
Residents of Denmark who work abroad are in turn not
included in the analysis of Danish income tax.
Income tax is calculated from the total personal income;
i.e. it includes income from salary and self-employment, as
well as any transfers of income that are subject to taxation.
In Denmark, income tax is equivalent to the total personal
final tax on income, including labour market contributions.
The total personal final tax includes state tax, health care
tax, municipal tax, preliminary corporation tax, tax on stock
dividends and stock profit, and labour market contributions.
Final tax is determined after the deductions have been
made and various tax additions have been included.
The amount of labour market contributions paid for
employees in the life science sector is calculated by in-
ferring that the labour market contributions comprise the
same share of the total income tax, including labour mar-
ket contributions, for the life science sector in its entirety
as for the economy as a whole. The income tax, excluding
labour market contributions, for employees in the life
science sector is divided by the share of the total income
tax including labour market contributions, comprised by
the labour market contributions for the economy as a
whole, to calculate the income tax including labour market
contributions for employees in the life science sector.
In Sweden, income tax is equal to the total income
tax on gainful employment. The source for this data is
the Swedish income register for the period 2008-2017.
Income from gainful employment includes income from a
position of staff employment including benefits, surplus
from business operations, sickness benefits, unemploy-
ment benefits and pension income after general deduc-
tions. These may be social security duties to another
country, alimony or social contributions.
Income and corporation tax comprise only part of the
amount contributed to the treasury through taxes and
duties; of which value-added tax is the absolute largest in
both countries. In Sweden, duties and other taxes include
e.g. a municipal property tax, burial tax, duties to religious
communities, vehicle tax and a series of excise duties on
e.g. alcohol and tobacco. In Denmark there are a large
number of taxes and duties in addition to corporation tax
and income tax, for example municipal property tax, which
is calculated based on value, registration duties on cars
and a number of excise duties on other products such as
tobacco, wine, spirits, chocolate and sugar.
EXPORT, PAGES 8–17
The figures for the global pharmaceuticals market are the
amounts invoiced to pharmacies and hospitals by distribu-
ters. Those amounts are not equivalent to the amounts that
manufacturers of pharmaceuticals receive for their products;
discounts and other price agreements are not included.
The source for the information on the global market
is IQVIA. The source for the global market export is the
UN Comtrade database and figures for the Danish and
Swedish life science export are retrieved from Statistics
Denmark and Statistics Sweden, respectively.
The Danish and Swedish life science sectors’ exports
are calculated as the export of Medicinal and pharmaceu-
tical products (SITC 54), as well as Instruments and app-
liances, n.e.s., for medical, surgical, dental or veterinary
purposes (SITC 87.2). The SITC classification is the UN’s
classification system for goods (Standard International
Trade Classification). The sources are the foreign trade
statistics from Statistics Denmark and Statistics Sweden,
respectively.
EMPLOYMENT, PAGES 8–17
The employment figures cover the manufacturing sectors:
21 Pharmaceuticals, 26.60.10 Manufacture of hearing
aids and supplies, 26.60.90 Manufacture of irradiation,
electromedical and electrotherapeutic equipment, 32.50.00
Manufacture of medical and dental instruments and
supplies and 46.46.10 Wholesale of pharmaceutical and
nursing goods. The sources are the register-based Labour
Force Statistics in Denmark (RAS) and in Sweden (RAMS).
Statistics Denmark and Statistics Sweden utilise national
industry classification (DB07) and (SNI2007), both of which
are based on and correspond to the European industry
classification NACE. A company can perform business
that is within more than one sector classification. In such
cases, the company has a main sector and one or more
additional sectors. In the register-based Labour Force Sta-
tistics, all of a company’s employees are registered under
the company’s primary sector.
Note that it is also possible that branch codes are assig-
ned to companies differently in Denmark and Sweden.
Other industry subdivisions of the life science sector
cannot be extracted, as they are placed within service
sectors such as business services, which covers a signi-
ficantly broader area than life science. The advantage of
using the narrow definition of the sector is that it becomes
possible to trace the industry’s development over time, as
well as to draw European and international comparisons.
The disadvantage is that the life science industry is not
shown in its entirety. Therefore, the figures are supple-
Statistics and method
Describing the life science sector with statistics is a challenge. The sector is far from homogenous, and
it shifts over time. There are only five sub-areas designated in the national statistics as exclusively life
science sectors; the remainder are spread out over a long string of sector codes. The same is true for
universities where life science is not a clearly defined research area. Therefore, the exclusive use of
statistics from the national statistics offices cannot provide a sufficiently complete and comprehensive
representation. We have thus also chosen to complement the statistics with facts from the Nordic Busi-
ness Key, as well as information provided by the companies and universities themselves.
The macro-level numbers in this report and certain
special figures, such as for example domestic and inter-
national students, have been specially requested from
Statistics Denmark and Statistics Sweden. We have used
the following statistic divisions to define the life science
sector and export of life science products:
SNI and DB07-sector codes are exclusive to life science
sectors, used for figures regarding employment:
21 Manufacture of basic pharmaceutical products and
pharmaceutical preparations
26.60.10 Manufacture of hearing aids and supplies
26.60.90 Manufacture of irradiation, electromedical and
electrotherapeutic equipment
32.5 Manufacture of medical and dental instruments and
supplies
46.46.10 Wholesale trade of medical goods and nursing
supplies.
The following codes are used for the description of
scientific research and employment:
72.11 Research and experimental development in bio-
technology
72.19 Other research and experimental development in
natural sciences and engineering.
These two industries encompass companies whose pri-
mary purpose is research in natural sciences and not life
science production companies.
Some of these are life science companies; however,
since the sectors also contain research within other areas
than life science, the sectors are not included in the fig-
ures for employment in the life sciences, but are instead
presented separately.
The commodity groupings (SITC) in trade statistics
utilised to describe exports:
54 – Medical and pharmaceutical products
872 - Medical Instruments and appliances and similar
sector of the workplaces. This definition cannot be used
in the calculation of the sector’s tax contributions, since
corporation tax is paid on the company/concern level,
and the main sector of a workplace does not necessarily
correspond to the company’s main sector. The following
method has thus been used:
1.
For each year, the number of full-time employees who
work at a workplace whose main sector is life science is
tallied.
2.
Information is retrieved for the companies/concerns to
which these workplaces belong. The number of employ-
ees who work in life science branches at these work-
places is tallied, as well as the number of employees on
the company/concern level.
3.
For a given year, a company/concern in the life science
sector is included if:
a.
The company/concern has employed more than 50%
of its employees at workplaces in the life science sector
during the year in question; or
b.
The company/concern meets criterion a) throughout the
entire period 2008-2017 for the majority of its active period.
It has been necessary to include criterion b) in order
to encompass companies/concerns that pay taxes via
a holding company certain years, and in others via the
producing company.
The source for the Swedish figures of income and corpora-
tion tax is the FRIDA database. FRIDA is a combined indivi-
dual database and firm register for all Swedish companies.
The life science sector has been defined according to the
sector of the company’s headquarters.
Corporation tax
Corporation tax for Danish life science companies is de-
fined as the corporation tax paid by companies/concerns
that fulfil the above criteria. For Sweden corporation tax
is the company’s final tax, which consists of state tax (bo-
lagsskatt) on the year’s result (22% of reported surplus)
plus other taxes that may be applicable, e.g. yield tax.
Income tax
Income tax for people employed in the life science sector
is defined for people employed in the companies/con-
SECTOR CLASSIFICATION
The definition of life science often includes:
• BIOTECHNOLOGY COMPANIES
• PHARMACEUTICAL COMPANIES
• MEDICAL TECHNOLOGY COMPANIES
ABOUT THE FIGURES
TAXATION, PAGES 8-17
Defining the Danish life science sector to calculate taxes
In the statistics for the number of employees in the life
science sector, the sector is defined according to the
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APPENDIX
mented by figures for employees at life science compa-
nies not covered by the national statistical figures from
Statistics Denmark and Statistics Sweden; an example
of a company that we have supplemented with employee
figures is Novozymes. The supplementary information
has been collected from the relevant companies either via
email, telephone or via the company website; from Nordic
Business Key; www.allabolag.se; or from news articles.
PATENTS, PAGES 8–17
For patent applications figures from the European Patent
Office (EPO) are used. Normally, a patent application to
EPO is preceded by an application to the national patent
office. The filing date for the application to the national
patent office is the priority date for the subsequent appli-
cation to EPO. The publishing date for a patent application
to EPO is usually 18 months after the priority date. Patent
information from United States Patent and Trademark
Office (USPTO) is rather old at the time of publishing,
and for that reason it has been chosen primarily to
present data for EPO, even though the interest in patent
applications at USPTO has grown as a consequence of the
growth of the American medical market.
UNIVERSITIES, RESEARCH INSTITUTIONS AND
REGIONS, PAGES 44-45
Figures for the number of researchers and students have
been provided by the universities, regions and research
institutions themselves. All figures are from 2018 unless
otherwise noted.
University of Copenhagen.
Life science researchers:
head count. Number of doctoral students at departments
and centres with life science activities.
Lund University.
The numbers apply to the total number of
researchers at the Faculty of Medicine and the number of
researchers at the following departments at the Faculty of
Engineering: The Department of Biomedical Engineering,
and Chemical Engineering. There are also researchers in
the life sciences at the Department of Computer Science
and the Department of Technology and Society at Lund
University’s Faculty of Engineering, and at the Faculty of
Science, from which information could not be obtained. Of
the doctoral students, 397 are employed at Lund Universi-
ty, so only this number has been counted in the total num-
ber of life science researchers. The others are part-time
doctoral students employed by Region Skåne.
Technical University of Denmark (DTU).
The information
is for the total number of researchers at the following de-
partments: DTU Food, DTU Vet and Centre for Diagnostics,
DTU Aqua, DTU Biosustain, DTU Bioinformatics, DTU Bio-
engineering, DTU Chemical Engineering, DTU Environment
and DTU Nutech, and an equivalent selection of students.
Research in the life sciences was also performed at DTU
Chemistry, DTU Electrical Engineering, DTU Nanotech,
DTU Mechanical Engineering, and DTU Compute.
The Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences in
Alnarp.
Information regarding the number of researchers
and professors is for June 2019; the number of doctoral
students pertains to all of 2018. The number of students
includes those from Horticultural Science, Landscape
Engineering, Agronomics, Plant Biology for Sustainable
Production, Agroecology, and Outdoor Environments for
Health and Well-being.
Malmö University.
Life science students: full-time
equivalents.
Roskilde University.
Figures from the turn of the year
2016/17.
Aalborg University in Copenhagen.
Figures from 2019.
The Capital Region of Denmark.
Figures from 2017. The
number of researchers indicates people who dedicate at
least 10% of their working hours to research – often, but
not always – in the life sciences. A number of researchers
also have part-time positions at the University of Copen-
hagen. Doctoral students also include research fellows.
Region Skåne.
All professors also have part-time posi-
tions at Lund University. Head count for researchers –
many conduct research part-time.
Region Zealand.
Head count for researchers – many
conduct research part-time.
The Danish Cancer Society.
There are also twelve profes-
sors with part-time positions at universities in the region.
The State Serum Institute.
Head count.
INTERNATIONAL RESEARCHERS AND STUDENTS,
PAGE 48-49
International students
The figures for the number of students and their con-
nection to the job market are retrieved from customised
analyses by Statistics Denmark and Statistics Sweden.
The selection of educational programmes was made from
the programme classifications in Denmark and Sweden,
and programmes have been chosen within which work in
the sector is usually found after education is completed.
The figures for Denmark and Sweden are not directly
comparable due to differences in the educational systems
and the available data material.
The Danish and Swedish educational systems are
structured differently. In Denmark, students – apart from
exchange students – register for an entire programme at
the bachelor or graduate level. In Sweden, it is possible
to register for individual courses, and it is also possible
to complete a master’s degree by combining individual
courses from different programmes. The criterion is that
one must earn 120 ECTS points to complete a master’s
degree. A student who has registered for two courses in
the same semester will thus be accounted for two times
in the statistics. An attempt has been made to account for
this in the extracts from the Swedish data. Students re-
gistered for more than one course at the same institution
are only counted as one student; however, if that student
is registered for courses at two separate institutions,
s/he will be accounted for twice in the data material. The
figures for the number of students are thus not directly
comparable between Denmark and Sweden.
STATE OF MEDICON VALLEY • November 2019
APPENDIX
Medicon Valley Alliance has chosen to commission an
analysis from the Centre for Science and Technology
Studies (CWTS) of Leiden University.
For technical reasons, CWTS recommended a comparison of
European clusters rather than of clusters around the globe.
CWTS uses NUTS-coding to identify European clusters, and
would not be able to work with the same precision for clus-
ters around the world. The result is also a more consistent
range of clusters with which to compare Medicon Valley.
To identify relevant life science clusters in Europe, Øre-
sundsinstituttet, which has prepared the report for Med-
icon Valley Alliance, compiled a number of sources. The
selection process was based on the Leiden Ranking from
2012-2015 (which was the most recent available ranking
at the time of the selection), which is independent of the
consultant report later produced by CWTS. It investigated
the locations or geographic areas in which the first 25
universities on the European list of the greatest number
of scientific articles in the field “Biomedical and Health
Sciences” are situated. While “Biomedical and Health
Sciences” does not encompass the area identified as life
science in CWTS’ analysis completely, it is decisively the
category that corresponds most closely.
Earlier reports were then consulted with the aim of iden-
tifying additional locations or geographic areas with life
science clusters. The following reports were consulted:
- “The Leading Life Sciences Clusters in Europe”, prepa-
red by SANOFI on behalf of Science Business 2015.
- “Evaluation of Future Opportunities in Medicon Valley”,
prepared by The Boston Consulting Group on behalf of
Medicon Valley Alliance 2012.
- “New Home for the European Medicines Agency”, pre-
pared by KPMG on behalf of Novo Nordisk 2017.
Using these reports, we identified cluster areas that
were not linked to a university on the top-25 list in
Leiden’s Ranking of “Biomedical and Health Sciences”,
or that are transborder, but have strong research in the
The definition of an international student depends on
national definitions and the possibilities offered in the
dataset at hand. Therefore, the definition differs in Danish
and Swedish data extractions. In Sweden, an international
student is defined as 1) a person from a country outside
of the EU/EEA, who upon moving to Sweden reported
that the move was motivated by studies, and where a
residency permit has been issued for less than two years
before the commencement of studies; 2) students who
have moved to Sweden less than six months prior to
the commencement of studies; and 3) other individuals
lacking a Swedish personal identification number in the
educational institutions’ study administration systems. In
Danish data, an international student is defined as such
if s/he came to Denmark within a period from one year
prior and three months after commencement of studies,
and does not have a Danish secondary education.
International researchers
Data for foreigners who have not completed their educa-
tion in the country are incomplete in the national statistics
office’s register of the population’s education. Because
of the poor data quality on the education of workers who
have come to Denmark from abroad it has been necessary
to use additional sources such as the utilisation of the tax
relief schemes, and the Danish Agency for Labour Market
and Recruitment’s database Jobindsats.dk.
It is not possible to extract specific data material for
the life science sectors in Medicon Valley from the data
sources used here; however, by the use of the available
complementary Danish sources, the Danish life science
sector’s need for highly qualified workers from abroad
becomes clearly visible. The Danish Ministry of Taxation
and the Forskarskattenämnden websites offer statistics
about the utilisation of the tax relief scheme.
CLUSTER RANKING:, PAGES 23-65
Selection of life science clusters
THE EFFECT OF SECTOR DRIFT AND SECTOR CHANGE
Statistics for the number of employees in the
life science sector are based on figures from the
register-based Labour Force Statistics in Denmark
(RAS) and in Sweden (RAMS). The employment
figures cover the manufacturing sectors: 21 Phar-
maceuticals, 26.60.10 Manufacture of hearing aids
and supplies, 26.60.90 Manufacture of irradiation,
electromedical and electrotherapeutic equip-
ment, 32.50.00 Manufacture of medical and dental
instruments and supplies and 46.46.10 Wholesale of
pharmaceutical and nursing goods. Sector drift and
sector changes for individual companies can affect
the figures to a greater or lesser degree. The more
detailed statistics are for individual sectors and
smaller geographic areas, the more visible sector
drift and change of sector become. A sector drift is
a slow change in a company’s product portfolio that
eventually leads to it belonging to a different sector
than it did originally. A change of sector is the switch
to another sector code without changes to the com-
pany’s product portfolio.
State of Medicon Valley 2017 contains an
example (Coloplast) of how sector code can
change over time.
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APPENDIX
All scientific publications in the relevant categories
from every region have been included, regardless of
whether the research was performed at e.g. a university,
a university hospital, or other research institutions or
commercial enterprises.
Selection of the bibliometric database
CWTS conducted its analysis in an in-house version of
Web of Science:
“Our CWTS Citation Index (CI) system will be used for
these analyses. The core of this system is comprised of
an enhanced version of Clarivate’s citation indexes: Web
of Science (WoS) version of the Science Citation Index,
SCI (indexed); Social Science Citation Index, SSCI and
Arts & Humanities Citation Index, AHCI.
We therefore calculate our indicators based on our
in-house version of the WoS database. WoS is a biblio-
graphic database that covers the publications of about
12 000 journals in the sciences, the social sciences, and
the arts and humanities.”
Definition of life science
CWTS has limited its bibliometric analysis to encompass
only publications within the category life sciences. They
define this category as follows:
“… all the publications selected for these regions were
limited to those that are designated to the higher level
category of ‘Medical and Life Sciences’. This category
is a derivative of those Web of Science categories that
adhere to the moniker that was defined for this higher
level field of science. This is to some extent an arbitrary
process in which choices are made on the basis of best
practice and educated assumption.”
The complete list of categories is as follows:
For a more detailed description of the methodology,
please refer to the report “CWTS Bibliometric Report:
Benchmark Life Science Regions Research for Øresund
Institute 2006-2016/17” by Erik van Wijk, 2018.
*van Wijk, Erik (2018): “CWTS Bibliometric Report:
Benchmark Life Science Regions Research for Øresund
Institute 2006-2016/17”
MISCELLANEOUS
We have also collected information from personal inter-
views, telephone interviews and in e-mail contact with
experts and companies. This applies, among others, to the
chapter on beacons. Data for the reviews of companies
has been retrieved from Bisnode, through contact with the
companies and from their websites, as well as from media
reports. We have also utilised the public investigations
from within life science, as well as other reports from
public actors and trade and networking organisations.
APPENDIX
life sciences on the whole.
For each cluster, we conducted online research to en-
sure the existence of a cluster organisation or confirm
that the area or location in question is locally recognised
as a cluster. As there is no simple definition of a cluster,
some clusters have a larger scope than others. A crystal
clear definition in this area is almost impossible.
Departing from the above parameters, we compiled the
following list of clusters in Europe whose universities
published the greatest number of scientific articles
in “Biomedical and Health Sciences” from 2012-2015
(currently the most recent available period). Arranged
according to the number of articles in the ten per cent
most frequently cited articles, the clusters are:
- London-Cambridge-Oxford
- The Netherlands
- Paris / Île de France
- Flanders
- Stockholm-Uppsala
- Scotland
- Medicon Valley
- Zurich
- BioValley (a German-French-Swiss cluster inclu-
ding Basel, Alsace, Freiburg, Karlsruhe, Mulhouse,
Strasbourg)
- Munich
- Rome
- Berlin
- Heidelberg
- Barcelona
- Milan
Of these, we have chosen to compare the first ten clus-
ters on the list, which CWTS identified according to the
following NUTS code definitions:
- London-Cambridge-Oxford: UKH1, UKH2, UKH3, UKI
and UKJ1
- The Netherlands: the entire country
- Paris/Île de France: FR10
- Flanders: BE21, BE22, BE23, BE24, BE25 and BE10
- Stockholm-Uppsala: SE11 and SE12, except Linköping
University, Örebro University and Mälardalen University
College
- Scotland: the entire country
- Medicon Valley: SE22, DK01 and DK02, except Blekinge
Institute of Technology
- Zurich: CH04
- BioValley: CH03, FR42, DE11, DE12, DE13 and DE14
- Munich: DE21 and DE27, except Neu-Ulm University
of Applied Sciences and Kempten University of Applied
Sciences
Web of Science Categories in ’Medical and Life Sciences’
Agricultural engineering
Agricultural experiment station
reports
Agriculture, dairy & animal
science
Agriculture, multidisciplinary
Agronomy
Allergy
Anatomy & morphology
Andrology
Anesthesiology
Audiology & speech-language
pathology
Behavioral sciences
Biochemical research methods
Biochemistry & molecular
biology
Biology
Biophysics
Biotechnology & applied micro-
biology
Cardiac & cardiovascular
systems
Cell & tissue engineering
Cell biology
Chemistry, medicinal
Clinical neurology
Critical care medicine
Dentistry/oral surgery & med-
icine
Dermatology
Developmental biology
Emergency medicine
Endocrinology & metabolism
Engineering, biomedical
Entomology
Evolutionary biology
Fisheries
Food science & technology
Gastroenterology & hepatology
Genetics & heredity
Geriatrics & gerontology
Gerontology
Health care sciences & services
Health policy & services
Hematology
Horticulture
Immunology
Infectious diseases
Integrative & complementary
medicine
Marine & freshwater biology
Materials science, biomaterials
Mathematical & computational
biology
Medical informatics
Medical laboratory technology
Medicine, general & internal
Medicine, research & experi-
mental
Microbiology
Mycology
Neuroimaging
Neurosciences
Nursing
Nutrition & dietetics
Obstetrics & gynecology
Oncology
Ophthalmology
Ornithology
Orthopedics
Otorhinolaryngology
Parasitology
Pathology
Pediatrics
Peripheral vascular disease
Pharmacology & pharmacy
Physiology
Plant sciences
Primary health care
Psychiatry
Public, environmental & occu-
pational health
Radiology, nuclear medicine &
medical imaging
Rehabilitation
Reproductive biology
Respiratory system
Rheumatology
Social work
Soil science
Sport sciences
Substance abuse
Surgery
Toxicology
Transplantation
Tropical medicine
Urology & nephrology
Veterinary sciences
Virology
Zoology
INTERVIEW LIST
• Bo Ahrén,
Pro Vice-Chancellor, Lund University,
meeting, 7 Sept. 2018
• Erik Bisgaard Madsen,
Dean, Associate dean for Trade
and Government Collaboration, Faculty of Science –
University of Copenhagen, telephone, 24 Aug. 2018
• Anna Blom,
professor of Medical Protein Chemistry,
Lund University, meeting, 14 May 2019
• Mogens Holst Nissen,
Vice Dean for Research,
Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences – University of
Copenhagen, telephone, 20 Aug. 2018
• Katrine Krogh Andersen,
Dean of Research, DTU,
STATE OF MEDICON VALLEY • November 2019
•
•
•
•
meeting, 4 Sept. 2018
Mads Melbye,
Director, State Serum Institute,
telephone, 25 June 2019
Thue Schwartz,
professor at the Novo Nordisk
Foundation Center for Basic Metabolic Research –
University of Copenhagen, meeting, 11 June 2019
Kerstin Tham,
Vice-Chancellor, Malmö University,
meeting, 17 Sept. 2018
Trine Winterø,
Vice Dean of Innovation & External
relations, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences –
University of Copenhagen, telephone, 20 Aug. 2018
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APPENDIX
REFERENCE LIST
The exact sources are provided with the statistics in the
respective chapters and on pages 60-65.
PRIMARY STATISTICAL SOURCES:
• SCB/Statistics Sweden, including customised analyses
• Statistics Denmark, including customised analyses
• UN Comtrade
• World Bank
OTHER SOURCES:
• Bisnode, Nordic Business Key, business database
• CWTS B.V. Benchmark Life Science Regions Research
for Medicon Valley Alliance 2006-2016/17, August 2018
• CWTS Leiden Ranking, www.cwts.nl
• CVR, www.datacvr.virk.dk
• Danish Ministry of Taxation, Bruttoskatteordningen for
forskere og nøglemedarbejdere – fakta og statistik,
www.skm.dk. (Gross Tax Scheme for Researchers and
Key Employees – Facts and Statistics)
• European Patent Office, www.epo.org
• Forskarskattenämnden, Om skattelättnaderna, sta-
tistik över inkomna ansökningar om skattelättnader
(About Tax Relief, Statistics for Applications Received
for Tax Relief), www.skatterattsnamnden.se
• Fujifilm, Fujifilm Completes Acquisition of Biogen’s
Manufacturing Site in Denmark, August 2019
• Ministry of Enterprise and Innovation in Sweden, Life
sciences road map – pathway to a national strategy,
2018
• The Danish Government, Retfærdig retning for Dan-
mark, 2019
• The Riksbank, www.riksbank.se
• Shanghai Ranking – Academic Ranking of World Uni-
versities 2018
• Danish Ministry of Taxation, Skatteøkonomisk analyse,
December 2018
• Swedish Ministry of Education, Nya regler om uppe-
hållstillstånd för forskning och studier inom högre
utbildning, 2019
• Swedish Tax Agency, www.skatteverket.se
• Times Higher Education – World University Rankings 2018
• Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark and The
Ministry of Health, Internationaliseringsstrategi for
sundhed og life science, 2019 (Internalisation Strategy
for Health and Life Science)
• QS World University Rankings 2019
• Press releases and annual reports from respective
companies.
• In addition, we received data via email from companies,
municipalities, trade organisations, universities and
other players.
Behind the report:
MEDICON VALLEY ALLIANCE AND ØRESUNDSINSTITUTTET
Øresundsinstituttet and Medicon Valley Alliance have a long-term analysis collaboration. State of the
Region is an annual analysis of the developments in Medicon Valley. Medicon Valley Alliance and Øre-
sundsinstituttet are both member-based, and a selection of the member-actors are represented in the
board of directors.
Board of directors:
Board of directors:
MEDICON VALLEY ALLIANCE (MVA)
is a non-profit
membership organization in the Danish-Swedish
life science cluster Medicon Valley, which is a part
of Greater Copenhagen. Our 250 members, who
together employ approximately 140 000 people,
represents the region’s triple-helix and include uni-
versities, hospitals, human life science businesses,
regional governments and service providers.
ØRESUNDSINSTITUTTET
is an independent Da-
nish-Swedish centre for analytics and information that
brings together more than 100 actors from the indu-
stry, the public sector and academic institutions with
the aim of strengthening knowledge about societal
developments on both sides of the Øresund Strait.
As a member of Øresundsinstituttet, you become part
of our strong Danish-Swedish network – and gain
access to network meetings, facts, analyses and news
about developments in the Greater Copenhagen region.
The analysis “State of
Medicon Valley” is prepared
by Øresundsinstituttet and
commissioned by Medicon
Valley Alliance.
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The analysis “State of Medicon Valley” is prepared by Øresundsinstituttet and commissioned by Medicon Valley Alliance.
ØRESUNDSINSTITUTTET
Øi is an independent Danish-Swedish centre for analytics and information that brings together more than 100 actors from the
industry, the public sector and academic institutions with the aim of strengthening knowledge about societal developments on
both sides of the Øresund Strait. As a member of Øresundsinstituttet, you become part of our strong Danish-Swedish network –
and gain access to network meetings, facts, analyses and news about developments in the Greater Copenhagen region.
MEDICON VALLEY ALLIANCE
MVA is a Gold Label-certified, non-profit member organisation in the Danish-Swedish life science cluster Medicon Valley. Its
250 members include universities, hospitals, human life science businesses, regional governments and service providers
that employ approximately 140 000 people and represent the Region’s ’double triple-helix’. The activities in MVA focus on
strengthening collaborations for a vibrant life science ecosystem in Medicon Valley through networking events and increased
collaboration across borders and sectors.
THE VISION
The vision is to be a well-known and respected member-
driven contributor to the realisation and positioning of
Medicon Valley as the most competitive and vital life science
cluster in Northern Europe.
THE MISSION
MVA is committed to realising Medicon Valley’s potential by
facilitating networking, knowledge-sharing, and collabo-
ration, analysing challenges and potentials, and mobilising
support from key opinion leaders.
CALL TO ACTION
Read more about the Danish-Swedish life science cluster organisation Medicon Valley Alliance’s events and activities on
www.mva.org, where you can also find more information about how YOUR company can benefit from a membership.