Beskæftigelsesudvalget 2021-22
BEU Alm.del Bilag 37
Offentligt
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Special theme:
THE BEACONS OF
MEDICON VALLEY
STATE OF
MEDICON VALLEY 2021
An Analysis of Life Science
in Greater Copenhagen
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STATE OF MEDICON VALLEY 2021
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.
Material for this special theme chapter has been retrieved from the survey of the
region’s life science companies conducted by the Interreg-project Greater Copen-
hagen Life Science Analysis Initiative and prepared by analysts Kristoffer Dahl
Sørensen and Sofi Eriksson.
Project manager: Jenny Andersson
Translation: Justina Bartoli
Cover photo: Novo Nordisk
November 2021
PREFACE
Throughout the coronavirus pandemic, the life science cluster in Denmark and Sweden has
once again demonstrated its strength with continued growth. The sector’s contribution to
society’s development is tangible, with increased exports, more patents and increasing tax
revenue and the work being done in SARS-CoV-2 research and vaccine development.
The same positive trend is observed regionally in the Danish-Swedish Medicon Valley. In
this analysis, we go under the surface for a close examination of the development of the
life science cluster’s regional beacons – the companies with more than 250 employees
in Medicon Valley. There are 32 of these companies, 25 of them in eastern Denmark and
seven in Skåne, and together they employ 86 per cent of all those employed in life science
companies in Medicon Valley. The number of people who work in Medicon Valley’s beacon
companies has increased over the past five years, and all the while construction and plans
have progressed for new or expanded plants and new research facilities and headquarters.
There is also a leitmotif linking the companies’ successes and university research, as the
largest Danish companies’ industrial foundation owners continue to grant billions for rese-
arch and to generate new businesses from university research.
In this and in previous reports, we have also noted that the region’s science parks are
continuing to thrive, and that many new life science companies are being created – frequ-
ently with a biotech focus. The new companies are emerging as a result of Medicon Valley’s
strong academic position with its nine universities and higher learning institutions con-
ducting research in the field. Meanwhile, two material research facilities are growing on
the other side of the Øresund in the university city Lund, and they are expected to have an
important impact on pharmaceutical development of the future: MAX IV, which is already
operational, and European Spallation Source, ESS, which will be operative in 2023 and
whose data centre is in Copenhagen.
With its 300 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
8 November 2021
Anette Steenberg
CEO Medicon Valley Alliance
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. SUMMARY ................................................................................................................. 4
2. FACTS AND FIGURES ................................................................................................ 8
3. THE BEACONS OF MEDICON VALLEY ....................................................................... 18
4. RESEARCH ............................................................................................................. 60
5. ANALYSIS ............................................................................................................. 72
6. APPENDIX .............................................................................................................
- Larger meetings and conferences .....................................................................
- Reports and facts .................................................................................................
- Organisations ........................................................................................................
- Statistics and method ........................................................................................
- Reference list .........................................................................................................
76
77
78
80
83
88
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PHOTO: NEWS ØRESUND
Together, Medicon Valley’s beacon com-
panies employ around 43 000 people in
the regon, around 40 500 of whom are in
Zealand and 2 500 in Skåne. Five years
ago, the region’s beacon companies em-
ployed a total of around 39 000 people.
Approximately 4 000 new jobs have thus
been added in these companies. Medicon
Valley has 32 beacons, or companies with
over 250 employees.
New plants and domiciles
Fujifilm Diosynt Biotechnologies, which pur-
chased Biogen’s factory for biopharmaceuti-
cals in Hillerød in 2019, is now doubling the
size of its Danish facility. That means that Fu-
jifilm has invested a total of around 12bn DKK
in Hillerød. Since 2000, Novo Nordisk has
invested 18bn DKK in its plant in Kalundborg,
where half of the world’s insulin is produced.
In early 2022 Ferring Pharmaceuticals will
move into Soundport in Kastrup, which will
be the company’s new Danish headquarters
and the Ferring Group’s largest R&D centre,
with room enough for 750 employees. Star-
ting in 2023 the biotech company Genmab
will lease newly built headquarters in Valby,
Copenhagen, where there will be space for
about 700 employees.
NOVO NORDISK PRE-EMINENT.
The largest beacon
company in Medicon Valley is the global diabetes con-
cern Novo Nordisk, which employs around 16 900 pe-
ople in Zealand and about 100 people in the Swedish
offices in Malmö. The company’s largest production
facility worldwide is in Kalundborg in northwest Zea-
land. The plant is also the largest life science plant in
Medicon Valley with its 3 200 employees.
THE BEACONS OF MEDICON
VALLEY INVEST IN THE REGION
Medicon Valley’s largest companies are growing and scaling up.
32 regional beacon companies, 25 in Zealand and in Skåne. A total
of 43 000 employees, or around 86% of everyone employed in the
region’s life science cluster – that’s how it looks when Medicon
Valley’s largest companies – those with more than 250 employees
each – are mapped out. And the beacon companies are investing in
the region. Fujifilm Diosynth Biotechnologies is doubling capacity
at its Danish plant in Hillerød, Ferring is moving to its new Danish
headquarters Soundport in Kastrup, LEO Pharma is building a
facility adjacent to its headquarters in Ballerup, and Genmab is
constructing new headquarters in Valby, Copenhagen. In addition,
since 2000 Novo Nordisk has invested 18bn DKK in its Kalundborg
site, where over half of the world’s insulin is produced.
86%
The 32 beacon companies identified
employ around 86% of Medicon Valley’s
total of around 50 000 employees.
LEO PHARMA AND FERRING APPOINT NEW
CHAIRPEOPLE WITH A NOVO NORDISK BACK-
GROUND.
This summer, the Novo Nordisk
Foundation’s chairperson and Novo Nordisk’s
former CEO Lars Rebien Sørensen became
the new chair of Ferring Pharmaceuticals.
The former financial director of Novo Nordisk
Jesper Brandgaard was also appointed new
chairperson of the board at LEO Pharma.
PHOTO: GENMAB - TUALA HJARNØ
MAJOR GROWTH IN
TAX REVENUE
The Swedish life science sector
contributed 2.3% of the total revenue
from income- and corporation tax in
Sweden in 2019, equivalent to 16.3bn
SEK. Danish tax revenue from the
life science sector comprises 3.4% of
the total revenue from corporations
and income. In 2019, the life science
sector contributed 20.9bn DKK.
Danish Novo Nordisk is unequivocally Medicon Valley’s largest company,
with more than 17 000 employees in the region. The company is also a giant
in an international context. Its plant in Kalundborg has more than 3 200
employees and makes more than half of the world’s insulin. The investments
made in Denmark in recent years “underline Novo Nordisk’s ambition to
remain a strong presence in Denmark and in Kalundborg”, says Michael
Hallgren, Senior Vice President, Novo Nordisk Manufacturing Kalundborg,
in an interview conducted for this report. Novo Nordisk has had important
research successes in recent years, and expectations have been high for the
company’s new GLP-1 drugs, which are based on the molecule semaglutide
and have resulted in e.g. the pharmaceutical Rybelsus, a tablet for treating
Type 2 diabetes. The American Food and Drug Administration (FDA) also
approved the semaglutide for treating obesity in 2021.
A phase of restructuring and renewal
A number of Medicon Valley’s beacons have undergone changes in the
past few years. LEO Pharma for example modified its ownership structure,
research, and management, and Lundbeck is currently in the process of
strategically restructuring its research.
New plants and domiciles
At the same time, over half of the large life science companies are adding
on to their existing facilities or moving to new, larger headquarters, for
2020 was a record year for exports in life science.
The Danish life science sector exported for 143bn
DKK. The Swedish life science sector also had a re-
cord year, with exports of 124bn SEK – an increase
of 10.4% since 2019.
STATE OF MEDICON VALLEY • November 2021
5
PHOTO: LUNDBECK
43 000
SUMMARY
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SUMMARY
SUMMARY
figures compiled by Øresundsinstituttet through the
example Ferring Pharmaceuticals, which is building
Interreg-project Greater Copenhagen Life Science
new Danish headquarters and an R&D centre,
Analysis Initiative and from data from e.g. the com-
and Genmab, which is constructing new global
pany register Bisnode – see more on page 21. Many
headquarters.
of the 32 large life science companies expect that they
– We’re running out of space. We have three
will have still more employees in the region in the
different locations in Copenhagen, and we expect to
next few years.
expand even more in the coming years, so we’d like
to have all our staff in Denmark under the same roof,
Need for employees will
says Birgitte Stephensen,
intensify
Senior Vice President IPR
Lundbeck is in the process
& Legal at Genmab, in an
of strategically restructuring
interview on pages 53-54.
its research, and that calls
Others are increasing
for many new specialists and
their production capacity,
advanced digital expertise, and
e.g. LEO Pharma, Novo
many such professionals are in
Nordisk, Chr Hansen,
Ferring’s new Danish
short supply in Medicon Val-
AGC Biologics and Bava-
headquarters, Soundport.
ley, says Elise Hauge, Executive
rian Nordic in Zealand. In
Vice President for People and
Skåne, McNeil, PolyPepti-
Communication at Lundbeck.
de, and Sever Pharma So-
The company thinks that more
lutions (QPharma) are also
skilled labourers from abroad,
making new investments in
more commuters across the
their respective facilities in
Danish-Swedish border and
the region.
Fujifilm Diosynth
more STEM admissions would
Biotechnologies is
Two new board chairs
benefit the Medicon Valley
building a new facility
with a Novo Nordisk
cluster.
in Hillerød.
history
– My colleagues at other
pharma companies are also
In 2021, two of Medicon
concerned about the future. We don’t see it getting
Valley’s regional beacons recruited new chairper-
easier to recruit highly skilled labourers in the futu-
sons of the board with a background from Novo
re. In that sense, we see this increasingly becoming a
Nordisk. In July 2021, Lars Rebien Sørensen was
problem, she says in an interview on pages 50-52.
appointed new board chair at Ferring Pharmaceuti-
Jens Fricke, the director of Polypeptide Group
cals, which has its origins in Malmö and is currently
in Malmö, agrees. The competition for employees is
completing a large new R&D centre and Danish
stiffening.
headquarters, Soundport, near Copenhagen Airport
– The demand for good labour in the region has
in Kastrup. Ferring has been headquartered in Swit-
grown over the past years. A lot of companies, both
zerland for many years. Lars Rebien Sørensen is also
in Malmö-Lund and in Copenhagen, are growing
chair of the board of the Novo Nordisk Foundation
and largely seeking the same expertise. Because of
and Novo Holdings and was administrative director
that, along with bringing in people from outside,
of Novo Nordisk from 2000 to 2016.
we’re also putting efforts into internal training and
In August 2021, the former financial director of
career paths, he says in an interview on pages 55-56.
Novo Nordisk Jesper Brandgaard became the new
Novo would like to see a graduate-level program-
chairperson of the board at LEO Pharma. He left
me in pharmaceutical engineering.
Novo Nordisk for a career at the helm in 2019, and
– A next step in strengthening both Medicon
he is also vice chair of Chr Hansen Holding and
Valley and Denmark as a nation could be establish-
vice chair of William Demant Invest.
ing an educational programme specifically for phar-
Five years, 4 000 more employees
ma. Locating it near manufacturing sites that take
on graduates would be an advantage and give the
Most of the region’s life science companies in the lar-
food chain a local context, making it easier to recru-
ge-scale category have seen their employee numbers
it and retain skilled labourers locally. Concretely, we
rise over the past five years. Around 4 000 new jobs
see potential in for example graduate-level training
have been created in these companies, according to
PHOTO: NEWS ØRESUND
PHOTO: NEWS ØRESUND
in pharmaceutical engineering. In addition, there is
a need for ordinary training programmes and con-
tinuing education on multiple levels, specifically in
the Industry 4.0- and sustainability transformation
of Denmark as a nation, says Michael Hallgren, Se-
nior Vice President, Novo Nordisk Manufacturing
Kalundborg, in an interview on pages 44-46.
The life science sector has fared well in the
pandemic
2020 was a record year for exports in the life
science industry in Denmark and Sweden, despite
the coronavirus pandemic and a general decline in
exports in both countries. There was also a rise in
the number of patent applications to the Euro-
pean Patent Office. The latest tax revenue figures
from the life science sector, for 2019, also show
major growth. The life science sector’s successes
are accompanied by competition for investments
and establishments. Life science is on the agenda
in both Denmark and Sweden; a new life science
strategy was adopted in Denmark this spring, and
Vinnova has been appointed to map out the sector
in Sweden. Within that competition, Stockholm
Chamber of Commerce recently presented seven
actions for strengthening the sector. Region Stock-
holm’s goal is for Stockholm to become one of the
world’s leading life science regions by 2025.
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.
Interviewees in this analysis include:
PHOTO: NOVO NORDISK, LUNDBECK, LEO PHARMA, GENMAB, POLYPEPTIDE, NEWS ØRESUND
Michael Hallgren, Senior Vice President
Novo Nordisk Manufacturing Kalundborg,
pages 44-46
Elise Hauge, Executive Vice President
for People and Communication Lund-
beck, pages 50-52
Dennis Schmidt Pedersen, Executive Vice
President for Global People and -Commu-
nications LEO Pharma, pages 47-49
Birgitte Stephensen, Senior Vice
President IPR & Legal Genmab,
pages 53-54
STATE OF MEDICON VALLEY • November 2021
Jens Fricke, Site Director
PolyPeptide Group, pages 55-57
Jody Lodge, CEO McNeil, pages 58-59
6
STATE OF MEDICON VALLEY • November 2021
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FACTS AND FIGURES
PHOTO: LUNDBECK
With 2020 as a record year for both Danish and Swedish life science exports, with more
patent applications and increased tax revenue, new successes have been noted in
Swedish and Danish life science. There are at least 45 600 employees in the life science
sector in Medicon Valley.
• The number of employees in the life science
sector was 45 600 in Medicon Valley 2019; of
these, 40 400 were in eastern Denmark and 5
200 in Skåne, according to figures from Statistics
Denmark and Statistics Sweden (SCB) based on
statistic sector codes. An ongoing manual review
of Medicon Valley’s life science sector indicates
that the figures are higher in actuality.
• A new study shows that a total of over 900
border commuters could be identified in
Medicon Valley. At least 800 people commute
from Skåne to work at life science companies in
Zealand. At least 100 commuters from Zealand
were identified as working in the life science
sector in Skåne.
• Danish tax revenue from the life science sector
comprises 3.4% of the total revenue from
corporations and income in 2019. The total cor-
poration- and income tax from the life science
sector in Sweden comprised 2.3% of the total
tax revenue.
• 717 Danish patent applications were submitted
to EPO in the life science field last year. That
corresponds to an 8.5% increase from 2019.
That is the highest level since 2010, the first year
for the statistics accessible today. The number of
Swedish applications was 445, an 19% increase
from 2019.
• 2020 was a record year for exports in the life
science industry. Danish export value has more
than doubled since 2010 to 143bn DKK in 2020.
The Swedish life science sector also had a
record year in 2020, with exports of 124bn SEK –
an increase of 10.4% since 2019.
GROWTH IN TAX REVENUE AND EXPORTS IN
THE LIFE SCIENCE SECTOR
2020 was a record year for exports in the life science industry in Denmark and Sweden, despite the
coronavirus pandemic and a general decline in exports in both countries. There was also a rise in the
number of patent applications to the European Patent Office. The latest tax revenue figures from the
life science sector, for 2019, also show major growth.
FACTS AND FIGURES:
New successes
in Medicon Valley
In spite of the coronavirus pandemic, figures for
exports and patents in the Swedish and Danish life sci-
ence sectors evidence new successes. 2020 was a record
year for exports in the life science industry. Denmark
exported for 143bn DKK in 2020. Compared to
2019, which was also a record year, the export value in
2020 was 7.7% higher. The Swedish life science sector
also had a record year, with exports of 124bn SEK –
an increase of 10.4% since 2019. When it comes to
patent applications submitted to the European Patent
Office, EPO, the number increased again in 2020
after a slight decline under 2019. Danish applications
in the life sciences increased 8.5%, and the number of
STATE OF MEDICON VALLEY • November 2021
Swedish applications rose 19%.
The most recent available tax revenue figures,
from 2019, show major growth in tax revenue
from the life science sector in both Denmark and
Sweden. And employment numbers from Statistics
Sweden and Statistics Denmark indicate that the
number of people employed in Medicon Valley
was 45 600 in 2019. However, as the figures are
based on sector codes, it may be assumed that
these estimates are on the low side. An ongoing
manual review of the life science sector in Med-
icon Valley indicates that the figures are higher.
Read more on pages 10-11.
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FACTS AND FIGURES
FACTS AND FIGURES
EMPLOYMENT IN MEDICON VALLEY
The number of people employed in Medicon Valley was 45 600 in 2019, which is the most recent
year for which statistics are available from Statistics Sweden and Statistics Denmark. The Capital
Region of Denmark is responsible for nearly 75% of the employment in Medicon Valley, and its share
of employment in Danish life science is almost exactly the same size. However, an ongoing review
indicates that the figures of employees in Medicon Valley are higher in actuality.
EMPLOYMENT IN LIFE SCIENCE BY REGION IN DENMARK AND SWEDEN
Rest of Sweden
Oslo
4 600
Stockholm-
Uppsala region
17 400
Stockholm
The number of employees in the life science sector was
44 600 in Denmark in 2019; in Sweden, the corres-
ponding figure was 34 700. The number of employees
in Medicon Valley was 45 600; of these, 40 400 are in
eastern Denmark and 5 200 in Skåne. The figures may
be compared with the two clusters in Sweden: Västra
Götaland, which employs 7 500 people, and Stock-
holm-Uppsala, which employs 17 400.
The figures are based on the most recent sta-
tistics available from Statistics Sweden (SCB) and
Statistics Denmark. Due to a change in method in
SCB’s register-based labour market statistics, the
figures are not comparable with figures from pre-
vious years. The figures may also be seen as a tenta-
tive estimate, as many businesses with some or all
activities in the life sciences are registered with
other sector codes than those used in the statistics.
The figures presented in the ’Beacons’ chapter of
this report and in the Greater Copenhagen Life
Science Analysis Initiative project, GCLSAI, in
which a manual survey of the regions’ companies
is conducted, is thus higher.
Figures from GCLSAI on pages 18-59 show that
the beacons of Medicon Valley employ 43 000 in
the region equivalent to 86% of the total employ-
ment, which is estimated to be 50 000 people. In
the past five years, the 32 beacon companies, which
employ more than 250 people, have employed an
additional 4 000. As far as the distribution of the 32
beacon companies is concerned, 25 are in Zealand
and seven in Skåne. The largest of the companies
is Novo Nordisk, which employs around 16 900
people in Zealand and about 100 people in the
Swedish offices in Malmö.
GCLSAI also studied the number of commu-
ters in Medicon Valley. A report from June of this
year shows that the number of border commuters
who work in life science companies on the other
side of the Øresund has been calculated to at least
900 people, 800 of whom work at life science
companies in Zealand and 100 of whom travel in
the opposite direction.
Gothenburg
Västra
Götaland
7 500
Capital Region
of Denmark
Rest of Denmark
34 100
*
Skåne
5 200
Malmö
4 200
Copenhagen
Region
Zealand
6 300
PHOTO: NEWS ØRESUND
More than 900 border
commuters
The life science sector’s labour force moves back
and forth across the Øresund Region. A total of over
900 border commuters were identified in the region.
At least 800 people commute from Skåne to work
at life science companies in Zealand. At least 100
commuters from Zealand were identified as working
in the life science sector in Skåne. These figures are
the result of extensive contact between Øresundsin-
stituttet and the companies between 2020-2021
in the Greater Copenhagen Life Science Analysis
Initiative. One often hears about highly educated
workers who are active across the Øresund. Novo
Nordisk is the Medicon Valley company with the
largest number of border commuters. 200 people
travel from Sweden across the Øresund to work at
the company in Denmark.
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 the Danish municipalities in
Medicon Valley. Read more about the methods used on pages 83-87, in the Appendix.
SCB’s register-based labour market statistics, RAMS, has changed its method and source, and comparisons with earlier statistics are thus no longer
possible. The number of employees picked up statistically, by sector codes, may be considered a tentative estimate, as many businesses with some or
all of their activities in the life sciences are registered with an incorrect sector code.
45 600 employed in Medicon Valley
Examples of life science com-
panies in Zealand with border
commuters from Sweden
Novo Nordisk A/S
Ferring Pharmaceuticals A/S
LEO Pharma A/S
H. Lundbeck A/S
Number of border
commuters from
Sweden
206
110
66
40-45
Source: Greater Copenhagen Life Science Analysis Initiative
The number of employees in Medicon Valley is 45 600, according to the most recent
available statistics from Statistics Denmark and Statistics Sweden from 2019. 40 400 of
them are in eastern Denmark, and 5 200 are in Skåne. The Capital Region of Denmark
is responsible for nearly 75% of the employment in Medicon Valley. Due to a method
change at SCB, statistics are not fully comparable with previous statistics.
The public statistics probably underestimate the employee numbers. In the project
“Greater Copenhagen Life Science Analysis Initiative”, which is headed by Medicon
Valley Alliance and Øresundsinstituttet, a statistic review of the number of employees
in Medicon Valley’s companies is currently underway, and preliminary results reveal
that there are nearly 50 000 employees. Read more on pages 18-59.
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STATE OF MEDICON VALLEY • November 2021
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PHOTO: LUNDBECK
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FACTS AND FIGURES
FACTS AND FIGURES
MAJOR GROWTH IN TAX REVENUE FROM THE
LIFE SCIENCE SECTOR
The Swedish life science sector contributed 2.3% of the total revenue from income- and corpora-
tion tax in Sweden in 2019, equivalent to 16.3bn SEK. Tax revenue from Sweden’s life science com-
panies increased 12% from 2018 to 2019, and income tax from employees in the life science sector
increased 6%. Danish tax revenue from the life science sector comprises 3.4% of the total revenue
from corporations and income. In 2019, the life science sector contributed 20.9bn DKK to the state
coffers. That is a 41% increase from the previous year.
average annual growth was 15.7% in the period
2010-2019. Income tax from the sector has increa-
sed an average of 1.7% annually.
Significant growth in corporation tax paid
by the Danish life science sector
The Danish life science sector contributed 3.4% of
the total income- and corporation tax paid in Den-
mark in 2019. That is equivalent to 20.9bn DKK.
Employees in the life science sector paid income
tax and labour market contributions worth 10.3bn
DKK in 2019. That is a 10% increase compared with
2018, and seen in the period 2010-2019, it is an
annual growth of 5.9%. In 2019, income tax revenue
was 67% higher than in 2010. The statistical basis*
for corporation tax in Denmark has been adjusted for
this report, and thus the figures cannot be compared
with figures from previous reports. In the past, a
selection was made from multiple sectors, but based
on two specific criteria. For the report in hand, fewer
sectors have been selected, but all companies in those
sectors have been included. Utilising this method,
corporation tax from life science companies rose to
10.6bn DKK in 2019. That is nearly double the figu-
re from the previous year. Seen over a longer period
of time, from 2010-2019, the average annual growth
is 17.6%. Tax revenue from corporation tax can vary
significantly, as large companies’ losses or gains may
impact the total amount of taxable income from the
sector and thus the total corporation tax. Further-
more, a change in sector category for an individual
workplace can have a great impact on the total sum.
This has influenced the figures for 2019.
* Footnote: The population and the calculation method for corporation tax
in the life science sector have been adjusted with respect to the methods
used in previous reports. This is due to a change in Statistics Denmark’s
method of linking financial units to concerns that made it impossible to
recreate figures using the criteria utilised in the past. The population for
the statistics in this report are workplaces in the sectors (DB07): CF, 266,
325 and 464610. The entire period 2008-2019 has been updated with figu-
res for this population. The sectors are thus the same as those used for
the Swedish statistics. It is however important to note that 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.
Higher tax revenue from Swedish life
science companies
In total, life science companies in Sweden contribu-
ted 8.6bn SEK in corporation tax in 2019. In the
past two years, the life science sector paid more in
corporation tax than their companies’ employees
paid in income tax. In the past, tax revenue from
income tax was higher. In 2019, employees in the
Swedish life science industry paid income tax equi-
valent to 7.7bn SEK. This is a 6% increase from
2018. In 2019, the total corporation- and income
tax from the life science sector comprised 2.3% of
the total tax revenue, equivalent to 16.3bn SEK.
On the whole, the corporation tax paid by
Swedish life science companies increased and in
2019, which is the most recent year for which
figures are available, the sector contributed nearly
5% of the total state revenue from corporation
tax. Between 2018 and 2019, tax revenue from life
science companies in Sweden rose 12%. That is
slightly less than the general growth in corporation
tax revenue, which was 13%. It should however be
taken into consideration that the previous year had
seen record growth, as corporation tax from the
life science sector increased 34%. The increase was
greatest among companies with wholesale trade
of medical devices and pharmaceutical goods.
Between 2018 and 2019, tax revenue from the se-
ctor instead decreased 25%. The manufacturing of
pharmaceuticals as well as of radiation equipment
and medical and dental equipment increased.
Seen in a longer perspective, tax revenue, prima-
rily from corporation tax, has increased significant-
ly. The comparison year 2010 was an extraordinarily
poor year for Swedish life science. Corporation tax
revenue was nearly four times higher in 2019. The
THE LIFE SCIENCE SECTOR’S
SHARE OF THE TOTAL INCOME-
AND CORPORATION TAXES
4,0%
3,5%
3,0%
2,5%
2,0%
1,5%
1,0%
0,5%
0,0%
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
Denmark
Sweden
THE LIFE SCIENCE SECTOR’S TOTAL
CONTRIBUTIONS FROM INCOME-
AND CORPORATION TAX IN SWEDEN
(IN BILLIONS OF SEK)
20
16
12
8
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
Source: Statistics Denmark, the Swedish Tax Agency and
Statistics Sweden
TAX CONTRIBUTIONS IN LIFE SCIENCE 2019
Denmark (billion DKK )
Euro (million)
Sweden (billion SEK)
Euro (million)
4
0
Income tax
Corporation tax
Income and corporation tax
10.3
10.6
20.9
1 379
1 420
2 799
7.7
8.6
16.3
729
808
1 537
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
Income tax
Corporation tax
Income tax
Corporation tax
Source: Statistics Denmark, the Swedish Tax Agency and Statistics Sweden
Source: Sveriges Riksbank and Danmarks Nationalbank. Converted to Euros using the average Euro exchange rate for 2019 (10.5892 SEK for 1 Euro
and 7.465978 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 differences in the Appendix on pages 83-87.
12
STATE OF MEDICON VALLEY • November 2021
STATE OF MEDICON VALLEY • November 2021
13
PHOTO: NEWS ØRESUND
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FACTS AND FIGURES
FACTS AND FIGURES
PATENT APPLICATIONS ON THE RISE AGAIN IN
DENMARK AND SWEDEN
Following a slight decline in both Swedish and Danish patent applications to the European Patent
Office, EPO, in the life science field in 2019, the number began to increase again in 2020. 717 Danish
life science patent applications were submitted in 2020 – an 8.5% increase from the previous year –
and the number of Swedish applications was 445, an 19% increase from 2019.
TOP TEN TECHNOLOGICAL FIELDS REPRESENTED IN DANISH AND
SWEDISH PATENT APPLICATIONS FOR THE PERIOD 2010–2020 AND
2020 (IN PARENTHESES)
SWEDEN
Place
Technology field
Number of
applications
Technology field
DENMARK
Number of
applications
1
2
Digital communication
Transport
Telecommunications
Medical technology
Computer technology
Mechanical elements
Measurement
Civil engineering
Machine tools
Other special machines
11 047 (1 275)
3 110 (349)
2 601 (243)
2 518 (251)
2 084 (223)
1 520 (129)
1 487 (161)
1 469 (155)
1 181 (98)
1 143 (113)
Biotechnology
Medical technology
Engines, pumps, turbines
Pharmaceuticals
Civil engineering
Audio-visual technology
Other special machines
Electrical machinery, apparatus, energy
Food chemistry
Measurement
2 786 (224)
2 229 (248)
2 040 (281)
1 619 (245)
1 387 (140)
1 277 (106)
988 (108)
925 (101)
917 (102)
798 (73)
717 Danish patent applications were submitted to
EPO in the life science field last year. That corres-
ponds to an 8.5% increase compared to 2019. That
is the highest level since 2010, the first year for
the statistics accessible today. In 2010, there were
660 Danish patent applications in the life sciences.
Between 2019-2020, the number of applications in
medical technology and pharmaceuticals increased,
while applications in biotechnology decreased.
There were 445 Swedish applications for life
science patents in 2020, which is nearly 19% hig-
her than the previous year and 14.5% lower than
in 2010, when the number of applications was
521. In Sweden as well, the number of patent app-
lications has increased most in medical technology
and pharmaceuticals – 24% and 19%, respectively.
The number of applications in biotechnology has
also increased, although not as much. The number
of applications in the various fields differ in the
two countries however, with 224 applications
in biotechnology and 245 in pharmaceuticals in
Denmark and 93 and 101, respectively in the same
areas in Sweden.
There are Danish and Swedish companies on
3
PHOTO: NOVOZYMES
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
717
…
16
19
Pharmaceuticals
Biotechnology
881 (101)
763 (93)
Danish life science patent applications to the
EPO in 2020. The number of Swedish patent
requests was 445.
Source: EPO. Understanding this table: The first figure denotes the number of patent applications for the entire period of 2010–2020 within the respec-
tive technological fields. The figure for the number of patent applications in 2020 is in parentheses. The year indicates the publication date, which is 18
months after the filing of the national application.
the EPO’s list of last year’s 25 top applicants:
Danish Novozymes came in 3rd place for biotech-
nology with its 68 applications and Novo Nordisk
came in number 15 for pharmaceuticals with 30
applications.
ANOTHER RECORD YEAR FOR SWEDISH AND
DANISH LIFE SCIENCE
Despite the corona crisis and a general decline in exports in both Denmark and Sweden, 2020
was a record year for exports in the life science industry. In 2020, the Danish life science sector
exported for 143bn DKK. The export of Danish pharma- and medtech products has thus continued
to grow. Export value has more than doubled since 2010. The Swedish life science sector also had
a record year, with exports of 124bn SEK – an increase of 66% since 2010.
PHOTO: NOVO NORDISK
NUMBER OF LIFE SCIENCE PATENT
APPLICATIONS TO EPO FROM
SWEDEN AND DENMARK
750
700
650
600
550
500
450
400
350
300
250
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
Denmark
2015
2016
Sweden
2017
2018
2019
2020
Source: EPO
In spite of the corona crisis and the initial uncer-
tainty about how the pandemic would affect the
life science sector and industry overall, the figures
from 2020 show that it was yet another record year
for exports. On the whole, 2020 was the worst
year for Danish exports since the financial crisis,
but the Danish life science industry’s exports were
record-high. Exports were 143bn DKK in 2020.
Compared to 2019, which was also a record year,
STATE OF MEDICON VALLEY • November 2021
the export value in 2020 was 7.7% higher. Ex-
ports have grown substantially since 2010, with an
average annual growth of around 10%, and exports
in 2020 were more than double what they were in
2010. As regards the life science sector’s share of the
total Danish exports, it now makes up 20.4%.
The growth is primarily driven by medical- and
pharmaceutical products, and such products also
comprise the largest part of the life science exports
15
14
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FACTS AND FIGURES
FACTS AND FIGURES
Over 32 million patients around the globe receive medicine
from Novo Nordisk’s manufacturing facilities in Kalundborg,
says Michael Hallgren, Senior Vice President, Novo Nordisk
Manufacturing Kalundborg. in an interview on p. 43.
Millions DKK
– 96% of exports in 2020. The export of medtech
products has risen 9% since 2010, and dropped
1.4% between 2019 and 2020.
Sweden’s exports also declined on the whole
in 2020. However, the Swedish life science sector
exported for 124bn SEK, equivalent to 88bn
DKK, in 2020. That is 10.4% more than in 2019.
Considered over a longer period, development of
Swedish life science exports has been varied. Ex-
ports fell from 2010 to 2013, as they did in 2016
as well, but have increased since 2017. The average
annual growth was 5.2% in the period 2010-2020.
Seen as a share of Sweden’s total exports, the life
science sector’s exports comprise 8.7%.
Growth since 2010 has primarily been driven by
medical- and pharmaceutical products. Together with
medicine, the sector is responsible for 93% of life sci-
ence exports, while medtech products are responsible
for 7%. The export of medtech products has increased
significantly over the past year however – 26%.
Strong position on the global market
Denmark and Sweden are both important expor-
ters of life science products on the global market.
The country that exports the most in terms of eco-
nomic value is Germany, which contributes 14%
of the total global life science exports, followed by
Switzerland and the USA. Denmark is number 11
on the list, and Sweden is number 16. If exports
are adjusted to the countries’ populations however,
Denmark is in fifth place and Sweden tenth, with
exports of 3 731 respective 1 299 USD per capita.
The USA, China and Germany are the three
largest trade partners for both countries.
One-third of the Danish life science sector’s
export value goes to the USA, equivalent to 47bn
DKK. Exports to the USA have increased an aver-
age of 15% annually since 2010. Danish exports
to China have also increased significantly in the
past ten years, equivalent to an average annual
growth of 21% in the period 2010-2020, and the
country is now second on the Danish life science
export list. It is followed by Germany, Japan, and
Sweden.
The USA was also the largest trade partner for
the Swedish life science industry in 2020. The
country receives 18% of Swedish life science ex-
ports, and exports grew an average of 9% per year
between 2010-2020. Exports to China increased
even more in that period, with an average annual
growth of 26%. As with Denmark, the next largest
export markets are Germany and Japan, followed
by Norway.
PHOTO: NEWS ØRESUND
PHOTO: NOVO NORDISK
THE PRINCIPAL EXPORT MARKETS
FOR DANISH LIFE SCIENCE
Exports in millions
(DKK ) 2020
Annual
growth
10-20
USA
China
Germany
47 194
13 112
7 503
6 579
5 169
4 299
3 717
3 064
2 986
2 791
15%
21%
5%
9%
3%
4%
12%
23%
9%
3%
VALUE OF EXPORTS IN LIFE
SCIENCE, IN MILLIONS (DKK)
140 000
120 000
100 000
80 000
Japan
Sweden
France and Monaco
Norway
Czechia
Spain
Finland
Source: Statistics Denmark
THE TOP 20 COUNTRIES WITH THE MOST LIFE SCIENCE EXPORTS PER CAPITA
Denmark is the world’s fifth largest exporter of pharmaceuticals and medtech measured in exports per capita in 2020,
while Sweden holds tenth place on the global list.
Export per
capita, USD
Percentage of
global life
science export
Export per
capita, USD
Percentage of
global life
science export
60 000
40 000
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
Sweden
2017
2018
2019
2020
Denmark
THE PRINCIPAL EXPORT MARKETS
FOR SWEDISH LIFE SCIENCE
Exports in millions
(DKK) 2020
Annual
growth
10-20
Country
Country
Ireland
Switzerland
Belgium
Slovenia
Denmark
Netherlands
Singapore
Austria
Germany
Sweden
15 321
11 232
4 448
3 931
3 731
2 708
2 519
1 604
1 385
1 299
9.2%
11.6%
6.2%
1.0%
2.6%
5.7%
1.7%
1.7%
13.8%
1.6%
Hungary
Malta*
Italy
France
Costa Rica*
United Kingdom
Czechia
Finland
China, Hong Kong
SAR
Israel
815
730
674
629
574
428
406
389
364
341
1.0%
0.0%
4.8%
5.1%
0.4%
3.4%
0.5%
0.3%
0.3%
0.4%
Figures are for medical and pharmaceutical products and medical
instruments, apparatuses etc.
Source: Statistics Denmark and SCB/Statistics Sweden and Riksbanken.
USA
China
15 381
12 503
10 239
5 589
4 579
3 138
4 152
2 499
2 004
2 947
9%
26%
7%
21%
5%
1%
-3%
-8%
-7%
19%
LIFE SCIENCE EXPORTS IN DEN-
MARK AND SWEDEN IN 2020
Millions
DKK
Export
share 2020
Growth
(one
year)
Annual
growth
2010-2020
Germany
Japan
Norway
Australia
France
Great Britain and
Northern Ireland
Belgium
Netherlands
Denmark
Sweden
142 958
88 075
20.4%
8.7%
7.7%
10.4%
9.9%
5.2%
Source: UN Comtrade Database, World Bank and Danmarks Nationalbank.
* Calculated with export figures from 2019; figures for 2020 are not available.
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 with figures in
national currency
STATE OF MEDICON VALLEY • November 2021
Source: SCB/Statistics Sweden and Riksbanken.
* Annual growth is calculated with figures in national currency.
16
STATE OF MEDICON VALLEY • November 2021
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PHOTO: NOVO NORDISK
THE BEACONS OF MEDICON VALLEY
The majority of Medicon Valley’s beacon companies employ more people in the region today
than they did five years ago. Parallel to the positive employment development for indivi-
dual companies and Medicon Valley on the whole, more than half of the largest life science
companies are investing in and expanding their facilities. Novo Nordisk is unquestionably
the largest company in Medicon Valley with its 17 000 employees in the region, but it has
decreased its staff numbers slightly due to optimisation and automization at its plants.
• 32 life science companies with
more than 250 employees in
the region were identified in
Medicon Valley. 25 of them are
in Zealand, and seven of the
same size are located in Skåne.
In total, the beacon companies
employ around 43 000 people
in Medicon Valley, equivalent to
86% of Medicon Valley’s total
employment.
• The majority of the regional
employees in Medicon Valley’s
largest life science companies
work in Zealand. Around
40 500 were identified as wor-
king in a life science compa-
nies with over 250 employees
in Zealand, and 2 500 work in
a beacon company in Skåne.
• Since 2016/2017, around
4 000 new jobs in the region
have been created in the 32
largest life science companies
identified in Medicon Valley – a
positive employment growth
of around 10.3%. Employment
development has been most
positive in Zealand.
THE BEACONS OF MEDICON VALLEY ARE
RESPONSIBLE FOR 86% OF THE TOTAL LIFE
SCIENCE EMPLOYMENT IN THE REGION
The life science sector in Medicon Valley is growing rapidly. Many of the sector’s large companies are
increasing capacity at their manufacturing facilities in the region, whilst others are moving to new,
larger headquarters with room for more employees. Since 2017, the 32 regional beacon companies
identified in Medicon Valley with more than 250 employees in the region have grown by around ca.
4 000 employees. They are thus important for the macroeconomy and employment in the Øresund
Region on the whole, as they employ nearly 43 000 people. This category of large companies is thus
responsible for employing 86% of the total of 50 000 people employed in Medicon Valley’s life science
companies. The region’s six science parks on both shores of the Øresund are also continuing to
expand their facilities to meet small companies’ high demand for lab space. Despite the optimism,
companies are increasingly pointing out the challenge posed by a shortage of skilled labourers.
THE BEACONS OF
MEDICON VALLEY:
Growth and
new investments
Employment is developing positively on the whole
for the 32 beacon companies with more than 250
employees identified in Medicon Valley. Of these,
seven are located in Skåne and 25 in Zealand. To-
gether, the companies employ almost 43 000 people
in Medicon Valley. The vast majority of them are
employed in Zealand, where the employment deve-
lopment is also most notable.
Most of the region’s life science companies in
the large-scale category have seen their employee
numbers rise over the past five years. Around 4 000
STATE OF MEDICON VALLEY • November 2021
new jobs have been created in these companies,
according to figures compiled by Øresundsinsti-
tuttet and from accessible data in e.g. the company
register Bisnode – see more on page 21.
The employment improvements are being seen
in all subsectors. Pharma- and biotech companies
like Xellia Pharmaceuticals, Abacus Medicine and
Genmab, for example, have all experienced substan-
tial growth in employee numbers. The lattermost
of these even hit a milestone with 1 000 employees
around the globe this July; founded in Copenhagen
19
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THE BEACONS OF MEDICON VALLEY
THE BEACONS OF MEDICON VALLEY
A partial mapping of all of
Medicon Valley’ companies
This review of the beacons of Medicon Valley is
based on material produced as part of a survey of
all the life science companies in the region. The
work is being conducted in the Interreg-project
Greater Copenhagen Life Science Analysis Initia-
tive, which is headed by Øresundsinstituttet and
Medicon Valley Alliance. Read more on page 2.
moderate- to significant growth. Two companies –
Sever Pharma Solutions (formerly QPharma) and
Nolato Medical Solutions – have grown by over
100 employees in the past five years.
EMPLOYEE NUMBER RISING IN MEDICON VALLEY’S BEACON COMPANIES
Beacon companies with more than 250 employees in Medicon Valley are employing increasing numbers of people,
and the number of life science companies in that category is also growing. These companies are particularly
important for the economy of the Øresund Region, the growth of the sector, and for competence exchange between
large companies and startups across the region.
More than half of businesses adding on
Not only have many of the Øresund Region’s large
life science companies engaged more employees;
many of the 32 large life science companies expect
that they will have still more employees in the
region in the next few years. At the same time, over
half of the large life science companies are adding
on to their existing facilities or moving to new,
larger headquarters, as e.g. Ferring Pharmaceuticals,
23 years ago, it is now one of the world’s most valu-
which is building new Danish headquarters and an
able biotech companies. Medical device companies
R&D centre, and Genmab, which is constructing
such as Coloplast, Radiometer and Ambu have
new global headquarters. Others are increasing
also seen their staff numbers grow over the past five
their production capacity, e.g. LEO Pharma, Novo
years. Ambu, like Genmab, has more than doubled
Nordisk, Chr. Hansen, AGC Biologics and Bava-
its number of employees in Zealand.
rian Nordic in Zealand. In
Notably in that
Skåne, McNeil, PolyPeptide,
respect, the diabetes
”We don’t see it getting
and Sever Pharma Solutions
concern Novo Nordisk,
easier to recruit skilled
(QPharma) are also making
which is unquestionably
Medicon Valley’s largest
labourers in the future.
new investments in their
respective facilities in the re-
company with its approx-
In that sense, we see it
gion. Numerous companies,
imately 16 900 employ-
ees in Zealand and
increasingly becoming a
including e.g. PolyPeptide in
Malmö, expect the scaling
around 100 employees at
problem.”
up of their facilities to lead
its Swedish country offi-
to more employees. Fujifilm
ces in Malmö, currently
Diosynth Biotechnologies (FDB) is following suit
has around 300 fewer employees in Zealand than it
in Zealand. Last year, the contract research and ma-
had five years ago.
nufacturing organisation FDB in Hillerød announ-
On the Swedish side of Medicon Valley, the
ced that it will go from 800 to 1 100 employees in
seven largest life science companies in Skåne, with
2023 due to a 6bn DKK investment in its Danish
more than 250 employees, have seen neither notable
factory, and earlier this year it announced its first
positive nor negative employment growth overall.
results, which exceeded expectations with a turnover
The stagnation in Skåne’s larger company-category
of 2.7bn DKK.
on the whole may primarily be explained by the
Many of the region’s larger life science compa-
plans for the American international medical device
nies have acquired or merged with other companies
manufacturer Baxter, which acquired the dialysis
recently. This summer, the Malmö-based contract
equipment division of Gambro in 2013, to move its
development and manufacturing organisation
production from Lund to Italy in 2022.
QPharma consolidated with Disphar International
As a result of those plans, rather than employ-
BV, changing their company name to Sever Pharma
ing around 800 people, as it did in 2015, Baxter
Solutions. In October, it was made public that Atos
will have around 150 employees in Lund when the
Medical, which is not included on the list of beacon
move is complete and R&D activities have been
companies, as it currently employs just 200 people
resumed, according to the company. There are
in the region, had acquired the German medtech
currently around 230 working at Baxter in Lund.
concern Tracoe Medical, including its subsidia-
It is important to note that if Baxter’s employee
ries MC Europe in the Netherlands and Kapitex
decline is omitted from the statistics for the past
Healthcare in Great Britain. Another Malmö-com-
five years, employment in Skåne’s largest life scien-
pany to announce an acquisition this autumn was
ce companies has seen positive development, with
20
STATE OF MEDICON VALLEY • November 2021
32 BEACONS IN MEDICON VALLEY
32 beacon companies with over 250 employees in
Medicon Valley were identified. 25 are in Zealand,
and 7 were identified in Skåne.
25
7
NOVO NORDISK IS BIGGEST.
The largest beacon com-
pany in Medicon Valley is the global diabetes concern Novo
Nordisk, which employs around 16 900 people in Zealand
and about 100 people in the Swedish offices in Malmö.
The largest life science companies on the Danish side
include Novo Nordisk, Novozymes and LEO Pharma. On the
Swedish side, the largest life science companies are McNeil,
Nolato Medical Solutions, PolyPeptide Laboratories and
Sever Pharma Solutions (QPharma).
43 000
THE REGION’S BEACON COMPANIES EMPLOY:
Together, the regional beacon companies employ
around 43 000 people in Medicon Valley, around 40 500
of whom are in Zealand and 2 500 in Skåne. Five years
ago, the region’s beacon companies employed a total
of around 39 000 people. Approximately 4 000 new jobs
have thus been added in these companies, according to
figures compiled by Øresundsinstituttet and from data
accessible via Bisnode, annual reports, etc.
86% of total employment
The 32 beacon companies identified are responsible for
around 86% of the total employment of around 50 000
employees in Medicon Valley
*
.
Remaining
companies
14%
FIVE YEARS, 4 000 MORE EMPLOYEES
Employment development in the beacon companies
Number of employees in Medicon Valley
50 000
45 000
40 000
35 000
30 000
25 000
20 000
15 000
10 000
5 000
0
Beacon companies’ part
of the total employment in
Medicon Valley
Beacons
86%
*
Figures for the total number of employees here are from the survey in Greater
Copenhagen Life Science Analysis Initiative, and they are higher than those based
on sector codes from SCB and Statistics Denmark that appear on pages 10-11.
In Zealand, companies such as e.g. Zealand Pharma, Klifo,
and Ferrosan Medical Devices are approaching the ’large
company’ category, just as Arjo, Atos Medical and Rechon Life
Science do in Skåne. Each employs around 200 to 240 people.
2016/2017
2020/2021
Source: Information was primarily retrieved from the companies, their websites, and their annual reports, as well as from the company register Bisnode and
news sources. The number of employees is rounded off. Please note that these figures may have changed since they were reported, and that some companies
were only able to supply figures from 2018 and 2019. The definition of ‘beacon’ and thus a ‘large’ company is based on the EU’s defining framework for mi-
cro-companies (0-9 employees), small companies (10-49 companies), medium-sized companies (50-249 employees) and large companies (> 250 employees).
PHOTO: NEWS ØRESUND
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THE BEACONS OF MEDICON VALLEY
THE BEACONS OF MEDICON VALLEY
as H Lundbeck, LEO Pharma and Demant, also
the medtech company with a focus on oral health,
warn that the shortage of skilled labourers is starting
TePe, which acquired Proxident. Novo Nordisk and
to become a greater challenge. Engineers, research
Lundbeck in Zealand have also acquired American
specialists and people with advanced IT- and digital
biotech companies for multi-billion sums.
expertise that can be used in
It thus appears that
pharmaceutical development
the positive employment
”At least 900 border
are some of the profiles in
development in the
commuters were iden-
shortage.
region’s large life science
– We don’t see it getting
companies will continue
tified as part of the Da-
easier to recruit skilled la-
over the next few years,
nish-Swedish life science
bourers in the future. In that
also considering that the
sense, we see it increasingly
investment climate in
cluster.”
becoming a problem, says
the Øresund Region is
Elise Hauge, Executive Vice President for People
advancing according to a various people active in
and Communication at H Lundbeck. She speaks
the sector interviewed for the report ‘Life Science
about the challenge in more detail on page 50-52.
Across the Øresund’ in June 2021, published by
Parallel to the acute shortage of labourers
Øresundsinstituttet.
around the sector, admissions to higher education
Among other things, that is because the ecosys-
programmes in Science, Technology, Engineering
tem has matured, boards and management teams
and Mathematics (STEM) in Denmark fell 5%
have become more international, and many life
from 2020. Compared to 2019 however, 2021
science investors and private equity companies from
admissions are 4% higher, and according to the
abroad have gotten a taste for investing in the sector
Ministry of Higher Education and Science, the
and in the innovation at hospitals, universities,
admissions number has been rising since 2017.
science parks and companies in Medicon Valley.
Nonetheless, the Confederation of Danish Indu-
stry and the Danish Chamber of Commerce have
Employee shortage a growing problem
expressed concern about this year’s development.
While the life science sector’s many investments,
Speaking to Børsen earlier this year, the latter esti-
expansions and rising employee numbers are
mated that there is a shortage of a total of
positive, many of the region’s large companies, such
1 000 employees in the sector on the Danish side
of the Øresund.
The consequences of a labour shortage inclu-
de medicines taking a longer time to reach the
market, which in turn risks decreasing production,
lower turnover, and less growth, according to the
Confederation of Danish Employers and others.
For that reason, many of Medicon Valley’s larger life
science companies, such as Novo Nordisk, Ferring
Pharmaceuticals and Lundbeck, recruit skilled la-
bourers from abroad and from across the Øresund,
frequently for specialist positions.
In the report ‘Life Science Across the Øresund’,
published by Øresundsinstituttet in June 2021, at
least 900 border commuters were identified as part
of the Danish-Swedish life science cluster. At least
800 commute from Skåne to work at life science
companies in Zealand, and at least 100 commute
from Zealand to work at life science companies
in Skåne. Although many of the larger companies
in Medicon Valley choose to recruit from abroad,
many find that engaging employees from abroad
entails a great deal of bureaucracy with authorities
and results in excessively long processing times.
22
STATE OF MEDICON VALLEY • November 2021
3
Hillerød
Kalundborg
5
NOVO NORDISK
FACILITIES IN
MEDICON VALLEY
Location (number of employees)
1. Bagsværd (4 800)
2. Gentofte (1 350)
3. Hillerød (2 500)
4. Ørestad (100)
5. Kalundborg (3 200)
6. Måløv (2 900)
7. Pharmatech Køge (200)
8. Søborg (2 000)
9. Værløse (100)
10. Malmö (100)
Elsinore Helsingborg
Roskilde
7
Køge
Bagsværd
2
1
8
Copenhagen
4
6
10
9
Lund
Malmö
HQ
Production
R&D
Office
PHOTO: NOVOZYMES
Source: Novo Nordisk. The number of employees is rounded off. Please note that these figures may have changed since they were reported.
NOVO NORDISK IS MEDICON VALLEY’S LARGEST COMPANY
Novo Nordisk is Denmark’s largest pharma-
ceutical company and the most valuable com-
pany in Scandinavia. With its hundred years of
history, the diabetes concern is indisputably
Medicon Valley’s largest life science company,
with around 16 900 employees in Zealand and
about 17 000 employees in total in the Medicon
Valley-cluster, if the Swedish country offices
are included.
The company’s largest production facility
worldwide is in Kalundborg in northwest Zea-
land. The plant is also the largest life science
plan in Medicon Valley with its 3 200 employ-
ees, and over 32 million patients around the
world receive medicine linked to the facility in
Kalundborg. Since the start of the new millen-
nium, the company has kept up investments in
production facilities in various locations in Zea-
land. The current global headquarters, north of
Copenhagen in Bagsværd, were established in
2014, but the company’s presence in Bagsværd
goes back to the 1950s. The company’s roots
are in Copenhagen in the 1920s, however. In
addition to being Medicon Valley’s largest life
science company today, Novo Nordisk is also
the life science company with the most border
commuters in Medicon Valley. Around 200
employees live in Sweden/Skåne and commute
to Novo Nordisk’s various location in Zealand,
and there are Danes working at the company’s
Malmö offices.
STATE OF MEDICON VALLEY • November 2021
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THE BEACONS OF MEDICON VALLEY
THE BEACONS OF MEDICON VALLEY
BEACON COMPANIES’
FACILITIES IN
MEDICON VALLEY
ZEALAND
1. Novo Nordisk A/S
2. Novozymes A/S
3. LEO Pharma A/S
4. Demant A/S (Oticon)
5. Chr. Hansen Holding A/S
6. H. Lundbeck A/S
7. Coloplast A/S
8. Radiometer Medical ApS
9. Widex A/S (WS Audiology A/S)
10. GN Hearing A/S
11. Fujifilm Diosynth Biotechnologies
Holdings Denmark ApS
12. ALK-Abelló A/S
13. William Cook Europe ApS (Cook Medical)
14. Xellia Pharmaceuticals ApS
15. Agilent Technologies Denmark ApS
16. AGC Biologics A/S
17. AJ Vaccines A/S
18. Ferring Pharmaceuticals A/S
19. Nomeco A/S
20. ConvaTec (Unomedical)
21. Bavarian Nordic A/S
22. Ambu A/S
23. Genmab A/S
24. Roche Danmark
25. Abacus Medicine A/S)
HQ
Production
R&D
Office
27
Warehouse
Lager
Ängelholm
31
26
Elsinore
21 7
6
11
1
7
Helsingborg
Hillerød
12
5 21
24
10 9
26
1
4
1
Kalundborg
SKÅNE
26. McNeil AB
27. Nolato AB (Medical Solutions)
28. Sever Pharma Solutions (QPharma AB)
29. PolyPeptide Laboratories AB (Sweden)
30. TePe Munhygienprodukter AB
31. HemoCue AB
32. Baxter Medical AB (Gambro Lundia AB)
Source: The companies were identified using customised
data from Statistics Denmark (DST) and Statistics Sweden
(SCB). Information regarding functions at the companies’
facilities was gathered via the companies’ responses to
Øresundinstituttet’s database survey and from information
on the companies’ websites.
1
5 2
Roskilde
5
20
22
10
4
20 3
32
15
19
2
1
32
8
2
1
16
20
1
21
2 26
25 3
14
6
17 18
19 23
1
18 6
1 28
29
3
30
Hö
27
rby
32
27
Lund
Copenhagen
24 5
20
Malmö
19
19 1
Ringsted
13
Køge
24
STATE OF MEDICON VALLEY • November 2021
STATE OF MEDICON VALLEY • November 2021
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PHOTO: NEWS ØRESUND
A new name for one of Malmö’s
largest life science companies
In the summer of 2021, Malmö-based
CDMO QPharma merged with Disphar
International BV and changed its name
to Sever Pharma Solutions. The head-
quarters are still in Malmö, and at the
end of the year, the company will decide
whether to expand its plant in Malmö by
300 employees.
Beacons seek acquisitions
abroad
Several of the region’s largest life sci-
ence companies made acquisitions in
2020 and 2021, ranging from entire life
science businesses to intellectual rights
worth millions or billions. Among them
were Novo Nordisk, LEO Pharma, Lund-
beck and Abacus Medicine in Zealand
and TePe and Nolato in Skåne.
PHOTO: NEWS ØRESUND
NEW DOMICILES MAKE ROOM FOR MORE
EMPLOYEES.
In 2021, Abacus Medicine moved into
its new headquarters in Copenhagen; with more
than 5000m2, the company can grow from around
250 to about 300 employees in Denmark. In early
2022, Ferring Pharmaceuticals will move to Sound-
port in Kastrup, which will be the company’s new
Danish headquarters and Ferring Group’s largest
R&D centre, with enough space for 750 employees.
The company employed around 600 at its former
base in Ørestad. Biotech company Genmab will lea-
se newly built headquarters in Valby, Copenhagen,
from 2023, where there will be room enough for
around 700 employees. Read more on pages 53-54.
million – That’s how much the investment
company Nordic Capital, whose largest
offices are in Stockholm, invested in
Denmark’s oldest pharma company LEO
Pharma in 2021. After 35 years, the LEO
Foundation is no longer the sole owner
of LEO Pharma; Nordic Capital has an
owner’s share of around one-fifth of the
company. The company’s heads – which
include the new board chair Jesper
Brandgaard from Novo Nordisk – plan to
list the pharmaceutical company in four
or five years. Read more on pages 47-49.
THE LARGEST COMPANIES ARE SCALING UP THEIR
MANUFACTURING FACILITIES.
Both in Skåne and
in Zealand, the largest life science companies are
upping their production capacity. This includes
PolyPeptide and Sever Pharma Solutions (QPhar-
ma) in Malmö and Chr. Hansen and Novo Nordisk in
Kalundborg, AGC Biologics in Søborg, LEO Pharma
in Ballerup and Bavarian Nordic in Hørsholm.
New chair of the board at
Ferring
In July 2021, Lars Rebien Sørensen was
appointed new board chair at Ferring
Pharmaceuticals, which has its origins
in Malmö and is currently completing
a large new R&D centre and Danish
headquarters near Copenhagen Airport
in Kastrup. Lars Rebien Sørensen is also
chair of the board of the Novo Nordisk
Foundation and Novo Holdings, and was
CEO of Novo Nordisk from 2000 to 2016.
The change means that Frederik Paul-
sen, who became board chair of Ferring
Pharmaceuticals in 1988 and is the son
of the founder Dr Frederik Paulsen, will
instead become honorary chairman.
PHOTO: BAVARIAN NORDIC
PHOTO: NEWS ØRESUND
18
12
bn DKK is about how much Fujifilm
Diosynth Biotechnologies (FDB), a
subsidiary of the Japanese Fujifilm cong-
lomerate, has put into the purchase and
expansion of Biogen’s plant in Hillerød,
Zealand. The contract manufacturer will
employ around 1 100 people in Zealand
in about two years. The turnover in their
first 2020/2021 annual report exceeded
the company’s expectations at 2.7bn DKK.
bn DKK is how much Novo Nordisk has in-
vested in its facility in Kalundborg since the
turn of the millennium. With 3 200 employ-
ees, it is Medicon Valley’s largest plant. Due
to optimisation and automatization however,
the number of employees in Kalundborg has
decreased by around 300 over the past five
years. Read more on page 44-46.
PHOTO: NEWS ØRESUND
900
There are at least 900 border commuters in
the Øresund Region’s life science companies,
according to the report Life Science Across
the Øresund. Novo Nordisk, Ferring Pharma-
ceuticals and LEO Pharma employ the largest
number of border commuters.
STOCKHOLM-UPPSALA WANTS TO BE
ONE OF THE WORLD’S FIVE LEADING LIFE
SCIENCE REGIONS BY 2025.
The goal was
set by Region Stockholm in a new report that
also states that around 21 000 people are
employed in 1 500 life science companies.
More employees in globally
leading hearing aid cluster
There is a globally leading cluster
of hearing aid manufacturers in the
Copenhagen area, employing around
3 800 in Zealand: Demant, WS Audiology
and GN Hearing. The companies employ
around 900 more people total today
than five years ago.
800
mn DKK is how much Bavari-
an Nordic received in national
funds this August to complete
development of a SARS-CoV-2
vaccine. Some of the produc-
tion will be in Zealand.
PHOTO: NEWS ØRESUND
€450
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THE BEACONS OF MEDICON VALLEY
THE BEACONS OF MEDICON VALLEY
There are 32 regional beacon companies in the Danish-Swedish Medicon Valley – life science compa-
nies with more than 250 employees in eastern Denmark and Skåne. The largest of them are owned
primarily by Danish industrial foundations. The Danish ownership structure means that the ow-
nership majority of the foundation-owned companies remains within the country. Rules for industrial
foundations entail that they must distribute a certain share of profits from company ownership to e.g.
university research. Numerous foundations also invest in new companies in the life sciences. The
Novo Nordisk Foundation has even constructed the independent foundation BioInnovation Institute,
the task of which is to contribute, as an incubator and an accelerator, to the creation of more new life
science companies from university research.
PHOTO: NEWS ØRESUND
DANISH FOUNDATIONS PRIMARY OWNERS OF
MEDICON VALLEY’S BIGGEST BEACONS
The Foundation also supports international research
with focus on medical dermatology. Until late
spring/early summer 2021, LEO Pharma was whol-
ly owned by the LEO Foundation. In July 2021,
Nordic Capital became a minority shareholder of
LEO Pharma when it invested 450mn Euro in the
company.
Other industrial foundations that are major share-
holders of life science companies in Medicon Valley:
LEO FOUNDATION
is the majority sharehol-
der of
Demant A/S
and
William Demant Invest
A/S.
WILLIAM DEMANT FONDEN
DR FREDERIK PAULSEN FOUNDATION
owns
The three largest independent Danish foundations
with corporate interests in the life sciences are:
•
•
•
PHOTO: NEWS ØRESUND
NOVO NORDISK FOUNDATION
LUNDBECK FOUNDATION
LEO FOUNDATION
PHOTO: NEWS ØRESUND
THE NOVO NORDISK FOUNDATION
The history of the Novo Nordisk Foundation dates
back to 1923. It is an industrial foundation whose
objective is to act as majority shareholder in the
publicly traded
Novo Nordisk
and
Novozymes
(read more about the companies on pages 30-31),
as well as to support scientific, humanitarian, and
social causes. The Foundation also invests in life
science companies.
The Novo Nordisk Foundation assumed its
current, independent form in two steps. First, in
1989, Novo Foundation and Nordisk Insulinla-
boratorium merged to become the Novo Nordisk
Foundation, and the two foundations’ companies
merged to become Novo Nordisk. In a second
step in 1999/2000, the foundation split from the
company’s corporate activities, and the company
was separated into a life science company, which re-
28
PHOTO: NEWS ØRESUND
SIX SCIENCE PARKS IN MEDICON VALLEY
NINE UNIVERSITIES WITH A LIFE SCIENCE FOCUS
THE LUNDBECK FOUNDATION
An industrial foundation whose objective is to
maintain and expand the activities of
H Lundbeck
(read more about the company on pages 50-52),
and to provide funding for scientific research. The
Foundation, established in 1954, is the largest sha-
reholder in the publicly traded companies H Lund-
beck and
ALK-Abelló,
as well as in
Falck A/S.
The
Foundation also invests in life science companies.
STATE OF MEDICON VALLEY • November 2021
Beacon companies of the future have opportu-
nities to develop at Medicon Valley’s six thriving
science parks. On the Danish side of the strait is
Copenhagen Bio Science Park, COBIS,
which
houses both life science startups, the BioInn-
ovation Institute and the European Spallation
Source’s data centre DMSC. COBIS is owned by
Symbion, another flourishing community/open
workspace. On the outskirts of Copenhagen is
DTU Science Park.
On the Swedish side of the
Øresund are
Ideon Science Park
and
Medicon
Village,
with the incubator SmiLe, in Lund;
Medeon Science Park
in Malmö, and
Krinova
Science Park in Kristianstad.
STATE OF MEDICON VALLEY • November 2021
Medicon Valley’s / Greater Copenhagen’s academic
spectrum in the life sciences is broad, with nine
learning institutions conducting research in the field.
Life science research is also conducted at numerous
research institutions and on behalf of the regions.
Globally leading diabetes research and neuroscientific
research take place at the
University of Copenha-
gen,
as well as at
Lund University.
The learning
institutions also have other strong life science
research, for example on metabolic diseases and plant
biology. In addition,
DTU, Technical University of
Denmark
and
Malmö University
are both highly
advanced in areas such as bioengineering and biolo-
gical surfaces. Read more on pages 66-67.
29
PHOTO: NEWS ØRESUND
tained the name Novo Nordisk, and a company for
the enzyme business, which was dubbed Novozy-
mes. Both companies are listed, and the foundation
is their majority shareholder.
Novo Holdings is the Foundation’s wholly owned
subsidiary. It manages the Foundation’s endowment
and its controlling interests in the publicly traded
companies Novo Nordisk and Novozymes. Via the
platforms Seeds, Ventures, Growth and Principal In-
vestments, investments are made in external biotech
companies at various stages of development. Novo
Holdings has investments in the life sciences around
the globe totalling around 10.4bn Euro, including
investments in the Danish companies
Chr. Hansen,
Sonion
and
Xellia Pharmaceuticals.
LEO Foundation was established in 1984 to secure
the future of
LEO Pharma
(read more about the
company on pages 47-49) as an independent,
research-based Danish pharmaceutical company.
Ferring
Pharmaceuticals,
which was started in Sweden
and now has a major R&D facility, Soundport, in
Kastrup and headquarters in Switzerland.
Conditions are favourable for the emergence of new life science companies in Medicon Valley that
may grow to become beacon companies, thanks to the good R&D environment with nine universities
and six thriving science parks on both sides of the Øresund.
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THE BEACONS OF MEDICON VALLEY
THE BEACONS OF MEDICON VALLEY
Employees in Medicon Valley 2020/2021 (2017):
2 600 (2 600)
Employees globally:
around 6 200
Publicly traded:
Yes – Nasdaq Copenhagen (Main
Market) since 2000
PHOTO: NEWS ØRESUND
PHOTO: NOVOZYMES
32 BEACONS IN MEDICON VALLEY
According the EU’s classification, companies with more than 250 employees are considered ‘large’
companies. Based on that definition, Øresundsinstituttet identified 32 life science companies in Medi-
con Valley as regional beacons with over 250 employees in the region. The companies in this category
are important for the economy of the Øresund Region, as they employ around 43 000 of the approx.
50 000 people who work in the life science industry in Medicon Valley. The beacons are described here
in descending size order.
NOVOZYMES A/S
COMPANY OVERVIEW
ZEALAND
PHOTO: NOVO NORDISK
NOVO NORDISK A/S
Novo Nordisk is a Danish company and Denmark’s
largest pharmaceutical company, and its history
goes back about one hundred years, to the founding
of Nordisk Insulinlaboratorium in 1923 and Novo
Terapeutisk Laboratorium in 1925. The two compa-
nies merged in 1989 to become Novo Nordisk, which
is now a globally leading insulin manufacturer
with a growing staff of around 45 300 people. The
company also makes drugs for obesity, haemop-
hilia, and growth disorders, but around 80% of its
turnover is from diabetes-related products. Novo
Nordisk is Scandinavia’s most valuable company,
and it is among the top-ten largest pharmaceutical
companies in the world in terms of market value.
In 2020, Novo Nordisk beat stock market records
with a market value of over 1000bn DKK. Recent
years’ growth and optimism have been borne by e.g.
the company’s so-called GLP-1-drugs, which are
based on the molecule semaglutide. Another GLP-
1-drug was added to the product series in 2019,
with a new diabetes drug which enables patients to
take a tablet rather than an injection. In terms of
sales, the diabetes tablet got off to a good start. The
optimism surrounding Novo Nordisk is also due to
the American Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
approval of the semaglutide for treating obesity in
2021, and that the semaglutide-molecule might very
well have a preventative effect against Alzheimer’s.
Novo Nordisk has thus began to venture into new
disease areas in recent years – including cardiac
diseases – this was emphasised by the company’s
2020 acquisition of the American biotech company
Corvidia Therapeutics for 4.8bn DKK. In Medicon
Valley, Novo Nordisk continues to make massive
investments in manufacturing facilities in Zealand,
such as the factories in Måløv and Kalundborg, to
meet the future demand for e.g. the new diabetes
tablet. However, the company has dismissed around
300 employees in Zealand over the past five years,
whilst the number of employees has increased at
the Swedish country office in Malmö, which employs
around 100 people today. In terms of ownership,
Novo Nordisk’s A-shares are fully controlled by
Novo Holdings, which manages the Novo Nordisk
Foundation’s activities, and the company’s B-shares
are listed in Copenhagen and New York.
Global company turnover:
127bn DKK (2020)
Subsector:
Pharma
Headquarters:
Bagsværd
Facilities in Medicon Valley:
12 – headquarters,
production, and R&D in Bagsværd, production and/
or R&D in Kalundborg, Gentofte, Hillerød, Måløv,
Køge, Søborg, Værløse, and offices in Ørestad and
Malmö
Employees in Medicon Valley 2020/2021 (2017):
17 000 (17 300)
Employees globally:
around 45 300
Publicly traded: Yes/No. If yes, where?
Yes – Nas-
daq Copenhagen (Main Market) since 1974 and New
York Stock Exchange
The Danish company Novozymes was founded in
2000 as a demerger from Novo Nordisk. Novozy-
mes is a publicly traded biotechnology company
and a globally leading manufacturer of industrial
enzymes used in e.g. detergents, as well as a
major producer of microorganisms. The enzyme
business, which was separated from Novo Nordisk
over twenty years ago, had already started back in
the 1960s. Novozymes has grown since then, and
today it employs around 6 200 people around the
globe and is one of around 80 life science compa-
nies in the Øresund Region to be part of a growing
microbiome cluster, along with e.g. Chr. Hansen
and Ferring Pharmaceuticals. Novozymes’ strategic
focus on microbiome research and the field of user
health were emphasised further in 2020, when the
company acquired the American Microbiome Labs
for 780mn DKK, as well as the Irish PrecisionBiotics
for 600mn DKK, to strengthen its position in the pro-
biotics market. A new, 30 000m2 innovation campus
was inaugurated in Kgs Lyngby in 2019, close to
DTU Science Park, to which around 800 employees
are associated. Despite green solutions and top
placements on patent application lists, Novozymes’
turnover and employee numbers in Denmark and
worldwide have been stagnant over the past five
years. It was thus notable that Novozymes’ new CEO
– the Spanish Ester Baiget – was brought in from
beyond the company’s ranks, as the company’s key
employees have traditionally had a long career at
Novozymes or Novo Nordisk. Novozymes is listed,
like Novo Nordisk, which is controlled by Novo
Holdings, which manages the activities of the Novo
Nordisk Foundation.
Global company turnover:
14bn DKK (2020)
Subsector:
Biotech
Headquarters:
Bagsværd
Facilities in Medicon Valley:
4 – headquarters, R&D,
and production in Bagsværd, R&D in Kgs Lyngby
and production in Copenhagen and Kalundborg
LEO PHARMA A/S
The Danish company LEO Pharma is Denmark’s
oldest pharmaceutical company, founded in 1908.
Just a few years after it was founded, LEO Phar-
ma expanded with its first subsidiary, AB LEO in
Helsingborg. Today, the company is a leader in
dermatology, with products for skin disorders such
as psoriasis and acne, and its atopic dermatitis
treatment Tralokinumab is currently on its way to
the European market following important approval
by the European Medicines Agency/CHMP in 2021.
Earlier this year however, the American Food and
Drug Administration requested additional data on the
dermatitis treatment, which is a major investment
for LEO Pharma and has the potential to become a
blockbuster drug with annual sales of over 1bn USD.
The company is changing in various ways, both in
terms of research and design; in recent years, LEO
Pharma has put more strategic focus on biopharma-
ceuticals than on over-the-counter products such as
salves and creams. As a result, there have been e.g.
more acquisitions, a large-scale collaboration with
British-Swedish AstraZeneca, but also the sell-off
of ten pharmaceutical products to Swedish Karo
Pharma for 90mn Euro. Research efforts have also
become more collaborative, with an open innovation
platform being established for use by regional and
global industry players as well as university students.
LEO Pharma is also changing in terms of ownership;
in 2021, the LEO Foundation decided to bring its 35
years as the pharmaceutical company’s only owner
to an end, entering an agreement with the Nordic
Capital that makes the private equity company a
minority owner. Nordic Capital invested 450mn Euro
in the company; this will be used to implement the
goals set in LEO Pharma’s 2030-strategy, which will
eliminate around 650 jobs in the coming years. At the
30
STATE OF MEDICON VALLEY • November 2021
STATE OF MEDICON VALLEY • November 2021
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THE BEACONS OF MEDICON VALLEY
same time, 400 new jobs will be created to further
adapt the company’s product portfolio and pipeline.
LEO Pharma employs around 6 000 people worldwi-
de. LEO Pharma is currently building a new factory
near its headquarters in Zealand for 1.5bn DKK. In
2021, the former financial director of Novo Nordisk
Jesper Brandgaard became the new chairperson of
the board at LEO Pharma; according to him, stock
market listing could possibly benefit LEO Pharma in
four to five years.
Global company turnover:
10.1bn DKK (2020)
Subsector:
Pharma
Headquarters:
Ballerup
Facilities in Medicon Valley:
3 – headquarters and
production in Ballerup, R&D in Copenhagen and
offices in Malmö
Employees in Medicon Valley 2020/2021 (2017):
2 400 (2 100)
Employees globally:
around 6 000
Publicly traded:
No
PHOTO: NEWS ØRESUND
THE BEACONS OF MEDICON VALLEY
was called Oticon Foundation until 2019.
Global company turnover:
14.5bn DKK (2020)
Subsector:
Hearing aids
Headquarters:
Smørum
Facilities in Medicon Valley:
5 – headquarters and
R&D in Smørum, R&D and production in Ballerup
and hearing clinics in Nærum, Slagelse and Snek-
kersten
Employees in Medicon Valley 2020/2021 (2017):
1 800 (1 500)
Employees globally:
around 16 500
Publicly traded:
Yes – Nasdaq Copenhagen (Main
Market) since 1996
PHOTO: NEWS ØRESUND
PHOTO: LUNDBECK
of shares, Novo Holdings –which also owns Novo
Nordisk and Novozymes – holds the largest share in
the enzyme and ingredients company.
Global company turnover:
1.1bn EUR (2020/2021)
Subsector:
Biotech
Headquarters:
Hørsholm
Facilities in Medicon Valley:
4 – headquarters in
Hørsholm, production in Avedøre, Kalundborg and
Roskilde
Employees in Medicon Valley 2020/2021 (2017):
1 800 (1 500)
Employees globally:
around 3 700
Publicly traded:
Yes – Nasdaq Copenhagen (Main
Market) since 2010
Global company turnover:
17.7bn DKK (2020)
Subsector:
Pharma
Headquarters:
Valby
Facilities in Medicon Valley:
3 – headquarters, R&D
and production in Valby, production in Lumsås and
offices in Malmö
Employees in Medicon Valley 2020/2021 (2017):
1 600 (1 700)
Employees globally:
around 5 700
Publicly traded:
Yes – Nasdaq Copenhagen (Main
Market) since 1999
PHOTO: COLOPLAST
CHR. HANSEN HOLDING A/S
DEMANT A/S
Demant is a Danish company and a globally-leading
hearing healthcare concern with a history that goes
back over a hundred years. The company has five
areas of business: in addition to developing and
manufacturing hearing aids, it also works with diag-
nostic equipment, hearing implants and headsets.
The company also heads a global network with more
than 2 500 clinics. A hacking attack in 2019 and the
coronavirus pandemic in 2020 hit Demant hard, but
the company, which has around 16 500 employees
worldwide, has since restored its growth and gained
additional market shares in the USA. In Medicon
Valley, the number of employees at the company’s
headquarters has increased robustly over the past
five years, but like others in the sector, the company
has faced challenges due to a shortage of qualified
labourers in e.g. software development. The majority
shareholder of Demant is the William Demant Foun-
dation, which was established in 1957 by the founder
Hans Demant’s son, William Demant. The foundation
Chr. Hansen is a Danish bioscience company with
3 700 employees worldwide and two areas of com-
mercial activity, in food cultures and enzymes and
health and nutrition. The products target multiple
markets, e.g. in the food industry, agriculture, the
biotech industry and the pharmaceutical industry,
and the company has operations globally and
two production facilities in Zealand. In 2020, Chr.
Hansen took over a factory in Kalundborg, where
Novo Nordisk also has large production facilities. In
the years to come, the bioscience plans to recru-
it several hundred new employees to the facility
and invest around 200mn Euro in preparing the
Kalundborg site for the production of human milk
oligosaccharides (HMOs). In addition, the company
is one of around 80 other companies in Medicon
Valley in a growing cluster of microbiome compa-
nies that conduct research on the micro-organisms
in the body and in nature. Novozymes is also in the
cluster. In 2019, the company put 45mn Euro into a
collaboration with the Swiss life science company
Lonza, aimed at strengthening Chr. Hansen’s posi-
tion in the field of microbiomes and creating new
bacteria-based drugs. The collaboration will bring
more employees to the company, as well as new
production facilities in Denmark, and lead to growth
in the health and nutrition division. With around 22%
STATE OF MEDICON VALLEY • November 2021
H. LUNDBECK A/S
The Danish company Lundbeck is one of Denmark’s
oldest pharmaceutical companies and specialises in
pharmaceuticals targeting brain diseases. Lundbeck
has 5 700 employees around the globe, and since 2019
the company has been implementing a large-sca-
le strategic restructuring of its R&D activities with
greater focus on manufacturing biopharmaceuticals.
As a result, a total of 150 employees were dismissed
in Denmark and around the globe in 2020, but just
as many new professionals were engaged, and there
were acquisitions worth billions of two American bio-
tech companies to strengthen the company’s pipeline
and the influx of new competences to the company.
Investments in R&D also increased, and in the next
two or three years, they will amount to around 20% of
turnover. This is to ensure e.g. the development of new
migraine drugs. In terms of the number of employ-
ees around the globe and in Denmark, Lundbeck has
seen robust growth as an organisation since the large
cutbacks and elimination of jobs in 2015 under former
CEO Kåre Schultz. In addition to the headquarters in
Valby, Copenhagen, Lundbeck’s facilities in Medicon
Valley include a factory in Zealand and a sales office
in Malmö. The Lundbeck Foundation is behind the
company and owns 70% of its shares; the remaining
shares are publicly traded.
STATE OF MEDICON VALLEY • November 2021
COLOPLAST A/S
Coloplast is a Danish company and the largest med-
tech company in Zealand, followed by Radiometer
and Ambu. The company develops and manufactu-
res medical devices and services for intimate hy-
giene. Coloplast is a global leader in the stoma- and
continence markets, with smaller market shares
in urology and skin- and wound care. Coloplast’s
number of employees has grown in Medicon Valley
and worldwide over the past five years, and the
company has undertaken a number of company ac-
quisitions in the USA in order to increase its market
shares, e.g. for stoma. In 2021, Coloplast signed
an important agreement regarding stoma products
with Vizient, the USA’s largest purchasing organi-
sation, and the following year, the company entered
another significant agreement with the American
purchaser Premier. Around 12 500 people around
the world are employed in the medtech company.
Global company turnover:
18.5bn DKK (2019/2020)
Subsector:
Medtech
Headquarters:
Humlebæk
Facilities in Medicon Valley:
2 – headquarters, R&D,
and production in Humlebæk and production in
Mørdrup
Employees in Medicon Valley 2020/2021 (2017):
1 300 (1 200)
Employees globally:
around 12 500
Publicly traded:
Yes – Nasdaq Copenhagen (Main
Market) since 1983
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THE BEACONS OF MEDICON VALLEY
reduced its shareholding in WS Audiology to 49% in
2021. The private equity company confirmed in 2021
however that it currently has no plans to exit but con-
tinues to be a long-term shareholder in the hearing
aid company, which employs around 11 000 people
worldwide. The majority share is held by the Danish
families Tøpholm and Westermann. WS Audiology had
to dismiss employees in Denmark and abroad due to
the coronavirus pandemic, but has slightly increased
the number of employees in Denmark in recent years
and saw turnover increase in 2021.
Global company turnover:
1.7bn EUR (2019/2020)
Subsector:
Hearing aids
Headquarters:
Lynge
Facilities in Medicon Valley:
1 – headquarters, R&D,
and production in Lynge
Employees in Medicon Valley 2020/2021 (2017):
1 000 (800)
Employees globally:
around 11 000
Publicly traded:
No
PHOTO: GN HEARING
THE BEACONS OF MEDICON VALLEY
deliveries to its product development and appoin-
ted a new head of R&D.
Global company turnover:
13.4bn DKK (2020)
Subsector:
Hearing aids
Headquarters:
Ballerup
Facilities in Medicon Valley:
2 – headquarters and
R&D in Ballerup and production in Præstø
Employees in Medicon Valley 2020/2021 (2017):
900 (550)
Employees globally:
ca 4 400, around 6 500 in the
GN Group
Publicly traded:
Yes – Nasdaq Copenhagen (Main
Market) since 1869
PHOTO: NEWS ØRESUND
Employees in Medicon Valley 2020/2021 (2019):
900 (800)
Employees globally:
around 77 000 in the Fuji-
film-Group
Publicly traded:
No
PHOTO: ALK-ABELLÓ
PHOTO: NEWS ØRESUND
RADIOMETER MEDICAL ApS
Radiometer is a Danish company specialised in
medical equipment such as blood gas analysers,
which are used in hospitals, clinics, and labs in
more than 130 countries. Around 4 000 employees
around the globe are associated with Radiometer.
Of these, nearly 1 250 work for the company in
Zealand, where the organisation’s staff has increa-
sed by several hundred over the past five years. In
2013, Radiometer acquired the medtech company
HemoCue in Ängelholm, Skåne for 1.7bn DKK. Both
companies are part of the American Danaher Group,
which has around 69 000 employees around the
globe.
Global company turnover:
22.3bn USD (2020)
Subsector:
Medtech
Headquarters:
Brønshøj
Facilities in Medicon Valley:
1 – headquarters, R&D,
and production in Brønshøj
Employees in Medicon Valley 2020/2021 (2017):
1 200 (1 000)
Employees globally:
around 4 000, around 69 000 in
the Danaher Group
Publicly traded:
No
PHOTO: WS AUDIOLOGY
WS AUDIOLOGY A/S
WS Audiology is a Danish international company and
the third-largest hearing aid company in the world.
The company is a product of a 2019 merger between
Danish Widex and the Singaporean company Sivantos.
There has been a shift in the majority shares since
the merger. The Swedish private equity company EQT
GN HEARING A/S
GN Hearing is a Danish company that develops and
manufactures hearing aids. The company is part of
GN Store Nord, which was originally founded as a
telegraph company. The headset division GN Audio
is also part of the group. GN Group has around 6
500 employees worldwide; of them, GN Hearing
employs around 4 400 worldwide. Despite an
increase in the number of employees in Denmark
over the past five years, GN Hearings’ earnings
in 2020 were particularly hard-hit by the pande-
mic closures in the health care sector around the
world. As a result, the company had to dismiss
more than 300 employees. Nonetheless, GN
Hearing has kept up its R&D investments and used
2021 to come back after the pandemic. In 2021,
Nordea proposed that the GN Group sell off its
hearing aid division, which GN Hearing declined to
do. GN Group recently cut the growth expectation
outlook for its hearing aid division due to delayed
FUJIFILM DIOSYNTH BIOTECHNOLOGIES ApS
Fujifilm Diosynth Biotechnologies (FDB) is a
Tokyo-based, Japanese-owned subsidiary of the
Fujifilm-conglomerate. FDB is a global contract
research- and manufacturing company specialising
in the manufacturing of biopharmaceuticals for
external clients. Until 2019, its factory in Hillerød
was owned by the American Biogen and employed
around 800 people. Following the acquisition, FDB
invested around 6bn DKK in the production facility –
approximately the same sum it paid for the factory
in 2019. The investment and the current expansion
of the factory have already led to an increase in the
number of employees, and 1 100 people are expec-
ted to work at the site by 2023. In the first financial
year of 2020/2021, the factory’s turnover amounted
to 2.7bn DKK, exceeding FDB’s expectations. Some
of the company’s clients are e.g. the Bill & Melinda
Gates Foundation, which had antibody treatments
for covid-19 manufactured at the facility.
Global company turnover:
2.2bn JPY (2020/2021)
Subsector:
CDMO
Global headquarters:
Tokyo, Japan
Headquarters in Medicon Valley:
Hillerød
Facilities in Medicon Valley:
1 – production in
Hillerød
ALK-ABELLÓ A/S
The Danish pharmaceutical company ALK-Abelló is
one of the oldest of its kind in Denmark. It develops
and manufactures tablets for allergy treatment and
’allergy vaccines’. In 2021, the allergy immunothera-
py company entered a major agreement with a Chi-
nese company that will sell ALK-Abelló’s adrenaline
autoinjectors in China; the agreement secured the
Danish company an up-front payment of 90mn DKK.
In the years to come, the company will work to ass-
ume a leading position in the market for adrenaline
autoinjectors in the USA, and it expects to submit
an application to the American FDA in 2024 at the
latest. In Denmark, the company is also part of DTU
Science Park, and its workforce and turnover in the
country have grown substantially in recent years.
ALK-Abelló was formerly part of the Danish biosci-
ence company Chr. Hansen and was listed in 2005.
With around 40% of shares, Lundbeck Foundation
is a primary shareholder in ALK-Abelló. There are
around 2500 employees associated with ALK-Abelló
around the globe.
Global company turnover:
3.5bn DKK (2020)
Subsector:
Pharma
Headquarters:
Hørsholm
Facilities in Medicon Valley:
1 – headquarters, R&D,
and production in Hørsholm
Employees in Medicon Valley 2020/2021 (2017):
850 (750)
Employees globally:
2 500
Publicly traded:
Yes – Nasdaq Copenhagen (Main
Market) since 2005
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THE BEACONS OF MEDICON VALLEY
hagen, which is also the location of its largest
manufacturing facility. Nearly 700 of the company’s
approximately 1 800 employees work at the Copen-
hagen site. The number of employees at Xellia
Pharmaceuticals has grown noticeably in recent
years, both in Denmark and around the globe. The
company’s first internally developed product was
approved by the American Food and Drug Adminis-
tration (FDA) in 2019, and a new factory in the USA
was ready for operations in 2021. The company’s
history started more than a hundred years ago in
Norway with what was called Apothekernes Labo-
ratorium. It acquired and merged with the Danish
pharmaceutical company Dumex and became
Alpharma. In 2013, Xellia Pharmaceuticals was
acquired by Novo Holdings for around 4bn DKK.
Global company turnover:
318mn USD (2020)
Subsector:
Pharma
Headquarters in Medicon Valley:
Copenhagen
Facilities in Medicon Valley:
1 – headquarters and
production in Copenhagen
Employees in Medicon Valley 2020/2021 (2017):
700 (500)
Employees globally:
around 1 800
Publicly traded:
No
PHOTO: NEWS ØRESUND
THE BEACONS OF MEDICON VALLEY
Global headquarters:
Santa Clara, California, USA
Headquarters in Medicon Valley:
Glostrup
Facilities in Medicon Valley:
1 – offices and R&D in
Glostrup
Employees in Medicon Valley 2020/2021 (2017):
700 (550)
Employees globally:
around 16 400
Publicly traded:
Yes, New York Stock Exchange
PHOTO: NEWS ØRESUND
PHOTO: NEWS ØRESUND
WILLIAM COOK EUROPE ApS
Cook Medical is an American company that ma-
nufactures medical devices for use in minimally
invasive procedures within a wide range of medical
specialties such as aortic intervention, interventio-
nal radiology, and endoscopy, and more. The global
headquarters are in the USA and the first Europe-
an site, William Cook Europe, was established in
Denmark in 1969. The Danish site has since grown
in size, and today it manufactures e.g. stent grafts,
vena cava filters, wire guides, needles, catheters,
and airway management devices. The site also ma-
nages areas such as quality assurance, regulatory
affairs, R&D, and a variety of other functions to
support the company’s business locally as well as
globally. Furthermore, William Cook Europe LifeS-
cience Services support the sister companies with
batch certification of advanced therapy medicinal
products, e.g. cell therapy products.
Global turnover:
1.3bn DKK (2020)
Subsector:
Medtech
Global headquarters:
Bloomington, Indiana, USA
Headquarters in Medicon Valley: Bjæverskov
Facilities in Medicon Valley:
1 – R&D and produc-
tion in Bjæverskov
Employees in Medicon Valley 2020/2021 (2017):
800 (700)
Employees globally:
+10 000
Publicly traded:
No
PHOTO: NEWS ØRESUND
AGILENT TECHNOLOGIES DENMARK ApS
Agilent Technologies is an American company. In
2012, the Swedish private equity company EQT
decided to sell the medical device company Dako to
the American Agilent Technologies for 12.8bn DKK.
Since the acquisition by Agilent Technologies, the
turnover has increased significantly in Denmark,
where the company specialises in instruments
for tissue-based pathology. Agilent Technologies
employs around 16 400 people worldwide. In the
spring of 2021, the country general manager for
Denmark Simon Østergaard left for the medtech
company CellaVision in Lund.
Global company turnover:
5.3bn USD (2020)
Subsector:
Medtech
STATE OF MEDICON VALLEY • November 2021
AGC BIOLOGICS A/S
AGC Biologics is an American global company
that produces e.g. protein-based antibodies and
enzymes for other life science companies. The com-
pany’s employee numbers have more than tripled
in the past five years, and large investments have
been made continuously in its facility in Zealand.
AGC Biologic’s new, 19 000m2 production facility in
Søborg will be completed in 2023, which will double
the company’s manufacturing capacity and lead to
the recruitment of 250-300 new employees over the
next few years. Investments in the factory expansion
amount to 1.2bn DKK. Among other things, the faci-
lity in Zealand manufactured the Danish-developed
SARS-CoV-2 vaccine to which Bavarian Nordic now
owns the rights. AGC Biologics is the product of the
convergence of Japanese AGC Asahi Glass and the
Danish-American CMC Biologics following the 2016
Japanese acquisition of CMC Biologics for around
3.5bn DKK. Around 2000 employees are associated
with AGC Biologics worldwide.
Global turnover:
1.5bn DKK (2020)
Subsector:
CDMO
Global headquarters:
Seattle, Washington, USA
Headquarters in Medicon Valley:
Søborg
Facilities in Medicon Valley:
1 – production in
Søborg
Employees in Medicon Valley 2020/2021 (2016):
650 (200)
Employees globally:
around 2 000
Publicly traded:
No
AJ VACCINES A/S
AJ Vaccines is a Saudi-owned pharmaceutical com-
pany, and in the spring of 2021 the company was
in discussions with the State Serum Institute (SSI)
in Copenhagen about manufacturing SARS-CoV-2
vaccines in Denmark. The public call for tenders for
national vaccine production in Denmark was cancel-
led in September 2021, when the Danish govern-
ment contributed 800mn DKK in national funds to
the vaccine company Bavarian Nordic. AJ Vaccines
develops and manufactures vaccines for tetanus,
diphtheria, tuberculosis, pertussis, and polio. In
2020, it entered a multi-year agreement with UNI-
CEF for the delivery of polio vaccines. In 2016, SSI
sold the institute’s vaccine production to AJ Vacci-
nes for around 15mn DKK. AJ Vaccines is owned by
the Aljomaih Group, which invested around 2bn DKK
in the company’s production apparatus close to SSI.
The company’s employee numbers have increased
only modestly in recent years.
Global turnover:
352mn DKK (2020)
Subsector:
Pharma
Headquarters:
Copenhagen
Facilities in Medicon Valley:
1 – headquarters and
production in Copenhagen
Employees in Medicon Valley 2020/2021 (2017):
600 (600)
Employees globally:
+600
Publicly traded:
No
PHOTO: NEWS ØRESUND
XELLIA PHARMACEUTICALS ApS
Xellia Pharmaceuticals is a Danish antibiotics
manufacturer headquartered in Amager, Copen-
FERRING PHARMACEUTICALS A/S
Ferring Pharmaceuticals’ roots are firmly planted
around the Øresund; the company’s story began in
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THE BEACONS OF MEDICON VALLEY
Malmö in 1950, when Dr Frederik Paulsen founded
Nordiske Hormonlaboratoriet. Today, Ferring Phar-
maceuticals is a global leader in reproductive med-
icine and female health with focus on gastroentero-
logy, microbiome, and uro-oncology. In early 2022,
the company plans to move its Danish headquarters
from Ørestad to Kastrup to the new, 37 500m2
location Soundport, close to Copenhagen Airport.
The new base is the largest R&D centre in Ferring
Group, whose global headquarters are in Switzer-
land, and Ferring Pharmaceuticals employs around
6 500 people around the world. Ferring expects
its number of employees in Denmark to increase
from 600 to 750 in the years to come. More than
100 employees residing in Skåne commute to the
Danish company. In July 2021, Lars Rebien Sørensen
became the new chairperson of Ferring Pharmaceu-
ticals. He is board chair of the Novo Nordisk Foun-
dation and was CEO of Novo Nordisk for many years.
Earlier this year, Ferring became the first industrial
company to enter an innovation collaboration agre-
ement with BioInnovation Institute in Copenhagen.
Together, the two players will work to identify new
startups and share specialised knowledge.
Global company turnover:
1.9bn EUR (2020)
Subsector:
Pharma
Global headquarters:
Saint-Prex, Switzerland
Headquarters in Medicon Valley:
Kastrup
Facilities in Medicon Valley:
2 – offices and
R&D-centre in Kastrup and offices in Malmö
Employees in Medicon Valley 2020/2021 (2017):
600 (550)
Employees globally:
around 6 500
Publicly traded:
No
PHOTO: NOMECO
THE BEACONS OF MEDICON VALLEY
companies Mecobenzon A/S and Nordisk Dorge &
Kemikalie A/S, which merged to become Nomeco
A/S in 1991. Today, the company has distribution
centres in several locations in Denmark, and it
is the largest pharmaceutical wholesaler on the
Danish side of Medicon Valley. With a total of around
700 employees in Denmark, in recent years No-
meco has grown robustly in terms of its employee
numbers in Zealand, and in 2019 the company
consolidated its position with the construction of
a new pharmaceutical warehouse near Copenha-
gen in Køge. With over 60 000 pallet spaces in a ca
25 000m2 building equipped with fully automated
cranes, the warehouse serves pharmaceutical
wholesalers in Scandinavia and the Baltic countries.
The German pharmaceutical trader PHOENIX,
which owns Nomeco, constructed the warehouse
for around half a billion DKK in the German group’s
largest single logistics investment to date.
Global turnover:
7.5bn DKK (2021)
Subsector:
Pharma
Headquarters:
Copenhagen V
Facilities in Medicon Valley:
5 – headquarters and
warehouse in Copenhagen, warehouses in two loca-
tions in Køge and a warehouse in Brøndby
Employees in Medicon Valley 2020/2021 (2017):
550 (450)
Employees globally:
around 39 000 in the PHOENIX
Group
Publicly traded:
No
PHOTO: NEWS ØRESUND
Herlev, Osted and Søborg. The company’s number
of employees in Denmark has increased sharply in
recent years, and in Denmark ConvaTec is recruiting
employees for e.g. management, development, and
sales and marketing. This October, ConvaTec inau-
gurated its new location in Søborg, and production
is expanding in Osted. Novo Holdings invested 8.7bn
DKK in ConvaTec in 2017.
Global company turnover:
1.9bn USD (2020)
Subsector:
Medtech
Global headquarters:
Reading, Berkshire, United
Kingdom
Headquarters in Medicon Valley:
Søborg
Facilities in Medicon Valley:
4 – offices in Søborg
and Ballerup, production in Herlev, production and
R&D in Osted
Employees in Medicon Valley 2020/2021 (2017):
550 (300)
Employees globally:
around 10 000
Publicly traded:
Yes – London Stock Exchange
PHOTO: BAVARIAN NORDIC
has the rights. Due to the company’s commercial ex-
pansion and its numerous development projects, the
total number of employees in Denmark, Germany,
Switzerland, and the USA – 750 today – is expected
to increase to meet the demands of the continued
increase in production in Denmark and more.
Global company turnover:
1.8bn DKK (2020)
Subsector:
Biotech
Headquarters:
Hellerup
Facilities in Medicon Valley:
3 – headquarters
in Hellerup, production in Kvistgård and R&D in
Hørsholm
Employees in Medicon Valley 2020/2021 (2017):
500 (250)
Employees globally:
+750
Publicly traded:
Yes, Nasdaq Copenhagen (Main
Market) since 1998
PHOTO: AMBU
NOMECO A/S
Nomeco is a Danish company specialised in health
logistics and functions as a pharmaceutical whole-
saler and supplier for pharmacies, hospitals, and
the pharmaceutical industry. The company’s history
goes back over two hundred years to the wholesale
CONVATEC (UNOMEDICAL A/S)
The British company ConvaTec manufactures
medical products and technologies focused on e.g.
ostomy care, wound care, and subcutaneous infu-
sion therapy. ConvaTec’s global operations employ
nearly 10 000 people, and the international headqu-
arters is in England. In 2008, it acquired the Danish
company Unomedical, which is now part of the
ConvaTecGroup. ConvaTec’s activities in Denmark
are focused at four sites in Zealand: in Ballerup,
BAVARIAN NORDIC A/S
The Danish company Bavarian Nordic is currently de-
veloping a booster vaccine for the coronavirus SARS-
CoV-2. In August 2021, the company received 800mn
DKK in national funds from the Danish government
to complete development of the vaccine. If the final
phases go according to plan, it is expected to receive
approval from the relevant authorities in early 2023.
The vaccine was originally developed by the biotech
company AdaptVac; AdaptVac sold Bavarian Nordic
the commercial rights to the vaccine via a license ag-
reement. In 2019, Bavarian Nordic took an important
step in the diversification of its commercial activities
when it acquired two vaccines, one for rabies and one
for tick-borne encephalitis, from the British phar-
maceutical company GlaxoSmithKline. In addition,
the company has developed a smallpox vaccine that
is under continual production and delivery, primarily
to the American government. Bavarian Nordic has
also developed an ebola vaccine, to which Janssen
AMBU A/S
The Danish medical device company Ambu has
a major focus on investing in its selling power
and product development, and the company also
plans to launch twenty new endoscopes over the
next three years. The number of employees has
increased exponentially over the past five years,
both at the company’s headquarters in Ballerup
and in the USA, where more than 250 salespeople
have been taken on in recent years. Further, Ambu
plans to double the size of its R&D division over the
next three years. In June, the American Food and
Drug Administration (FDA) approved a new Ambu
bronchoscope that European health authorities
also approved in September. Today, Ambu employs
around 4 200 people around the globe. It was foun-
ded by the German engineer Holger Hesse in 1937
under the name Testa-Laboratorium.
Global company turnover:
3.6bn DKK (2019/2020)
Subsector:
Medtech
Headquarters:
Ballerup
Facilities in Medicon Valley:
1
Employees in Medicon Valley 2020/2021 (2017):
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THE BEACONS OF MEDICON VALLEY
450 (200)
Employees globally:
around 4 200
Publicly traded:
Yes, Nasdaq Copenhagen (Main
Market) since 1992
PHOTO: TUALA HJARNØ - GENMAB
THE BEACONS OF MEDICON VALLEY
more than doubled over the past five years, as has
its number of employees in Denmark and around
the globe; today, Abacus Medicine employs over
1000 people. Abacus Medicine’s first acquisition was
the purchase of the Dutch wholesaler Pluripharm
in 2020. It was the largest single investment made
by the company to date. In 2021, Abacus Medicine
supplied pharmaceutical distribution and -storage
services in Denmark’s covid-19 vaccine programme
and moved to new, larger headquarters in Copenha-
gen. With more than 5000m2, the company now has
room to grow to around 300 employees in Denmark.
Global company turnover:
664mn EUR (2020)
Subsector:
Pharma
Headquarters:
Copenhagen
Facilities in Medicon Valley:
1 – headquarters in
Copenhagen
Employees in Medicon Valley 2020/2021 (2017):
250 (75)
Employees globally:
+1000
Publicly traded:
No
PHOTO: NEWS ØRESUND
details have not yet been determined.
Global company turnover:
82.6bn USD (2020)
Branches in the life sciences:
Pharma
Global headquarters:
New Brunswick, New Jersey,
USA
Headquarters in Medicon Valley:
Helsingborg
Facilities in Medicon Valley:
3 – headquarters, pro-
duction, and R&D in Helsingborg, offices in Birkerød
and R&D in Copenhagen
Employees in Medicon Valley 2020/2021 (2017):
850 (800)
Employees globally:
+130 000 in Johnson & Johnson
Listed:
No
PHOTO: NEWS ØRESUND
PHOTO: NEWS ØRESUND
GENMAB A/S
The Danish company Genmab specialises in the cre-
ation and development of therapeutics for treating
e.g. bone marrow cancer. Genmab collaborates with
international life science companies such as Jans-
sen, Horizon Therapeutics and Novartis, which sell
Genmab’s products. In 2020, the biotech company
entered into an agreement worth billions of crowns
with the American company AbbVie; together, they
will develop therapeutics for treating lymphoma. In
2023, Genmab will move to its new global headquar-
ters in Valby, Copenhagen. The 12 500m2 head-
quarters will be nearly four times larger than the
company’s current headquarters in Copenhagen,
and it will accommodate around 700 employees.
Genmab reached a milestone in 2021 when its num-
ber of employees around the globe hit 1000, and its
number of employees in Denmark in e.g. clinical
operations has nearly quadrupled over the past four
years. This year, Genmab’s commercial functions
will be diversified in line with its ambition to market
its therapeutics itself, which the company is doing
for the first time with Tivdak, its newly approved
drug for recurrent cervical and metastatic cancer.
The cancer drug Darzalex accounts for around 73%
of Genmab’s turnover.
Global company turnover:
10.1bn DKK (2020)
Subsector:
Biotech
Headquarters:
Copenhagen
Facilities in Medicon Valley:
3 – headquarters in
three locations in Copenhagen
Employees in Medicon Valley 2020/2021 (2017):
300 (50)
Employees globally:
+1000
Publicly traded:
Yes, Nasdaq Copenhagen (Main
Market) since 2000
ROCHE
The Swiss company Roche specialises in e.g.
tissue-based cancer diagnostics, drugs for treating
e.g. lung disease and tools to help monitor diabetes.
In recent years, Roche has entered into a number
of collaborations in Denmark, with the Technical
University of Denmark (DTU), Copenhagen Business
School (CBS), the University of Copenhagen and
Aarhus University, to support research training and
bring more research to the market. In 2022, Roche’s
Danish branch will move to new offices in Carls-
berg City District in Copenhagen. Roche Innovation
Center Copenhagen will remain north of Copenha-
gen at DTU Science Park in Hørsholm. In 2021, the
company set a goal of increased collaboration with
life science startups at and related to DTU, offering
support with competence, experience and expertise.
Global company turnover:
15.1bn CHF (2020)
Subsector:
Pharma
Global headquarters:
Basel, Switzerland
Headquarters in Medicon Valley:
Hvidovre
Facilities in Medicon Valley:
2 – offices in Hvidovre
and R&D in Hørsholm
Employees in Medicon Valley 2020/2021 (2017):
300 (300)
Employees globally:
ca 90 000
Publicly traded:
Yes, SIX Swiss Exchange Zurich
PHOTO: NEWS ØRESUND
COMPANY OVERVIEW
SKÅNE
ABACUS MEDICINE A/S
The Danish parallel distributor Abacus Medicine
supplies prescription medicine to hospitals, phar-
maceutical companies, pharmacies, and pharma-
ceutical wholesalers. The company’s turnover has
STATE OF MEDICON VALLEY • November 2021
MCNEIL AB
McNeil is a Swedish subsidiary of the American John-
son & Johnson, which is one of the world’s largest
pharmaceutical companies. The Helsingborg-based
pharmaceuticals manufacturer McNeil is over a
hundred years old and is best known for its produc-
tion of the stop-smoking product Nicorette. Today, it
also produces the nasal spray for allergies Rhinocort
at its plant in Helsingborg. In 2019, 20mn Euro were
invested in Helsingborg to expand the capacity on site
and implement the new product Rhinocort in produc-
tion. The company reports that it expects demand
to increase in the future, which will mean additional
investments in Helsingborg to boost capacity, but the
NOLATO (MEDICAL SOLUTIONS)
Nolato is a Swedish company. Medical Solutions is
one of three divisions of the publicly traded Nola-
to. The division’s activity is in plastic- and silicone
products, manufacturing everything from asthma in-
halers to insulin pens, urine catheters and pregnancy
tests to plastic pharmaceutical packaging. Nolato
Medical Solutions’ headquarters are in Torekov
(Båstad) and its production facilities are located in
Torekov, Hörby and Lomma. In 2017, Nolato invested
in a new 3 700m2 building in Hörby, bringing the total
area of Nolato’s plant in Hörby up to 11 000m2. The
new building was completed in 2019 and is Nolato’s
second expansion in just ten years. The factory was
also expanded by around 3700 m2 in 2011.
Global company turnover:
9.4bn SEK (2020)
Branches in the life sciences:
Medtech
Headquarters:
Torekov
Facilities in Medicon Valley:
3 – headquarters and
production in Torekov, production and R&D in Lom-
ma and production in Hörby
Employees in Medicon Valley 2020/2021 (2017):
450 (350)
Employees globally:
around 2 514 in Medical Solu-
tions, +6 700 in the concern as a whole
Listed:
Yes – Nasdaq in Stockholm (Main Market)
since 1984
40
STATE OF MEDICON VALLEY • November 2021
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THE BEACONS OF MEDICON VALLEY
THE BEACONS OF MEDICON VALLEY
duces peptides, and its clients range from resear-
chers and small biotech companies to big pharma.
Today, PolyPeptide is in an expansion phase, and in
the spring of 2021, it received approval to triple its
production volume in Malmö to a total of 1 000 kilos.
In 2022, the facility in Malmö will be scaled up, thus
increasing the company’s production capacity. In the
second quarter of 2021, the PolyPeptide Group was
listed in Switzerland. The listing generated 172mn
Euro. The group has a total of around 900 employ-
ees worldwide. PolyPeptide was founded by Fre-
derik Paulsen Sr in Limhamn in 1952; at the time,
it was called Nordiska Hormonlaboratoriet, and it
later became Ferring Pharmaceuticals. The name
PolyPeptide emerged in 1996, when the company
separated from Ferring and the PolyPeptide Group
was created. Today PolyPeptide’s main owner is the
holding company Draupnir Holding BV.
Global company turnover:
223mn EUR (2020)
Branches in the life sciences:
CDMO
Global headquarters:
Zug, Switzerland
Headquarters in Medicon Valley:
Malmö
Facilities in Medicon Valley:
1 – production and
some global functions in Malmö
Employees in Medicon Valley 2020/2021 (2017):
300 (200)
Employees globally:
Around 1 000
Listed:
Yes – Swiss Stock Exchange
PHOTO: NEWS ØRESUND
PHOTO: NEWS ØRESUND
SEVER PHARMA SOLUTIONS
Sever Pharma Solutions is a Swedish-Dutch
company. In late June 2021, the CDMO QPharma
merged with Disphar International BV under the
name Sever Pharma Solutions. Its headquarters are
in still in Malmö. Today, Sever Pharma Solutions
is one of Malmö’s largest life science companies,
manufacturing among other things products for
HIV and unwanted pregnancy. QPharma, now Sever
Pharma Solutions, increased its production capacity
in Malmö in 2018 and now has other plans for
expansion in the city. The details of the company’s
future scale-up will be decided in conjunction with
the company’s budget process in November, accor-
ding to the CEO Kenneth Stokholm. The company is
also working on acquiring other R&D companies in
the USA.
Global turnover:
440mn SEK (2020)
Branches in the life sciences:
CDMO
Headquarters:
Malmö
Facilities in Medicon Valley:
1 – headquarters, R&D,
and production in Malmö
Employees in Medicon Valley 2020/2021 (2017):
300 (150)
Employees globally:
350
Listed:
No
PHOTO: NEWS ØRESUND
Global turnover:
793mn SEK (2020)
Branches in the life sciences:
Medtech
Headquarters:
Malmö
Facilities in Medicon Valley:
1 – headquarters,
production and R&D in Malmö
Employees in Medicon Valley 2020/2021 (2017):
275 (200)
Employees globally:
around 400
Listed:
No
PHOTO: NEWS ØRESUND
HEMOCUE AB
HemoCue is a Swedish company specialising in
point of care testing equipment for e.g. blood tests.
It was founded in 1988, but its research activities
started in 1974 at the hospital in Kristianstad. The
headquarters are located in Ängelholm. In 2013
HemoCue was acquired by the Danish Radiometer
Medical and became part of the American listed
tech- and medtech group Danaher. The group’s
turnover totalled 22,3bn USD in 2020. It has ca 60
000 employees. The medtech company HemoCue
also has links to LEO, which signed its first license
agreement with two regional innovators in 1979 and
established the company HemoCue in 1988.
Global company turnover:
22.3bn USD (2020)
Branches in the life sciences:
Medtech
Headquarters in Medicon Valley:
Ängelholm
Facilities in Medicon Valley:
1 – headquarters,
production, and R&D in Ängelholm
Employees in Medicon Valley 2020/2021 (2017):
250 (250)
Employees globally:
around 400, about 69 000 in
the Danaher concern
Listed:
No
BAXTER (GAMBRO)
Baxter is an American company specialising in med-
ical equipment for critical care, nutritional therapy,
renal therapy, and surgery. The medtech company
Baxter in Lund, which was formerly Gambro, has
researched and produced equipment for dialysis
treatments for kidney- and liver diseases since 1964.
In 2012, the American global medtech company
Baxter International Inc presented a 4bn USD offer
for Gambro, an agreement that was approved in
2013. Baxter’s acquisition has led to notable changes
in R&D and production, resulting in the company’s
personnel in Lund going from around 900 before
the acquisition to around 230 today. The goal is to
move all production to Italy by 2022, and around 150
employees will remain in Lund. Among other things,
the facility in Lund will work with research support
functions, regulatory affairs, and patent issues.
Global company turnover:
11.7bn USD (2020)
Branches in the life sciences:
Medtech
Global headquarters:
Deerfield, Illinois, USA
Headquarters in Medicon Valley:
Lund
Facilities in Medicon Valley:
2 – R&D in Lund and
production until 2022, and offices in Søborg
Employees in Medicon Valley 2020/2021 (2017):
275 (700)
Employees globally:
around 50 000
Listed:
Yes – New York Stock Exchange
Source: Information about the companies was primarily retrieved from their
websites, annual reports, and news coverage on e.g. MedWatch. Figures
related to turnover, annual results and employee numbers were retrieved
directly from the companies or from their websites, annual reports or from
the company register Bisnode. The number of employees is rounded off.
Please note that these figures may have changed since they were reported,
and that some companies were only able to supply figures from 2018 and
2019. The definition of ‘beacon’ and thus a ‘large’ company is based on the
EU’s defining framework for micro-companies (0-9 employees), small com-
panies (10-49 companies), medium-sized companies (50-249 employees)
and large companies (> 250 employees). Please note that a differentiation
is made between ‘global company turnover’, which refers to the concern’s
total turnover, and ‘global turnover’, which refers to the turnover of the
company in question, if providing the global company turnover would have
been unfeasible, irrelevant or misleading.
POLYPEPTIDE LABORATORIES AB
PolyPeptide is a Swedish international CDMO in
Malmö that does not develop its own pharma-
ceuticals, but instead manufactures products and
processes and provides regulatory support that
other companies can use to further develop e.g.
pharmaceuticals and cosmetics. PolyPeptide pro-
TEPE MUNHYGIENPRODUKTER AB
TePe is a Swedish international company in oral
health that started with a collaboration with Mal-
mö’s School of Dentistry in 1960. TePe’s products
are developed, distributed and sold from its headqu-
arters in Malmö. The company has a total of around
370 employees worldwide, about 270 of whom are in
Malmö. Today, TePe has eight subsidiaries around
the world. The company’s global expansion com-
menced when the first subsidiary was founded in
Germany in 1997. In September 2021, TePe acquired
the Swedish company Proxident AB, which develops,
markets, and sells oral health products for and to
STATE OF MEDICON VALLEY • November 2021
42
STATE OF MEDICON VALLEY • November 2021
43
PHOTO: NEWS ØRESUND
pharmacies and shops. With the acquisition, TePe
is strengthening its position in oral health on the
Scandinavian market and entering a new market
segment with chemical products.
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THE BEACONS OF MEDICON VALLEY
THE BEACONS OF MEDICON VALLEY
PHOTO: NOVO NORDISK
INTERVIEW:
Novo Nordisk’s
manufacturing facility
in Kalundborg.
NOVO NORDISK KEEPS INVESTMENTS IN
MEDICON VALLEY’S LARGEST PRODUCTION
FACILITY WITH OVER 3 000 EMPLOYEES
Novo Nordisk’s plant in the port of Kalundborg in northwest Zealand is the sector’s largest manu-
facturing facility in Medicon Valley with over 3 000 employees. More than half of the world’s insulin is
produced there. In 2022, work will commence on a motorway connection to the city, and infrastructu-
ral improvements will make it easier to attract and retain skilled labourers and ensure stability
for continued growth in Kalundborg, says Michael Hallgren, Senior Vice President at Novo Nordisk
Manufacturing Kalundborg. He believes that a graduate programme in pharmaceutical engineering
would also benefit Denmark as a manufacturing nation, as well as Medicon Valley.
Nordisk’s ambition to remain a strong presence
Kalundborg motorway ensures the stability of the
in Denmark and in Kalundborg, says Michael
framework conditions for the infrastructural area,
Hallgren.
and that creates the best possible conditions for
The Kalundborg-site also produces ingredients for
continued growth and development, says Michael
the diabetes tablet and other pharmaceuticals for obe- Hallgren.
sity and diabetes, as well as a number of biopharma-
It will be possible to travel the entire distance
ceutical products. Michael Hallgren calls the facility
between Kalundborg and Copenhagen by motor-
”a cornerstone of Novo Nordisk’s global production
way and continue to Skåne or elsewhere; that infra-
setup”. The facility is thus very
structural expansion will mean a
important for diabetics all over
”Investments in the
lot when it comes to attracting life
the world.
science commuters and employ-
facilities underli-
– Most of the products
ees, says Michael Hallgren.
that Novo Nordisk manu-
– The same is true of the local
ne Novo Nordisk’s
factures and markets around
education initiative, where the in-
ambition to remain
dustry and educational institutions
the globe have their base in
our Kalundborg plant, and
work together to build a strong food
a strong presence
over 32 million patients
in Denmark and in
chain of qualified employees locally;
around the globe receive
the Kalundborg motorway will be a
Kalundborg.”
medicine from Novo Nord-
very decisive factor for the industry
isk’s manufacturing facilities
in attracting and retaining enough
in Kalundborg, says Michael Hallgren, whose
qualified employees, says Michael Hallgren, adding
responsibilities also include a newly constructed
that it has sometimes been difficult for Novo Nordisk
plant in the USA that will have 500 employees in
to recruit qualified employees to Kalundborg.
the future.
– Our experience has been that it is particularly
The number of employees at the Kalundborg site
challenging to attract experienced academic and
has decreased by around 3 00 over the past five years,
technical profiles that support Industry 4.0– de-
going from about 3 500 in 2017 to 3 200 in 2021,
velopment of our production facilities. On top of
according to figures supplied by the company. Accor-
that, we need more graduate-level profiles whose
ding to Michael Hallgren, the decrease is primarily
education is specifically oriented to work in phar-
due to optimising and automatization at the plant.
maceutical production, he says.
New motorway paves way for stability, and
better growth and recruitment possibilities
For years, Novo Nordisk has collaborated with the
rest of the biotech industry and Kalundborg Muni-
cipality on e.g. specifically marketing employment
opportunities in the city, and setting up residency in-
itiatives and programmes to help spouses of employ-
ees to find jobs. One decisive initiative that will make
it easier to recruit employees and commuters in the
future was the Danish Parliament’s decision in June
2021 to allocate 1.9bn DKK starting next year to
complete the 30km of motorway to Kalundborg,
says Michael Hallgren. Novo Nordisk was not alone
in wanting the project to reach completion, he says;
other industry actors in the city shared that wish –
e.g. Novozymes, Chr. Hansen, Ørsted and Equinor
Refining Denmark, which has Denmark’s largest oil
refinery in the city, as well as AP Møller – Mærsk,
which moved its container terminal in Zealand from
Copenhagen to Kalundborg this year.
– The announcement of the completion of the
STATE OF MEDICON VALLEY • November 2021
Novo wishes for a graduate-level program-
me in pharmaceutical engineering
Institutions like the University College Absalon
make it possible to train as e.g. a biotech engineer,
a machine engineer or a bioanalyst in Kalundborg
today. From January 2022, graduate students in
PHOTO: NOVO NORDISK
With an area of 1 200 000m2, equivalent to 168
football pitches, and a staff of around 3 200, Novo
Nordisk’s production facility in Kalundborg is more
than just the diabetes concern’s largest manu-
facturing site in Medicon Valley; it is also their
largest in the world.
The manufacturing facilities Kalundborg in
northwest Zealand were first established in 1969.
Since the turn of the millennium and until today,
the pharmaceutical company has invested more
than 18bn DKK in the Kalundborg site, says
44
Michael Hallgren, Senior Vice President at Novo
Nordisk Manufacturing in Kalundborg.
In 2020 alone, 2bn DKK was invested in the
factory in which around half of the world’s insulin
is made by genetically modifying yeast. Earlier this
year, Novo Nordisk also invested 500mn DKK in
the plant in Måløv, Zealand, where there are around
800 employees, for the production of a new diabetes
tablet for treating Type-2 diabetes.There are a total of
around 2 800 employees at the site in Måløv.
– Investments in the facilities underline Novo
STATE OF MEDICON VALLEY • November 2021
Michael Hallgren,
Senior Vice President,
Novo Nordisk Manu-
facturing Kalundborg.
45
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THE BEACONS OF MEDICON VALLEY
THE BEACONS OF MEDICON VALLEY
Denmark and from abroad will have new oppor-
tunities to do thesis projects in Industry 4.0 and
sustainability in collaboration with the industry in
Kalundborg with Helix Lab, a public-private edu-
cational and research centre, says Michael Hallgren,
who believes that the educations could be even
stronger still.
– A next step to strengthen both Medicon
Valley and Denmark as a manufacturing nation on
the whole could be establishing a educational pro-
gramme specifically for pharma. Locating it near
manufacturing sites that take on graduates would
be an advantage and give the food chain a local
context, making it easier to recruit and retain skil-
led labourers locally. Concretely, we see potential
in for example graduate-level training in pharma-
ceutical engineering. In addition, there is a need
for ordinary training programmes and continuing
education on multiple levels, specifically in the
Industry 4.0 and sustainability transformation of
Denmark as a manufacturing nation, says Michael
Hallgren. He adds:
– Test-, demo- and upscaling facilities would also
strengthen the attractiveness for investments and
startups. Those parameters would also strengthen
Medicon Valley and the entire sector.
NOVO NORDISK
• Founded:
1923
• Branches in life sciences:
Pharma
• Focus area:
Diabetes, haemophilia, over-
weight and obesity
• Ownership:
Novo Nordisk Foundation and
listed
• CEO:
Lars Fruergaard-Jørgensen
• Headquarters:
Bagsværd
• Turnover2020:
127bn DKK
• Gross year-end result 2020:
53bn DKK
• Total number of employees in Medicon Valley:
around 17 000
• Total number of employees globally:
around 45 300
PHOTO: NEWS ØRESUND
INTERVIEW:
LEO PHARMA MAKES CHANGES TO ITS
OWNERSHIP STRUCTURE, RESEARCH, AND
MANAGEMENT AND INCREASES ITS PRESENCE
IN MEDICON VALLEY WITH A NEW FACTORY
Denmark’s oldest pharmaceutical company LEO Pharma has embarked on an growth journey:
the company is building a new plant in Zealand for 1.5bn DKK, boosting collaborations with
external partners, and has installed a new chair of the board from Novo Nordisk. On top of that,
the private equity company Nordic Capital, whose largest base is in Stockholm, has become
the company’s new minority owner; next year, it will co-fund a large research facility that will
shift LEO Pharma’s focus from chemical- to biological pharmaceutical production. The new
ownership structure is a milestone, says Dennis Schmidt Pedersen, Executive Vice President for
Global People and Communications at LEO Pharma.
PHOTO: NOVO NORDISK
Michael Hallgren,
Senior Vice President,
Novo Nordisk Manu-
facturing Kalundborg.
In March 2021, one of Medicon Valley’s largest
life science companies made a big change: After 35
years as LEO Pharma’s sole owner, the LEO Foun-
dation entered an agreement with the international
private equity company Nordic Capital, whose
largest offices are in Stockholm, which became a
minority owner and took on 25% of the ownership.
The new, shared ownership, where Nordic Ca-
STATE OF MEDICON VALLEY • November 2021
pital is investing 450mn Euro in the company to
e.g. bring new products to the market, is a ”strong
confirmation” of the pharmaceutical company’s
growth plans until 2030, says Dennis Schmidt Pe-
dersen, Executive Vice President for Global People
and Communications at LEO Pharma.
– When the LEO Foundation announced
Nordic Capital’s investment in LEO Pharma earlier
47
46
STATE OF MEDICON VALLEY • November 2021
PHOTO: INEWS ØRESUND
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THE BEACONS OF MEDICON VALLEY
THE BEACONS OF MEDICON VALLEY
Construction of LEO Pharma’s new plant
started in 2019. The facility is the largest
production project in LEO Pharma’s
history, with a budget of 1.5bn DKK.
flexible and collaborative, says Dennis Schmidt Pe-
dersen, and as he sees it, collaboration in the sector
is one of Medicon Valley’s particular strengths.
– Denmark is one of the world’s leading life sci-
ence nations, and when it comes to innovation, we
do have a competitive edge. We are good at it. And
one of the reasons for this is our industry’s tradition
for collaboration and partnerships across borders.
Our ability to work together with scientists, uni-
versities, and other pharma companies, both within
our region and globally, is a very important factor
for innovation and thus growth, he says.
An example is the atopic dermatitis treatment
Tralokinumab, which was approved by the Euro-
pean Medicines Agency/CHMP in 2021 and will
soon be on the European market, and for which
the company is currently seeking approval in the
USA. Tralokinumab is a result of a partnership
with the international Swedish-British pharmaceu-
tical company AstraZeneca that started in 2016.
Over the past five years, LEO Pharma has also
worked with an Open Innovation platform, where
other life science companies and university stu-
dents can test molecules in LEO Pharma’s labs and
potentially form new collaborations, as has already
been the case.
New chair of board says listing probable
Denmark’s oldest pharmaceutical company was
founded in 1908 under the name Københavns
Løveapoteks Kemiske Fabrik. Another major change
for the company in 2021 was when Jesper Brand-
gaard, who was Novo Nordisk’s financial director
for many years, became the new chairperson of
LEO Pharma’s board of directors.
According to Børsen, he believes that listing
LEO Pharma in four or five years would proba-
bly benefit the company; thus, in the future, the
company might – like Novo Nordisk, Novozymes
and Demant – be both foundation-owned and
publicly traded.
In the meantime, LEO Pharma continues to
strengthen its position in Medicon Valley, among
other things with a 1.5bn DKK investment in
a new facility near its headquarters in Ballerup.
The new facility will be inaugurated in 2023, and
it will manufacture the preparation Fucidin, for
treating skin infections.
– The installation work at LEO Pharma’s new
state-of-the-art production plant for Fucidin is in
its final phase and is expected to be ready for test
production in 2022 and commercial production
STATE OF MEDICON VALLEY • November 2021
PHOTO: LEO PHARMA
Dennis Schmidt Pedersen,
Executive Vice President for
Global People and Commu-
nications LEO Pharma.
in 2023. Once ready, the plant will be digitalized
to an extent which will set new standards for tech-
nics, automation and data analysis in the pharma
industry, says Dennis Schmidt Pedersen.
this year, it represented a significant milestone in
minate up to 650 jobs; at the same time, 400 new
our ambitions to strengthen our global leadership
jobs will be created globally in the concern in or-
in medical dermatology. Nordic Capital is a leading
der to adapt and diversify the company’s portfolio
global healthcare private
and its pipeline for dermatological
”Denmark is one of
products for e.g. psoriasis, acne and
equity investor, and their
deep medical expertise
the world’s leading
eczema.
and strong track record of
While the strategy will mean that
life science nations,
LEO Pharma’s net staff will decrease
supporting value creation
in innovative healthcare
and when it comes
slightly, it will also accelerate more
businesses globally will help
innovation and lead to more phar-
to innovation, we
us accelerate innovation
maceuticals for treating skin diseases
and growth to realize our
do have a competi-
reaching the market, according to
2030-strategy, he says.
Dennis Schmidt Pedersen, who
tive edge.”
points out that LEO Pharma has
more than doubled its investments
Research work transformed
in R&D over the past decade.
– We aim to deliver first- or best-in-class treat-
LEO Pharma’s 2030-strategy means more than just
major changes to the ownership structure. The com- ments in indications with high unmet needs every
second or third year – both through partnerships
pany’s R&D division will also undergo significant
and by accelerating our R&D pipeline initiatives,
development as LEO Pharma continues to increase
he says.
its focus on the production of biopharmaceuticals
using e.g. molecules and proteins, and moves away
from chemical pharmaceutical products such as
New partnerships beget new pharma
salves and creams.
All in all, the pharmaceutical company, which
Another change at LEO Pharma is that the research
employs around 6 000 people worldwide, will eli-
approach and company culture have become more
48
STATE OF MEDICON VALLEY • November 2021
LEO PHARMA
• Founded:
1908
• Branches in life sciences:
Pharma
• Focus area:
Dermatology and inflammatory
skin diseases
• Ownership:
Private
• CEO:
Catherine Mazzacco
• Headquarters:
Ballerup
• Turnover 2020:
10.1 bn DKK
• Gross year-end result 2020:
1bn DKK
• Total number of employees in Medicon
Valley:
around 2 400
• Total number of employees globally:
around 6 000
PHOTO: LEO PHARMA
49
PHOTO: LEO PHARMA
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THE BEACONS OF MEDICON VALLEY
THE BEACONS OF MEDICON VALLEY
INTERVIEW:
Lundbeck’s global
headquarters in Valby,
which has production-
and R&D facilities.
LUNDBECK: SKILLED LABOURERS FROM
ABROAD AND FOCUS ON EDUCATION TO OVER-
COME THE CHALLENGE OF MEDICON VALLEY’S
LABOUR FORCE SHORTAGE
One of Medicon Valley’s largest life science companies, H Lundbeck, whose specialty is neu-
rological medicine, is currently in the process of strategically restructuring its research to
strengthen its pipeline. That calls for many new specialists and advanced digital expertise, and
many such professionals are in short supply in Medicon Valley, says Elise Hauge, Executive Vice
President for People and Communication at Lundbeck. According to Lundbeck, more skilled
labourers from abroad, more commuters across the Danish-Swedish border and more STEM
admissions would benefit the Medicon Valley cluster.
In 2019, Lundbeck presented its new growth
strategy, ”Expand and Invest to Grow”. Among
other things, the strategy has resulted in the pharma
company acquiring two biotech companies in the
USA for more than 15bn DKK. This has ensured
Lundbeck access to new competences and new
knowledge on the development of biopharmaceu-
ticals, which will become an even more important
way to manufacture new drugs in the future, says
Elise Hauge, Executive Vice President for People
50
and Communication at Lundbeck.
– Lundbeck has changed over the past few
years. Traditionally, our company’s medicines have
been based on small molecules, and that’s one
way of researching, and now we are moving more
toward biological products, which is another way
of working, she says.
The shift in Lundbeck’s R&D work has meant
that the company had to dismiss around 100
employees in Denmark in 2020. The overwhelming
STATE OF MEDICON VALLEY • November 2021
majority of these positions have since been filled by
Reformkommission, headed by Nina Smith, the
new employees with specific knowledge related to
renowned Danish professor of economics. The
biological products, Elise Hauge explains.
commission was created by the Danish govern-
While Lundbeck has successfully recruited
ment in October 2020, and in late 2022, it will
new employees and found a new head of research
present solutions for e.g. securing education and
for early development in line with the company’s
training for the future; as Elise Hauge sees it, that
growth strategy, the pharmaceutical company
is absolutely pivotal for maintaining and expan-
currently has a total of around
ding Medicon Valley’s leading
50 vacant positions at its factory
”We have to accept
position as an international
in Lumsås in Zealand and at its
hub for the life sciences.
that we need to re-
headquarters in Valby, Copen-
– Personally, I’m concer-
hagen. The development of new
ned about whether we are
cruit from abroad.
medicines may be delayed as a
educating enough people
There just aren’t
result, says Elise Hauge.
and whether we’re educating
enough neurologi-
them right. That’s one part
– In Lumsås, its partly a
question of getting engineers for
we can do better in Den-
cal researchers in
production. In Valby, we particu-
mark, she says. She mentions
Denmark.”
larly need specialists in neuro-
that Lundbeck is working
logical research, PhD graduates
to encourage more upper
and doctors, says Elise Hauge, adding that the
secondary students to choose STEM-subjects (Sci-
coronavirus pandemic has accelerated the need for
ence, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics), for
even more digital competences.
example with the competition Drug Hunters.
– We need to appraise where digitalisation can
be used more in our clinical tests, but also how to
Make it easier to recruit from abroad
maintain contact with people who are testing our
products, for example via an app, so we can gather
According to Elise Hauge, the other structural
real time evidence. We’re looking to recruit a lot of
challenge in Medicon Valley is the shortage of
people with digital expertise. So are a lot of other
skilled labourers.
companies and industries. Digital expertise is hard
– We have to accept that we need to recruit
to find, she says.
from abroad. There just aren’t enough neurological
researchers in Denmark, so we must bring them
from abroad. And that isn’t always easy, says Elise
More specialist training is important
Hauge. She mentions that it sometimes takes
According to Elise Hauge, there aren’t enough life
months for the authorities to process work- and
science-specialists in Medicon Valley – and she
residence permits for workers coming to Denmark
knows that many other companies in the sector,
such as the hearing aid manufacturer Demant and
the dermatology company LEO Pharma as well,
have a shortage of highly qualified labourers.
– My colleagues at other pharma companies
are also concerned about the future. We don’t see
it getting easier to recruit highly skilled labourers
in the future. In that sense, we see it increasingly
becoming a problem, says Elise Hauge. She sees
recruiting the right people as decisive in relation to
other challenges in the sector.
– If we don’t have the right people at Lund-
beck, we cannot function as a company. Recrui-
ting the right people, and in the numbers that we
need, is really vital, she says.
Elise Hauge, Executive Vice
To help find ways to overcome the challenges,
President for People and
Lundbeck and Elise Hauge have been invited to
Communication in Lundbeck.
join a working group on behalf of the so-called
STATE OF MEDICON VALLEY • November 2021
PHOTO: LUNDBECK
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THE BEACONS OF MEDICON VALLEY
THE BEACONS OF MEDICON VALLEY
ILLUSTRATION: NCC
PHOTO: LUNDBECK
from abroad, and she sees that as an ”uncertainty
factor”.
Due to the shortage of skilled labourer in
Denmark, Lundbeck recruits continuously from
around the world as well as from Skåne; many
other life science companies in Zealand, such as
Ferring Pharmaceuticals and Novo Nordisk, do
the same.
– There are a lot of Swedish-speakers at the site,
so many people cross the Øresund Bridge from
Sweden to Denmark every morning, says Elise
Hauge. She sees that as an indication that the
transborder exchange of expertise works well and
is important in Medicon Valley.
Something else that works well is the Danish
government’s plan to make the tax deduction on
R&D permanent from 2022, as well as public-pri-
vate collaboration in the region, according to Elise
Hauge.
– We’re good at entering partnerships and
working with universities and hospitals. As an ex-
ample, Lundbeck collaborates with Rigshospitalet
on how molecules are transported into the brain,
says Elise Hauge, adding that politicians must ne-
ver take for granted the life science sector’s growth
and its increasing exports.
– We do a good job, and the politicians can
easily say ”Well, that’s going great”, and then go
focus on something else, but if the politicians were
to nurse it more, I think this golden egg could
grow even bigger and benefit everyone in Den-
mark and Sweden, says Elise Hauge.
LUNDBECK
• Founded:
1915
• Branches in life sciences:
Pharma
• Focus area:
Brain medicine
• Ownership:
Foundation-owned, listed
• CEO:
Deborah Dunsire
• Headquarters:
Valby
• Turnover 2020:
17.7bn DKK
• Gross year-end result 2020:
1.9bn. DKK
• Total number of employees in Medicon
Valley:
around 1 750
• Total number of employees globally:
around 5 750
INTERVIEW:
Genmab’s new headquarters in
Valby, Copenhagen, is due to be
completed in the first quarter of
2023.
PHOTO: LUNDBECK
GENMAB IS CONSOLIDATING ITS COPENHAGEN
ACTIVITIES AND BUILDING A NEW GLOBAL HEAD-
QUARTERS WITH ROOM FOR 700 EMPLOYEES
The biotech company Genmab is one of the life science companies in Medicon Valley whose staff
has grown most over the past five years. For that very reason, the company needs more space and
is currently building new global headquarters in Copenhagen that will be nearly four times larger
than their current headquarters. The new headquarters are a milestone for the company, says Bir-
gitte Stephensen, Senior Vice President IPR & Legal at Genmab. The large number of employees is
partially due to the biotech company’s goal to take over more of the marketing of their own cancer
drugs, and partially due to a large number of new research projects.
Lundbeck bought a
former dairy in Lumsås
for pharmaceutical
production in 1961.
The listed Danish biotech company Genmab expects
to inaugurate its new global headquarters in Valby,
Copenhagen in the first quarter of 2023. The move
will give the company space for its growing staff.
Founded in Copenhagen in 1999, Genmab now has
international operations and commercial activities in
Princeton, USA; Utrecht, Holland, and Tokyo, Japan.
– We’re running out of space. We have three
different locations in Copenhagen, and we expect
to expand even more in the coming years, so we’d
like to have all our staff in Denmark under the
same roof, says Birgitte Stephensen, Senior Vice
STATE OF MEDICON VALLEY • November 2021
President IPR & Legal at Genmab.
The new headquarters in Copenhagen thus has
space for around 700 employees, which will ensure
the company enough office space to grow robustly
in the coming years, and this is something the
biotech company expects to continue doing, says
Birgitte Stephensen.
She adds that when it comes to recruitment,
Genmab benefits from the dense concentration of
life science companies in Medicon Valley; because
there are many professionals in the region, they ge-
nerally don’t have difficulty recruiting employees.
53
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THE BEACONS OF MEDICON VALLEY
THE BEACONS OF MEDICON VALLEY
PHOTO: TUALA HJARNØ – GENMAB
The 12 500m2 new headquarters will be nearly
four times larger than its current headquarters at
Kalvebod Brygge in Copenhagen, where the com-
pany’s base has been 3 500m2 in a building owned
by the Swedish real estate company Castellum.
Prior to that, Genmab was in other locations in
the Copenhagen area; the biotech company is cur-
rently building its new domicile from the ground
up, and this is an important consolidation.
– This is a very important milestone for Genmab.
I’ve been with the company since 2002 and we’ve
had many different addresses, and over the years it
has been hard to predict how many people we would
be. We had a few tough years during the financial
crisis and we had to cut our staff and downsize our
offices, so I see this as a really significant milestone,
and it shows that we have become a very well conso-
lidated company, says Birgitte Stephensen.
Genmab quadrupled its labour force in
Medicon Valley
Genmab hit another milestone in July 2021 when
its number of employees around the globe rounded
1 000; of these, 300 are in Copenhagen – that’s
nearly five times what the Danish staff number was
five years ago, when around 60 people were employ-
ed in Copenhagen.
Genmab is thus one of the life science com-
panies in Medicon Valley whose staff has grown
most since 2017, according to figures compiled by
Øresundsinstituttet and data available from the
company register Bisnode.
The steep employee growth curve that the
company has followed over the past three or four
years according to Birgitte Stephensen is in part
a manifestation of Genmab’s vision to market its
products on its own by 2025; doing this requires
additional competences.
Genmab currently has five products on the
market. Four of them are currently sold by the
international life science companies Janssen,
Novartis and Horizon Therapeutics, and Genmab
receives milestone- and royalty payments. One
of the products, Darzalex, for a type of cancer
called myelomatosis, is marketed by Janssen and is
responsible for around 73% of turnover.
The ambition to be involved in the marketing of a
pharmaceutical of which Genmab has 50% ownership
or more was already fulfilled earlier this year with the
drug Tivdak, for recurring, metastatic cervical cancer.
The biotech company will market Tivdak in the USA
with its American collaborator Seagen following the
54
Birgitte Stephensen,
Senior Vice President
IPR & Legal Genmab.
American drug authorities’ approval this September;
this may be seen as yet another in a series of milestones
for the biotech company.
More clinical projects increase staff growth
The other reason Genmab’s staff is growing is that the
company’s pipeline is growing and there are more cli-
nical projects, explains Birgitte Stephensen. The more
comprehensive development work is partially due to
a new collaboration agreement for new cancer drugs
with the American biotech company AbbVie, which
has already brought Genmab more than 40mn USD
in milestone payments from the American company.
– We have a very broad range of different functions
and different expertise represented on our Danish site,
but the areas where growth has been especially strong
are clinical operations and our CMC-area, which is in
charge of production, says Birgitte Stephensen
The new location in Copenhagen will not inclu-
de labs, which the company’s seats in Holland and
the USA do, she adds. The building will exclusi-
vely contain offices, and its placement was largely
influenced by where employees live and the short
distance to Copenhagen Airport.
INTERVIEW:
PolyPeptide, located in Limhamn,
Malmö, is one of the city’s largest
CDMOs with 300 employees.
AUGMENTED PRODUCTION AND A LISTING
– ONE OF MALMÖ’S LARGEST LIFE SCIENCE
COMPANY PRESSING FORWARD
One of Malmö’s largest life science companies, PolyPeptide, is in an expansion phase. This spring,
the company received permission to almost triple its peptide production in Malmö, and its parent
company went public in Switzerland. The company’s manufacturing capacity is already being scaled
up at the facility in Limhamn, and production is set to increase substantially in 2022. While the
company’s current staff of 300 won’t be multiplying as quickly as the kilos of peptides, PolyPeptide
Group’s site director in Malmö Jens Fricke does expect the personnel to grow in the coming years.
One challenge to the continued expansion is brought up: nowadays it’s hard to find the right experti-
se in automatization, chemistry, and process technology.
GENMAB
• Founded:
1999
• Branches in life sciences:
Biotech
• Focus area:
Cancer
• Ownership:
Listed
• CEO:
Jan van de Winkel
• Headquarters:
Copenhagen
• Turnover 2020:
10.1bn DKK
• Gross year-end result 2020:
4.8bn DKK
• Total number of employees in Medicon Valley:
around 315
• Total number of employees globally:
around 1 000
A lot has happened over the past year for one of
Malmö’s largest life science actors, the CDMO
PolyPeptide, whose global facilities make pepti-
des for 16 of the world’s largest pharmaceutical
manufacturers today. Around half of those clients
work directly with PolyPeptide in Malmö. When
Jens Fricke receives us at the company’s Limhamn
plant, on the very same site where Frederik Paulsen
Sr founded Ferring back in 1952, he shows us the
addition currently being built for the increased
STATE OF MEDICON VALLEY • November 2021
production volume to come. PolyPeptide was part
of Ferring until PolyPeptide Group was created in
1996. Today, the listed company is owned largely by
Draupnir Holding BV.
The walls of the meeting room where we take
a seat are covered with whiteboards filled with
jotted notes about current projects and clients. As
a company that delivers peptides, also known as
amino acid chains, to some of the world’s big-
gest big pharma companies and biotech players,
55
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THE BEACONS OF MEDICON VALLEY
THE BEACONS OF MEDICON VALLEY
PolyPeptide has its hands full trying to meet the
up. One of them has to do with our own capacity,
enormous demand.
and the other is whether we have clients lined up.
This spring, after a process that took five years,
Sometimes clients’ demands increase steadily, and
the company received permission from the Land
sometimes we suddenly get multiple large orders
and Environment Court of Appeal to increase
all at once, so it’s difficult to say exactly how the
their production volume in Malmö to 1 000 kilos
development will take shape in the long term. And
a year – from the estimated 400 kilos per year.
clients may have rapid developments in either direc-
– The news was a relief for us, because now
tion, and their needs may be more or less than what
we can go further with an incredibly successful
was originally planned, he says.
operation that is growing
Today, PolyPeptide employs
more with each year. It also
”The demand for
around 300 people in Malmö,
makes it possible for us to
which is an increase of nearly 100
good labour in the
take on bigger projects,
individuals in five years. Jens Fricke
which helps our clients take
region has grown
expects the number of employees
their next step. If we hadn’t
the
over the past years.
to continue to grow inpart years
gotten approval, there
to come. Since a large
of the
A lot of companies,
expanded capacity will be reliant
would have been a risk that
our clients turned to other
both in Malmö-Lund
on the automatization and digita-
players instead, says Jens
lisation of processes however, the
Fricke, site director of Poly-
and in Copenhagen,
company’s staff is not expected to
Peptide Group Malmö.
grow as substantially as the financial
are growing and
The approval is also the
results and the production volume.
largely seeking the
There are also challenges when it
reason that PolyPeptide has
already started working on
comes to recruitment – the expertise
same expertise.”
expanding its facility, so it
necessary for the automatization and
can create a larger-scale and more flexible production
digitalisation of a chemical production process is
moving forward. A sizeable new project will be im-
difficult to locate in the region today.
plemented in 2022 in which the treatment line in the
– The demand for good labour in the region
production process will be extended with automated
has grown over the past years. A lot of companies,
systems, which will also mean increased flexibility.
both in Malmö-Lund and in Copenhagen, are
– Being able to meet clients’ needs is an impor-
growing and largely seeking the same expertise.
tant factor for us. When they contact us, they’d ide-
Because of that, along with bringing in people
ally like to have the products the next day and not
from outside, we’re also putting efforts into inter-
in two years, because their clinical projects will be
nal training and career paths, says Jens Fricke.
delayed otherwise, says Jens Fricke, adding that the
In April 2021, the parent company PolyPeptide
addition also includes an improvement to isolation,
Group started trading in Switzerland. The IPO
which is the final part of the production process.
raised 172mn Euro and entails that the global
Besides building new production components,
headquarters is established in Zug, Switzerland.
PolyPeptide works ceaselessly to maintain and
Today there are four people there, one of whom is
improve the production processes in place today.
the company’s CEO Raymond de Vré, as well as
– It’s a question of how we can exploit our ex-
others in investor relations. Many global functions
isting resources better. How can we use less energy
are still based in Malmö however, for example IT,
per kilo we produce, for example? That agenda is
marketing, and product development. The IPO
something we follow ourselves, but our clients also
has meant greater transparency toward the public
encourage it, says Jens Fricke.
for the operations in Malmö, and Jens Fricke finds
Determining exactly when PolyPeptide will
that the public is now more interested in the com-
reach its production volume of 1 000 kilos in
pany and its operations.
Malmö is difficult, Jens Fricke says. As an CDMO
In addition to the facility in Malmö, the com-
with no products or brands of its own, the compa-
pany has manufacturing and research in the USA,
ny’s environment is continually changing, and it
France, India, and Belgium. In 2020 PolyPeptide
largely depends on good relationships with clients,
Group had a turnover of 223mn Euro, of which
as well as the clients’ results.
PolyPeptide Laboratories in Malmö turned over
– Two factors dictate how quickly we can scale
732mn SEK.
56
STATE OF MEDICON VALLEY • November 2021
POLYPEPTIDE GROUP
• Founded:
1952 under the name Nordiska Hor-
monlaboratoriet by Fredrik Paulsen, changed
its name to PolyPeptide in 1996 and became
independent from Ferring Pharmaceuticals
• Branches in life sciences:
CDMO (Contract
Development Manufacturing Organization)
• Focus area:
Peptides
• Ownership:
Listed in Switzerland
• CEO:
Raymond De Vré
• Headquarters:
Zug, Switzerland
• Turnover 2020:
223mn EUR
• Gross year-end result 2020:
38mn EUR
• Total number of employees in Medicon Valley:
around 300
• Total number of employees globally:
around 1 000
Polypeptide Group’s
director in Malmö,
Jens Fricke.
A survey of the companies in Skåne’s life science sector was published last November by
Øresundsinstituttet and Medicon Valley Alliance as part of the Interreg-project Greater
Copenhagen Life Science Analysis Initiative. The life science sector in Zealand is currently
being mapped out, and the results are expected to be presented in 2022.
SKÅNE’S LIFE SCIENCE SECTOR COM-
PRISES 426 COMPANIES.
Around half of
them can be classified as micro-compa-
nies with nine employees or fewer. There
are around 100 small companies with 10-
49 employees and ca 25 medium-sized
companies with 50-249 employees. Six
life science companies with more than
250 employees were identified. While
most of the enterprises are micro-com-
panies, two-thirds of employees work in
medium-sized or large companies.
HALF OF THE COMPANIES ARE
LOCATED IN SCIENCE PARKS.
Of
the 426 life science companies
identified, around half are located in
the parks Medeon, Ideon, Medicon
Village and the incubator SmiLe.
With its 225 registered companies,
Lund is the municipality in Skåne
with the greatest number of life
science companies.
7 500
The life science industry employs
7 500 people in Skåne. The sector
has grown in recent years – in
2015 there were just under 6 000
people working at Skåne’s life
science companies.
92 new companies
92 new life science enterprises have seen
the light of day since 2015. Together,
they employ around 220 people. 64 of the
newly-founded companies are in Lund
Municipality.
STATE OF MEDICON VALLEY • November 2021
57
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THE BEACONS OF MEDICON VALLEY
PHOTO: INEWS ØRESUND
THE BEACONS OF MEDICON VALLEY
network of manufacturing industries that contri-
bute to what is called what is called Industry 4.0.
Around 60 companies around the globe are classi-
fied as Lighthouses, and previously Sandvik was the
only Lighthouse in Sweden.
– We’re proud of the designation. It was a
long process, and it means that we are a guiding
light in the industrial revolution of digitalisation,
sustainability and more. We’re also Johnson &
Johnson’s very first CO2-neutral production site,
says Jody Lodge, adding that the company’s focus
on sustainability also resulted in it being awarded
Helsingborg’s environmental award in 2020.
More expansion and automatization in the
future
McNeil will continue to increase its capacity as the
demand, primarily for Nicorette, continues to grow –
but it is still too early to say how that increase will take
form, says Jody Lodge.
– Looking toward the future, we see more tech-
nology involving more robots and automatization
than what we use today. The need for employees
who can support that technology will still exist
in the future. That’s not to say we don’t have that
technology now; it means that we’ll be putting
more focus on it.
According to Jody Lodge, generally speaking,
technical expertise is what McNeil will need in the
years to come. There will be a particular demand
for people who understand and can implement
technical solutions for problems. While McNeil
has no trouble recruiting, he says, he has the
impression that the supply of technical expertise in
the future won’t be able to meet the demand from
the companies in the region.
–There’s a high concentration of life science
companies in this region, and I think that the
demand will surpass the supply. That’s just my
impression, says Jody Lodge. For the moment he
isn’t worried however, because McNeil has good
networks and links to the student environment, as
Jody Lodge points out – and on top of that, the
Helsingborg company works actively to develop
employees’ competences further so they can handle
new tasks, he explains.
McNeil’s predecessor started in Copenhagen
in 1908
The McNeil story started back in 1908 in Copen-
hagen when two pharmacists bought the pharmacy
STATE OF MEDICON VALLEY • November 2021
INTERVIEW:
SKÅNE’S LARGEST LIFE SCIENCE COMPANY
MCNEIL IS BOOSTING ITS CAPACITY IN
HELSINGBORG
With around 665 employees, McNeil in Helsingborg is Skåne’s largest life science company, best
known for its stop-smoking products, Nicorette. Major investments have been made in recent years
to increase production in Helsingborg, and a new product – the nasal spray Rhinocort – has been
implemented in production. The demand for Nicorette products is expected to grow in the years to
come, and the capacity will also continue to increase, says McNeil’s CEO Jody Lodge.
Jody Lodge, CEO McNeil.
MCNEIL
• Founded:
1914 under the name AB LEO, which
was a subsidiary of the Danish LEO Pharma,
changed its name to McNeil in 2006 after it was
acquired by Johnson & Johnson. Prior to the
acquisition McNeil was owned by e.g. Pfizer
• Branches in life sciences:
Pharma
• Focus area:
Over-the-counter medicines (OTC)
• Ownership:
Private (Johnson & Johnson
corporation)
• CEO:
Jody Lodge
• Headquarters:
Helsingborg
• Turnover 2020:
1.7bn SEK
• Gross year-end result 2020:
0.9bn SEK
• Total number of employees in Medicon
Valley:
830
• Total number of employees globally:
around 130 000 in Johnson & Johnson
In 2019, the company invested around 20mn Euro
in the Helsingborg facility.
– We’ve increased our capacity, and we’re wor-
king on implementing new products fully. Part of
why we’re expanding our capacity is an increa-
sed market demand for Nicorette products, says
Jody Lodge, CEO of McNeil. The new products
to which he refers are primarily the nasal spray
Rhinocort, which is currently manufactured and
was partially developed in Helsingborg.
The increased demand for McNeil’s over-the-
counter stop smoking products Nicorette increased
more still during the pandemic, as many people
took action against their smoking addictions.
58
– McNeil has fared well during the pandemic.
Working from home went very well, and it seems
many people decided to stop smoking during the
pandemic, so we’ve seen an effect on our Nicorette
products, he says, adding that production has been
able to continue without interruption, and there
has been a drastic decrease in travel in McNeil and
in the American company.
Awarded for environmental work
In the past year, McNeil was designated a
‘Lighthouse’ by the World Economic Forum
(WEF). McNeil thus became part of a global
STATE OF MEDICON VALLEY • November 2021
59
PHOTO: NEWS ØREUSND
McNeil in Helsingborg is a
subsidiary of the world’s largest
pharmaceutical company,
Johnson & Johnson.
Løveapoteket. The business became Københavns
Løveapoteks Kemiske Fabrik, now known as LEO
Pharma. In 1914 the business branched out to
Sweden with the subsidiary AB LEO in Helsingborg,
where the first product was stool-softening pills. Over
the course of the 20th century changes were made
to the company name, ownership and product port-
folio, but Nicorette has been the company’s primary
product since 1978, and in 2006 Johnson & Johnson
acquired the Helsingborg company from Pfizer.
Today the company’s facilities include manu-
facturing- and administrative buildings with 550
employees and a distribution centre with around
30 employees ten kilometres away. On top of
that, there are R&D facilities with 85 employees
who are responsible for supporting global product
development in the category consumer health at
Johnson & Johnson of which McNeil is a part.
The category has three subareas: cough and cold,
smoking cessation, and digestive health.
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RESEARCH
Compared to last year, the number of life science researchers has increased from 14 500
to 14 700 individuals. At the same time, the number of university students rose in Den-
mark as well as Sweden during the pandemic. Certain measures on the Danish side of the
strait may lead to a decrease in the number of life science students in Medicon Valley in
the future, however. This is partially due to plans to move educational programmes away
from the country’s urban centres, and in part because fewer vocational programmes will
be offered in English.
• 14 681 people research in the
life sciences in Medicon Valley,
at universities, regions and
research institutions. 74% of
them are in eastern Denmark,
and 26% are in Skåne, accor-
ding to information compiled
from these research actors.
• Researchers at the universi-
ties, research institutions and
regional councils of Medicon
Valley are conducting or have
completed more than 200
research projects related to
covid-19 over the past two
years. The projects range
from vaccine development to
understanding the virus and
contagion and how to improve
the care of afflicted patients.
• All of Copenhagen’s educatio-
nal institutions are affected by
a broad political agreement in
Denmark entailing that admis-
sions to educational program-
mes in the metropolitan areas
will gradually be reduced up
to ten per cent. Research may
also be impacted. The ambition
is to move the study places
from the cities and elsewhere
in the country.
• The number of exchange stu-
dents to universities in Medicon
Valley has decreased during the
coronavirus pandemic, while
degree students have continued
to arrive, say universities in the
region. Danish statistics for
2020 confirm this.
• Swedish and Danish univer-
sities slip slightly on the most
renowned ranking lists, where
American and British universi-
ties fill the top slots as usual.
The learning institution in
Medicon Valley to rank highest
is the University of Copenha-
gen, but from a Scandinavian
perspective, it usually – though
not always – comes in after
Stockholm-based Karolinska
Institute.
MORE STUDENTS AT UNI AND 200 RESEARCH
PROJECTS ON COVID-19 IN MEDICON VALLEY
More than 200 research projects related to SARS-CoV-2 have been started in Medicon Valley since
the spring of 2020, as a concrete consequence of the pandemic. Studies have shown however that
various restrictions and closures due to covid-19 have affected research and education in many
ways, a few examples being that university employees have had to put more time into teaching at
the expense of their research and that more students have applied to and completed educational
training programmes, but also that fewer exchange students have come to the region.
RESEARCH:
Coronavirus pandemic
impacts research and
education
University researchers in all fields have found it
more difficult to gather data, and teaching has
required more time, at the expense of research.
It is not uncommon that researchers experienced
diminished creativity and motivation when it came
to research during the pandemic. One-fourth of
researcher respondents reported that they had to
make many or very many changes to their research.
At the same time, some researchers reported little
STATE OF MEDICON VALLEY • November 2021
difference compared to before the pandemic, as
shown in a study conducted by the Swedish Higher
Education Authority of seven learning institutions
in Sweden, including Kristianstad University.
The number of students at universities and colle-
ges increased in Denmark as well as Sweden during
the pandemic, as did the number of students who
completed their studies, according to statistics from
Statistics Denmark and Swedish Higher Education
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RESEARCH
RESEARCH
Authority. Swedish figures revealed however that
socially uneven recruitment to universities became
more prevalent than before the pandemic.
Studies of learning environments during the
coronavirus era have revealed that students have not
felt the same joy or motivation related to their studies
as before. Certain aspects of digital teaching worked
well, such as planned contact between teachers and
students, as shown in a study by and of the ten
Danish seats including Roskilde University, Aalborg
University and University College of Northern
Denmark. Funding came from Denmark’s Ministry
of Higher Education and Science. At the same time,
there have been fewer discussions and dialogues
between students and directly with instructors.
Denmark and Sweden have both implemented
strategies to counter the possible negative effects of
the pandemic on students. In Sweden for example,
extra resources have been allocated for study-social
activities at universities and colleges, and Denmark
has done the same in order to allow graduating
students to participate in practical features of their
educational programmes that they missed.
Millions to research
Both countries have also allocated resources for
research on covid-19. Early in the pandemic, the
Danish government allocated 150mn DKK for
covid-19 research, and the Swedish government
pledged 100mn SEK. In addition, the Swedish
government later also allocated 100mn SEK for
follow-up studies on covid-19 vaccines and 50mn
SEK for research on long covid.
Furthermore, numerous Danish foundations
designated resources for covid-19 research, and
Danish and Swedish researchers have been able to
seek funding for research projects about the illness
from the countries’ ”regular” grant funds.
200 coronavirus projects in Medicon Valley
As in last year’s report, at least 200 research projects
related to SARS-CoV-2 have been counted in
Medicon Valley since the start of the pandemic.
This year’s figures are even more certain however,
as they are based entirely on information from the
regions, universities, and research institutions on
the number of projects. Nonetheless, there is still no
comprehensive overview available, as many learning
institutions and regions do not know themselves
exactly how many research projects related to
covid-19 their researchers are involved in. In addi-
tion, there is a great deal of research related to the
coronavirus at companies in Medicon Valley, and
this is not included in the 200 projects.
The vast majority of academic research is con-
ducted by the regional councils, which are heading
more than half of the projects counted.
Fewer exchange students
Since the start of the pandemic, the number of
international students coming to Medicon Valley
on exchange programmes from other universities
around the world has decreased. However, the
number of students who have come for full degree
programmes has increased somewhat, report some
of the region’s universities. The development is
also evident in Danish statistics on the number of
international students in 2020. Swedish statistics for
2020 have not yet been released.
Fewer international students are expected in
Denmark in the future however, due to a political
agreement entailing that fewer business academies
and vocational bachelor programmes will be able
to offer courses in English in the future. The reason
is a political desire to cut back the number of EU
citizens who study and work in Denmark and thus
have a right to Danish student grants.
STATE OF MEDICON VALLEY • November 2021
200 SARS-COV-2-RELATED RESEARCH PROJECTS
IN MEDICON VALLEY
Researchers at the universities, research institutions and regional councils of Medicon Valley are
conducting or have completed more than 200 research projects related to covid-19 over the past two
years. The projects range from vaccine development to understanding the virus and contagion and how
to improve the care of afflicted patients.
One of the most widely discussed projects related to
covid-19 is the vaccine that researchers at the Uni-
versity of Copenhagen are working to develop with
the companies ExpreS2ion Biotech, Adaptvac and
Bavarian Nordic, as well as universities in Aarhus,
Leiden, Tübingen and Wageningen, and others. The
first human trials showed good results, according to
reports from the University of Copenhagen.
Other research projects in Medicon Valley range
from covid-19 immunity in the overall population to
analysis of antibodies that target the so-called spike
protein, which is important for neutralising the virus,
to scientific documentation and comparison of the
effects that different restrictions and recommendations
have had in Denmark and Sweden.
Difficult overview
There is no comprehensive overview over the various
research projects related to the coronavirus in Medicon
Valley; for that reason, some university departments
that conduct extensive research have chosen not to
supply information for this analysis. Other institutions
reported that there are probably more projects than
those they have listed. Based on the information supp-
lied by universities, research institutions and regions in
Medicon Valley however, there have been more than
200 projects since the start of the pandemic.
In addition, it is highly probable that there are
many more research projects related to the coronavirus
EXAMPLES OF COMPANIES
WITH CORONAVIRUS
RESEARCH
Adaptvac,
Hørsholm (vaccine development)
AGC Biologics,
Søborg (vaccine development)
Bavarian Nordic,
Hellerup (vaccine development)
Elplatek,
Espergærde (antibacterial surfaces
on e.g. door handles)
Evaxion Biotech,
Copenhagen (vaccine deve-
lopment)
Expres2ion Biotechnologies,
Hørsholm (vac-
cine development)
Falck,
Copenhagen
Immunitrack,
Copenhagen (contribution to
vaccines and tests)
JVS,
Greve (shields to protect healthcare
workers)
Konduto,
Taastrup (contagion tracing via
algorithms)
Oncology Venture,
Hørsholm (drug development)
Qlife Holding,
Helsingborg (development of
antibody test)
Synact Pharma,
Lund (drug development)
UNION Therapeutics,
Copenhagen (drug
development)
Xintela,
Lund (development of stem cell
treatment)
pandemic and its effects, for example in social sciences,
economics, and the humanities; in the scope of this
analysis, only seats of learning, research institutions
and departments that conduct research in the life
sciences were surveyed.
Furthermore, there has been a great deal of covid
research in the industry – both internally, within
companies, and in collaboration with academia. For
example, in addition to the above example of vaccine
development, Copenhagen-based Union Therapeutics
is working on developing a drug to treat covid-19 that
can be inhaled or taken as a nasal spray, and Qlife
from Skåne developed a covid-19-test.
It is also important to remember that many resear-
ch projects are conducted collaboratively, sometimes
with other actors from Medicon Valley, but just as
often with researchers or industry players elsewhere in
Denmark or Sweden or in other parts of the world.
Most covid-19 research projects in the regions
In terms of the sheer number of research projects
related to the coronavirus, the largest players by far
are the regions. They were responsible for a clear
majority of the approximately 200 projects in this
survey. According to Region Skåne, their researchers
carried out at least 36 related research projects by
June 2021, and Region Zealand reports 46 research
projects in which the region’s researchers have been
the primary partner. No information is available on
how many other research projects Region Zealand’s
researchers have participated in.
It is even more difficult to determine the exact
number of research projects in which researchers wor-
king for the Capital Region of Denmark have been in-
volved. The Capital Region itself has not compiled the
information, but has supplied the number of research
projects registered with the region’s scientific commit-
tee, as well as the number that have requested access to
data from patient journals, i.e., a total of 114 projects.
This figure includes researchers who are employed by
the Capital Region as well as researchers who requested
permission to conduct studies in the Capital Region.
For the sake of clarity, only half of that figure – i.e., 57
projects – have been included in the total sum.
63
ABOUT THE FIGURES:
Many universities, research institutions, and
regions submitted information for this analysis on
the research projects that their researchers are
heading and those in which they are participating
with others. However, some only supplied aggre-
gate information on both types of projects, whilst
still others simply provided the names of projects
headed by their researchers. It is thus not pos-
sible to assert that exactly 200 research projects
are being or have been conducted, but the figure
plausibly represents the minimum number.
62
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Researchers at the University of Copenhagen have received 60mn DKK from the Novo
Nordisk Foundation and 21.5mn DKK from the Innovation Fund to research how manure in
the form of fatty acids can be given to plants via their leaves rather than their roots.
Numerous research projects at the Faculty of Science have been granted large sums this
year. As another example, the Novo Nordisk Foundation granted 48.6mn DKK for research
that aims to develop algorithmic strategies for the quantum simulation of biomolecules,
which can, in extension, generate more knowledge important for biochemical processes in
pharmaceutical design.
PHOTO: REGION HOVEDSTADEN
81.5mn for KU’s manure research
Regions invest in research centre for
gene-based pharmaceuticals and a
better overview of Danish health data
• Region Skåne has decided to co-finance a new platform for
pharmaceutical trials for Alzheimer’s disease. The region has also
started a clinical research centre for ATMP, or pharmaceuticals
based on genes, cells or tissues, with a special focus on clinical
practice and trials in academia as well as in the industry.
• Together with the Region of Southern Denmark and others, the
Capital Region of Denmark is developing the national metadata
map ”Det landsdækkende Datalandkort”, which will provide an
overview of Danish health data to benefit research and develop-
ment. The region is also part of another project on guiding resear-
chers in how they can gain access to health data.
• Throughout the year, Region Zealand has conducted a special
research initiative on personalised cancer care at the Center for
Surgical Science at Zealand University Hospital.
Closing
On 30 June 2022, Sustainable Biotechnology at
the University of Aalborg in Copenhagen will
close its doors. Some of the employees will move
to Aalborg, where research will continue, whilst
others will retire or change jobs. So, in the future,
life science research at Aalborg University in
Copenhagen will only be conducted at the Centre
for RNA Medicine.
PHOTO: LINXS
100 million DKK
British biophysics re-
searcher to head LINXS
On 1 December, Trevor Forsyth will be-
come the new head of LINXS, Lund In-
stitute of Advanced Neutron and X-ray
Science, as well as a professor of biop-
hysics at Lund University. He was most
recently at the Institut Laue-Langevin
(ILL) in Grenoble, France, where he is
also head of the Life Sciences Group. In
addition, he is a biophysics professor
at Keele University in Great Britain.
LINXS’ aim is to create a strong rese-
arch environment built around MAX IV
and ESS and to promote collaboration,
both internationally and with other
societal areas.
The Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences at the
University of Copenhagen has received a 100 mil-
lion DKK grant from the Novo Nordisk Foundation
for establishing a Biosafety class III facility at the
Maersk Research Tower at the Panum Institute.
TOP MARKS FOR BIOFILM RESEARCH .
The resear-
ch centre Biofilms Research Center for Biointerfa-
ces at Malmö University was deemed ”excellent” or
”very good” in all criteria in the review by external
experts conducted every fifth year. Now, the rese-
arch centre will receive funding from the university
for another five years.
OVERWEIGHT IN SMALL CHILDREN BECO-
MES A BIGGER ISSUE
.
Denmark’s National Institute of Public Health in Copen-
hagen is officially part of the University of Southern
Denmark, and its focus has now broadened to include
the mental health and weight of small children.
UNIVERSITY OF COPENHAGEN
CONSOLIDATES INNOVATION.
Around 300 companies a year are
created based on innovations at the
University of Copenhagen. Starting
this year, the university will consol-
idate its innovation in a new centre
headed by Marius Sylvestersen. The
aim is to gather the knowledge spread
out in different departments in a sin-
gle place, and to support translateral
thinking between different subject
areas. The centre will be physically
consolidated in one building.
ILLUSTRATION: HENNING LARSEN ARCHITECTS
30% of KU’s science admissions to be cut
As a result of Denmark’s broad political decision to move student places from metropolitan
areas to other parts of the country, the University of Copenhagen plans to slash student
places at the Faculty of Science by 30%. Research environments related to the faculty may
also be closed. Admissions to the Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences will be cut by
16%. 200 student places in medical training will be relocated to Køge, where the university
already has a medical training collaboration with Region Zealand. This relocation excepted
however, the university has deemed moving student places too costly and difficult, so they
will simply be slashed instead.
All of the seats of learning in and around Copenhagen are affected by the agreement,
including e.g. DTU and Roskilde University, and admissions to educational programmes in
the metropolitan areas will gradually decrease up to ten per cent.
STATE OF MEDICON VALLEY • November 2021
NEW CENTRE, LAB AND MEMBERSHIP AT
LUND UNIVERSITY:
The Faculty of Medicine at Lund University
is extending its existing premises to include
a Movement and Reality lab in Lund and a
64
Virology Centre in Malmö.
Lund University has also become a full
member of the national infrastructure
SciLifeLab Drug Discovery and Develop-
ment Platform.
STATE OF MEDICON VALLEY • November 2021
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RESEARCH
RESEARCH
PHOTO: NEWS ØRESUND
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.
Universities
11. REGION SKÅNE*
14.
1. REGION ZEALAND*
Life science researchers: 490
of which professors: 34
of which doctoral students: 147
Life science students: -
PHOTO: NEWS ØRESUND
Regions
3.
6.
2.
1.
7.
8.
4.
5.
9.
PHOTO: NEWS ØRESUND
12.
10. 11.
13.
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: 210
of which professors: 20
of which doctoral students: 74
Life science students: 746
PHOTO: NEWS ØRESUND
7. AALBORG UNIVERSITY
IN COPENHAGEN
Life science researchers: 14
of which professors: 3
of which doctoral students: 3
Life science students: 41
9. DANISH CANCER SOCIETY*
Life science researchers: 113
of which professors: 6
of which doctoral students: 28
Life science students: -
13. LUND UNIVERSITY
Life science researchers:
1 546
of which professors: 243
of which doctoral students: 466
Life science students: 3024
3. TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY
OF DENMARK (DTU)
Life science researchers: 1 254
of which professors: 91
of which doctoral students: 478
Life science students: 4 293
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.
PHOTO: NEWS ØRESUND
4. UNIVERSITY OF COPENHAGEN
Life science researchers: 4 597
of which professors: 668
of which doctoral students: 2 451
Life science students: 14 411
5. THE NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF
PUBLIC HEALTH (NIPH), UNIVER-
SITY OF SOUTHERN DENMARK
Life science researchers: 107
of which professors: 9
of which doctoral students: 15
Life science students: -
6. REGION HOVEDSTADEN*
Life science researchers: 4 049
of which professors: 254
of which doctoral students: 894
Life science students: -
STATE OF MEDICON VALLEY • November 2021
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 2021
10. MALMÖ UNIVERSITY
Life science researchers: 226
of which professors: 33
of which doctoral students: 99
Life science students: 2 031
14. KRISTIANSTAD
UNIVERSITY
Life science researchers: 70
of which professors: 20
of which doctoral students: 14
Life science students: ca 1 600
66
67
PHOTO: KRISTIANSTAD UNIVERSITY
PHOTO: NEWS ØRESUND
PHOTO: NEWS ØRESUND
PHOTO: NEWS ØRESUND
PHOTO: NEWS ØRESUND
Research
institutions
Life science researchers: ca 1 800
of which professors: 108
of which doctoral students: 776
Life science students: -
PHOTO: NEWS ØRESUND
UNIVERSITIES, REGIONS AND RESEARCH
INSTITUTIONS
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RESEARCH
RESEARCH
INTERNATIONAL DEGREE PROGRAMME STUDENTS
CONTINUE TO ARRIVE, DESPITE THE PANDEMIC
The number of exchange students in Medicon Valley decreased during the coronavirus pandemic,
but degree programme students have continued to come, according to reports from numerous
universities in the region. Danish statistics for 2020 also confirm this.
spring term. This is probably not exclusively due to the
pandemic; other factors may also have had an effect,
for example changes in funding and a new research
school introduced at the Department of Medicine.
Significantly fewer exchange students
Even if the number of degree programme students
and postgrads in the region has remained rather
stable in spite of the pandemic, the number of
international students participating in exchange
programmes has fallen, according to the universi-
ties. At Malmö University for example, the number
of exchange students dropped by half in 2020.
– When covid-19 and the pandemic took hold,
a lot of students chose to cancel their exchange
studies. Malmö University offered digital exchanges,
but they didn’t attract students to the same extent,
and instead of participating digitally, many students
chose to cancel, says Rebecca Arklöf.
Denmark cuts back number of places for
international students
Pandemic or not, the number of international stu-
dents in the Danish part of Medicon Valley might
decrease in the future. In late spring this year, six
Danish political parties, including the Government,
decided to decrease the number of courses taught
in English in Denmark, particularly at business
academies and vocational bachelor programmes.
The reason is that increasingly more EU-citizens
are entitled to Danish study grants, as they both
study and work part-time in Denmark. Politicians
decided to target courses at business academies and
vocational bachelor programmes as statistics show
that few of the English-speaking graduates subsequ-
ently find work in Denmark.
Various types of international students arrive in
Medicon Valley every year: some are on exchange
from another university, others have been admitted
to an international programme, and others are post-
graduate students. Figures from Statistics Denmark
show that the number of international degree- and
postgrads in the life sciences in eastern Denmark
rose between October 2019 and October 2020
by four and five per cent, respectively, despite the
pandemic in the second half of the period.
Admissions and Recruitment Manager at DTU
Vanita Singh confirms this development and also
commented on the university’s degree programme
students in all fields, not only in the life sciences.
– It has been a good year for DTU. We have had
an increase in the number of international students, a
general increase in all our programmes, she said.
Swedish statistics are currently only available for
the period until 2019, and there are thus no official
Swedish figures for the corona period. However, the
experiences reported from the universities in Malmö
and Lund are the same as in Denmark.
– Generally speaking, we haven’t seen any
decline in the number of registered international
students during the pandemic; the figures have re-
mained more or less the same since before the 2020
autumn term. We offered the majority of our inter-
national programmes online, which may be one ex-
planation for the figures staying stable. As far as the
autumn term 2021 is concerned, we’ve seen more
of an increase in the number of students registered
in international programmes, says Rebecca Arklöf,
international coordinator at Malmö University.
The number of students to begin master’s and
graduate programmes at Lund University’s Depart-
ment of Medicine increased slightly during the pan-
demic, according to Elisabeth Axell, who heads the
department’s international division. However, she
believes that the increase might have been greater
if it hadn’t been for the pandemic, as the graduate
programme was offered in English for the first time
in the 2020 autumn term, and there were a small
number of international students at the time.
When it comes to postgrads, the numbers have
declined, she says.
– The number of students in postgraduate pro-
grammes with undergraduate training from other
countries decreased a bit, particularly in the 2021
FEWER INTERNATIONAL RESEARCHERS IN
SWEDEN
In 2020, the number of applications to and approvals for the tax relief scheme in Sweden dropped
after rising for three consecutive years. In Denmark, where statistics are currently only available
until 2019, the number of individuals who took advantage of the tax relief scheme for researchers
and key workers rose in 2019.
NUMBER OF INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS IN THE STUDY YEAR 2019/20
Number of students
Skåne
Stockholm-Uppsala region
Västra Götaland
Sweden, rest of
Sweden
1 191
4 366
1 244
1 668
8 469
of whom in research
programmes
Change 2009/10 - 2019/20
758 people were approved for tax relief in Sweden
in 2020; this was 20% less than in 2019. In 2019, 7
699 people took advantage of the Danish tax relief
scheme; this was a four per cent increase from 2018.
Denmark has seen an increase every year since 2012.
The statistics apply to both countries on the whole
and all fields – not only the life sciences. As the figures
for Denmark and Sweden represent different things,
they cannot be compared directly. Furthermore, both
countries have chosen different tax relief systems, with
the Danish system offering significantly more benefits
that the Swedish (see the fact box below).
314
1 498
262
216
2 290
6%
31%
29%
-7%
17%
FACTS: TAX RELIEF SCHEMES IN DENMARK AND SWEDEN
• 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 advantageous.
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 94 601 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 contributions 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, and in Denmark, for seven
years.
Eastern Denmark
Denmark, rest of
Denmark
2 561
1 487
4 048
986
435
1 148
86%
27%
59%
Medicon Valley
Source: Statistics Sweden and Statistics Denmark
3 752
1 027
50%
68
STATE OF MEDICON VALLEY • November 2021
STATE OF MEDICON VALLEY • November 2021
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RESEARCH
RESEARCH
THE UNIVERSITY OF COPENHAGEN RANKS
HIGHEST OUT OF MEDICON VALLEY’S SEATS OF
LEARNING
Swedish and Danish universities slip slightly on the most renowned ranking lists, where American and
British universities fill the top slots as usual. The learning institution in Medicon Valley to rank highest
is the University of Copenhagen, but from a Scandinavian perspective, it usually – though not always –
comes in after Stockholm-based Karolinska Institute. The ranking is research-based, but depending on
the list in question, teacher density and international reputation may also have an impact.
SHANGHAI RANKING
OVERALL RANKING LIST (2021)
(Total of 1 000 on the list)
1 Harvard University, USA (1)
2 Stanford University, USA (2)
3 University of Cambridge, UK (3)
30 University of Copenhagen (33)
42 Karolinska Institute (45)
71 Aarhus University** (69)
74 Stockholm University (69)
78 Uppsala University (77)
101-150 University of Gothenburg
(101-150)
151-200 Technical University of Den-
mark (DTU) (151-200)
151-200 Lund University (151-200)
201-300 KTH (201-300)
201-300 SLU* (301-400)
301-400 Aalborg University* (301-400)
301-400 Linköping University (301-400)
301-400 University of Southern Den-
mark (301-400)*
401-500 Chalmers (301-400)
401-500 Stockholm School of Econo-
mics (401-500)
401-500 Umeå University (401-500)
601-700 Copenhagen Business School
(801-900)
601-700 Örebro University (601-700)
801-900 Linneaus University (801-900)
QS WORLD UNIVERSITY RANKINGS
WORLD UNIVERSITY RANKINGS
(2022)
(Total of 1 300 on the list)
1 Massachusetts Institute of Technology
(MIT), USA (1)
2 University of Oxford, UK (5)
3 Stanford University, USA (2)
79 University of Copenhagen (76)
87 Lund University (97)
89 KTH Royal Institute of Technology
(98)
99 Technical University of Denmark
(DTU) (103)
121 Chalmers University of Technology
(139)
124 Uppsala University (124)
148 Stockholm University (181)
155 Aarhus University** (147)
180 University of Gothenburg (202)
309 University of Southern Denmark*
(353)
326 Aalborg University* (305)
329 Linköping University (262)
365 Umeå University (333)
PHOTO: NEWS ØRESUND
By Faculty - Life Sciences and Medici-
ne (2021)
(Total of 502 on the list)
By Faculty - Natural Sciences (2021)
(Total of 501 on the list)
1 Harvard University (USA)
2 University of Oxford (UK)
3 Stanford University (USA)
8 Karolinska Institute (10)
19 University of Copenhagen (18)
58 Uppsala University (54)
80 Lund University (77)
85 Aarhus University** (86)
95 University of Gothenburg (105)
191 Umeå University (201)
196 University of Southern Denmark*
(231)
238 Stockholm University (231)
248 Swedish University of Agricultural
Sciences (SLU)* (255)
292 Technical University of Denmark
(DTU) (305)
284 Linköping University (320)
348 Aalborg University* (371)
1 Massachusetts Institute of Technology
(MIT), USA (1)
2 Stanford University, USA (3)
3 Harvard University, USA (2)
82 University of Copenhagen (80)
85 KTH Royal Institute of Technology
(84)
98 Stockholm University (104)
117 Lund University (96)
140 Uppsala University (139)
165 Technical University of Denmark
(DTU) (167)
184 Chalmers University of Technology
(181)
201 Aarhus University** (197)
373 University of Gothenburg (377)
396 Linköping University (399)
TIMES HIGHER EDUCATION
WORLD UNIVERSITY RANKINGS (2022)
(Total of 1 662 on the list)
1 University of Oxford, UK (1)
2 California Institute of Technology,
USA (4)
3 Harvard University, USA (3)
39 Karolinska Institute (36)
96 University of Copenhagen (84)
104 Aarhus University** (106)
116 Lund University (103)
131 Uppsala University (111)
176 Stockholm University (183)
185 Technical University of Denmark
(DTU) (187)
185 University of Gothenburg (191)
201-250 Aalborg University* (201-250)
201-250 Copenhagen Business School
(CBS)** (201-250)
201-250 KTH Royal Institute of Techno-
logy (201-250)
251-300 Chalmers University of Tech-
nology (201-250)
251-300 Linköping University (401-500)
251-300 University of Southern Den-
mark* (251-300)
301-350 Swedish University of Agricul-
tural Sciences (SLU)* (351-400)
351-400 Umeå University (351-400)
401-500 Örebro University (351-400)
601-800 Roskilde University (601-800)
801-1000 Karlstad University (801-1000)
By subject: Clinical and Health (2022)
(Total of 925 on the list)
By subject: Life Sciences (2022)
(Total of 972 on the list)
1 University of Oxford, UK (1)
2 Harvard University, USA (2)
3 Imperial College London, UK (4)
13 Karolinska Institute (10)
72 University of Copenhagen (76)
96 Uppsala University (101-125)
101-125 Lund University (101-125)
101-125 Aarhus University** (101-125)
126-150 University of Gothenburg
(126-150)
251-300 Aalborg University* (251-300)
251-300 Umeå University (251-300)
251-300 University of Southern Den-
mark *(251-300)
301-400 Linköping University (301-400)
301-400 Technical University of Den-
mark (DTU) (251-300)
301-400 Örebro University (301-400)
1 Harvard University, UK (1)
2 University of Cambridge, USA (2)
3 Massachusetts Institute of Technology
(MIT), USA (4)
28 Karolinska Institute (24)
56 Uppsala University (49)
75 Lund University (70)
85 Stockholm University (87)
100 Aarhus University (126-150)
101-125 Swedish University of Agricul-
tural Sciences (SLU)* (101-125)
101-125 Technical University of Den-
mark (DTU) (69)
201-250 Chalmers University of Tech-
nology (not on the list)
201-250 University of Gothenburg (176-
200)
251-300 Umeå University (201-250)
251-300 University of Southern Den-
mark* (251-300)
301-400 Aalborg University* (201-250)
301-400 Linköping University (301-400)
301-400 Örebro University (301-400)
Footnote:
Shanghai Ranking is published
by the independent organisation Shanghai
Ranking Consultancy. Times Higher Education
is published by the eponymous journal and
reviewed by PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC).
QS World University Rankings is published by
the British student guidance company Quac-
quarelli Symonds (QS).
Red: performs life sciences research in
Medicon Valley
(Last year’s ranking.)
* Has a branch in the region.
** Located or has a branch in the region, but does
not perform life science research in the region.
70
STATE OF MEDICON VALLEY • November 2021
STATE OF MEDICON VALLEY • November 2021
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PHOTO: NEWS ØRESUND
ANALYSIS
When Medicon Valley’s life science companies invest in new plants, offices, research facili-
ties and acquisitions, the foundation is laid for continued growth.
•
New and expanded plants are a prerequisite for
the R&D of new pharmaceuticals and medical
products reaching new patients and generating
new revenue.
More than half of Medicon Valley’s 32 beacon
companies with over 250 employees in the re-
gion are expanding with company acquisitions
or investments in new or expanded offices,
research facilities and plants.
Since 2000 Novo Nordisk has invested more
than 30bn DKK in new and expanded facilities
in Denmark and the USA. Since 2019 Fujifilm
Diosynth Biotechnologies has invested 12bn
DKK in the acquisition and expansion of a
pharmaceutical plant in Hillerød.
Other life science companies that plan invest-
ments or have invested in new plants, offices or
research facilities since 2019 include Novozy-
mes, LEO Pharma, AGC Biologics, Chr Hansen,
Genmab and Ferring in Zealand and McNeil,
Tepe, Sever Pharma Solutions and Polypeptide
in Skåne. Furthermore, substantial acquisitions
•
have been made by Novo Nordisk, Lundbeck,
Coloplast, and others.
•
Investments are also being made on national
and European levels in the material resear-
ch facilities MAX IV and European Spallation
Source (ESS) in Lund. ESS’ data centre is in
Copenhagen. Among other things, the facilities
may be used for the development of new phar-
maceuticals.
Additional investments are being made by the
industrial foundation owners of Denmark’s
large pharma companies, which grant billions
annually to e.g. research and new business.
The region’s nine universities and higher lear-
ning institutions specialising in the life sciences
combined with the six thriving science parks
are an important foundation for research and
innovation.
Together, the structures and new initiatives
above give Medicon Valley robust potential for
continued healthy growth.
•
•
•
•
•
BILLIONS INVESTED ARE A SIGN OF STRENGTH
The Danish-Swedish life science cluster in Medicon Valley is about to climb a rung on the develop-
ment ladder. One sign of strength in the region are the thriving beacon companies with their growing
numbers of employees, and more than half of these companies are scaling up through acquisitions
or investments in new or expanded offices, research facilities and plants. The region’s six flourish-
ing science parks are the foundation on which new businesses form from university research. The
synchrotron radiation facility MAX IV in Lund and the European Spallation Source, which is also in
Lund but has its data centre in Copenhagen, are expected to offer new opportunities for developing
pharmaceuticals. Nationally, more patent applications have been noted, and there have been new
export records in both Denmark and Sweden, where life science has been prioritised highly on politi-
cal agendas for several years now and new national strategies have been formulated for the sector.
ANALYSIS:
Medicon Valley
invests for
increased growth
For Medicon Valley, development means more
than just new research and new products. A
world-class industrial structure is essential for
new pharmaceuticals and medical products to
reach patients around the globe. Production in
Medicon Valley is in a wide-reaching expansion
phase, and above all else that will contribute to
STATE OF MEDICON VALLEY • November 2021
an increase in Danish pharmaceutical exports.
Headquartered near Copenhagen in Bagsværd,
Danish Novo Nordisk is Scandinavia’s largest
pharmaceutical company today, after 20 years
of very rapid growth. Between 2001 (the first
year after it separated from the biotech company
Novozymes) and 2020, Novo Nordisk’s turnover
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ANALYSIS
ANALYSIS
PHOTO: SEVER PHARMA SOLUTIONS
Novo Nordisk puts over 30bn DKK into sca-
ling up production
Since 1969, Novo Nordisk has built up the regi-
on’s largest pharmaceutical manufacturing facility
in the port city of Kalundborg in western Zealand.
After investments of over 18bn DKK since 2000,
more than half of the world’s insulin is produced
there, as are a series of other pharmaceuticals.
However, the investments in Kalundborg won’t
satisfy demands now that the new GLP-1 phar-
maceuticals are being launched. Already in 2015,
Novo Nordisk decided to invest the equivalent
of 13.6bn DKK in new plants in the USA and in
Måløv, northwest of Copenhagen. In 2021, an
additional 500mn DKK investment in the Måløv
plant was initiated.
Fujifilm invests 12bn DKK in Hillerød
The second-largest investment in a plant in
Medicon Valley was made in a facility for biophar-
maceuticals that American Biogen started building
Kenneth Stokholm,
CEO of Sever Pharma
Solutions
PHOTO: H.LUNDBECK
Deborah Dunsire,
CEO of H Lundbeck
Catherine
Mazzacco, CEO of
LEO Pharma
Six people heading companies in change as CEO or chairperson. TePe Munhygienprodukter and Sever Pharma Solutions
in Malmö and Ferring Pharmaceuticals, LEO Pharma and H Lundbeck in Zealand are some of the companies in Medicon
Valley that are transforming through investments in new facilities, offices, acquisitions, or strategic reconstructions. Several
months ago, Ferring and LEO Pharma both appointed new chairpersons of the board with a background at Novo Nordisk.
Medicon Valley
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’.
Investments are a sign of Medicon Valley’s
strength
The above investments are evidence of Medicon
Valley’s strength – and they are merely a selection.
There is a strong confidence in the future among
companies and investors active in the region alike.
Even on a national level however, an under-
standing of the life science cluster’s importance for
growth and employment has emerged in recent
years. Denmark and Sweden now both have na-
tional life science strategies and life science offices.
Denmark has gone a step further and created a
STATE OF MEDICON VALLEY • November 2021
national cluster. That understanding came after the
2008 financial crisis, when the life science sector
went against the tide and continued to grow.
The growth has also continued throughout the
coronavirus pandemic, and the sector made global
contributions with new and rapidly developed
vaccines.
Investments in the material research facilities
MAX IV in Lund and European Spallation Source,
ESS, which is also Lund but has its data centre
in Copenhagen, is yet another sign of national
and European investments that strengthen life
science research. While MAX IV is formally a
Swedish, national investment, Denmark is one
of the countries that has contributed with direct
investments. ESS is a European investment, and
Denmark and Sweden are its host countries.
2020, a record year
Denmark and Sweden had already noted broad
successes in life science in 2019-2020. Tax revenue
from life science companies and their employees
is on the rise, according to statistics from 2019. In
2020 an upward trend could once again be noted
in the number of Danish and Swedish life science
patents granted. Danish and Swedish pharmaceu-
STATE OF MEDICON VALLEY • November 2021
tical exports set new records in 2020, and Danish
pharmaceutical exports have more than doubled
since 2010, while their Swedish counterparts have
increased 66%.
Today there are more than 32 beacon compa-
nies in Medicon Valley, with over 250 employees
in the region. 25 of them are in Zealand, and
seven are in Skåne. Since 2016/2017, the number
of regional employees at Medicon Valley’s beacon
companies has increased by 4 000 people, equiva-
lent to 86% of employment in the life sciences in
Medicon Valley.
Today’s investments make future successes
possible
The examples of major investments in production
and research in Medicon Valley are a sign of the
good potential for another record year, even if
there is naturally a risk of setbacks. International
competition is stiff, not to mention Stockholm,
which intends to surpass Medicon Valley in
growth. Companies such as Lundbeck and LEO
Pharma are undergoing major processes of trans-
formation- and renewal, which means a higher
level of risk. Lundbeck’s share price is currently
under pressure because of lacking research strides.
75
74
PHOTO: LEO PHARMA
grew from 21bn to 127bn DKK, and its employ-
ees around the globe went from 16 100 to 45
300. Expectations are high that the company will
continue to grow thanks to research successes with
the GLP-1 analogue semaglutide. Semaglutide
has already resulted in long-acting injections and
tablets for treating Type-2 diabetes, as well as
pharmaceuticals for treating obesity and possibly
even Alzheimer’s disease.
up after purchasing a site in Hillerød in 2001.
Eighteen years later, the completed facility was
sold to Japanese Fujifilm Diosynth Biotechnolo-
gies, which is now doubling the size of the plant.
Fujifilm will have invested a total of 12bn DKK in
the purchase and expansion of its Danish plant.
A number of other larger companies in the
region have already or are planning to add on to
their manufacturing capacity: LEO Pharma is
building a new facility for 1.5mn DKK in Baller-
up. By 2023, American AGC Biologics will have
doubled the size of its plant in Søborg. In 2020,
Chr Hansen took over a factory in Kalundborg in
western Zealand. This year, Xellia Pharmaceuticals
started up a new plant in the USA.
On the Swedish shores of the Øresund, McNeil
in Helsingborg scaled up production in 2019. In
Malmö, the oral health company TePe and the
CDMOs Sever Pharma Solutions and Polypeptide
expanded or are planning to expand their manu-
facturing facilities.
Large investments are being made in headqu-
arters and research as well. Novozymes inaugu-
rated a large new research campus in Kgs Lyngy,
close to DTU Science Park, in 2019. The Biotech
company Genmab recently decided to build new
headquarters in Copenhagen, and next year Fer-
ring Pharmaceuticals will move into Soundport, its
new Danish headquarters and R&D facility near
Copenhagen Airport.
Three Danish companies have also made
company acquisitions worth billions in the USA
in recent years: Novo Nordisk, Lundbeck and
Coloplast.
A major structural change has also been made
in the globally leading cluster of Danish hearing
aid manufacturers: GN Hearing, Demant and WS
Audiology; the latter was created by the merging
of Danish Widex and the Singaporean company
Sivantos in 2019.
Hanna Hageberg
Hammar, CEO of TePe
Munhygienprodukter
Lars Rebien Sørensen, chairper-
son of the Novo Nordisk Founda-
tion and Ferring Pharmaceuticals
PHOTO: NEWS ØRESUND
PHOTO: NEWS ØRESUND
The former financial director of Novo
Nordisk Jesper Brandgaard is chair-
person of LEO Pharma
PHOTO: LEO PHARMA
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APPENDIX
PHOTO: POLYPEPTIDE
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
where representatives from organizations and companies from the region’s life science clus-
ter will be participating. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, most of the events scheduled for
the near future have been relocated to digital platforms and will be held virtually.
• 15-17 November 2021, Malmö
Techconnect Europe
Innovation Conference & Expo
• 17 November 2021, Malmö
HealthTech @Medicon Valley
• 22 November 2021, Ghent
Translational Immunology
• 30 November-1 December
2021, London
Giant Health 2021
• 7 December 2021, virtual
MedFIT 2021
• 7-9 December 2021, virtual
BioFIT 2021
• 9 December 2021, London
Genesis 2021
• 9-10 December 2021, virtual
SmiLe Innovation Days
• January 2022, Copenhagen
Medicon Valley Alliance
New Year’s Reception
• 24-27 January 2022, Dubai
Arab Health
• 25 January 2022, Zürich
Swiss Nordic Bio 2021
• 31 January 2022, Copenhagen
HALOS symposium
• 18-21 March 2022, Amsterdam
EAU22
• 1 April 2022, Lund
The Future of Swedish
and Danish Life Science
• 4-6 April 2022, Basel
BIO-Europe Spring
• 20-21 April 2022, Malmö
Nordic Life Science Days
• 21 April 2022, Rotterdam
Innovation for Health
• 4 -5 May 2022, London
Anglonordic Life
Science Conference
• November 2022, Copenhagen
Medicon Valley Alliance
Annual Meeting
RECORD NUMBER OF PARTICIPANTS IN LIFE SCIENCE EVENT
IN LUND
APPENDIX:
Facts and definitions
In early September, the science park Medicon
Village in Lund hosted the annual conference The
Future of Swedish and Danish Life Science, where
people from the sector in the Øresund Region and
beyond could meet once again at a large regional
event for the first time since the coronavirus
pandemic. With 250 participants on site and just
as many joining digitally, there conference had a
record-high number of participants, according to
its organiser, the journal Life Science Sweden.
Swedish, Danish, and international speakers took
the stage at Lund’s Medicon Village in early Sep-
tember to talk about exchange and collaboration
opportunities for the life science sector in Sweden
and Denmark. Among the Danish players present
in Lund were the private equity company Sunstone
Life Science Ventures, which has investments in a
number of biotech companies in Lund and Malmö,
the consultant firm Knowledge Gate Group, and
the biotech companies Galecto and ExpreS2ion
Biotechnologies from Copenhagen. The conference
could be followed digitally or on site, and there
were a record number of participants.
In April, SwedenBio plans to hold Nordic Life
Science Days as a physical event in Malmö again.
STATE OF MEDICON VALLEY • November 2021
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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.
FOTO: NEWS ØRESUND
crisis has affected sectors differently to date, and tech-
heavy companies with focus on tech and life science
have done well, the annual summary confirms.
In its report ”Tilbage
på sporet efter Covid-19: Life
science-industriens syv bud på hvordan vi lykkes”[-
Back on Track after Covid-19: Seven recommendations
for succeeding], the Confederation of Danish Industry
proposes that the life science industry can make an
important contribution to getting Denmark back
on track after covid-19, both in terms of health and
economy. Among the suggestions is a national strategy
for improved use of health data and increased capacity
for effective approval of medical equipment.
In its
business report
for 2021, the trade organisation
the Danish Association of the Pharmaceutical Industry,
LIF, states that Denmark’s pharmaceutical industry
contributes 28% of all private research and 19.5% of
export goods. In 2020, Denmark exported pharmaceu-
ticals for 136bn DKK.
According to a
synthesis
in LIF’s journal Magasin
med., there are 2 679 full-time employees in biotech
in Denmark. That is a 37% increase over the past
ten years. The figures from Statistics Denmark are
the most recent figures available, and they are from
2019. In 2020, there were 79 newly registered biotech
companies.
The Danish Patent and Trademark Office’s analysis
”Life Science”
shows that the Danish life science
industry is stable when it comes to patent application,
and that life science is an indisputably strong area for
Denmark. Novozymes and Novo Nordisk are the two
Danish companies with the most patent activity in the
life science industry.
The Capital Region of Denmark should become a glo-
bally leading ”health capital”, according to the growth
team Vækstteam Hovedstaden, which submitted its
recommendations
to the government this June. A
new pool to promote public-private collaboration in
the area of health will help achieve the goals set. The
growth group also recommends that the Capital Regi-
on of Denmark establish a European Digital Innova-
tion Hub for life science.
A report from NY Consulting on
Scandinavian
Investor Climate
shows that Sweden had significant
transactions and interesting deals in 2019-2020 when
it came to investments in life science companies, whilst
the transactions in Denmark and Norway were larger.
STATE OF MEDICON VALLEY • November 2021
This April, the Danish government launched a new
life
science strategy
that included 270mn DKK to fund
38 different initiatives in seven areas over the next three
years. Among the initiatives is the establishment of a
shared platform for data overview, guidance and re-
questing access to health data. The strategy was put into
effect in May via a decision by the Danish Parliament.
In February the Danish Ministry of Industry published
the report
“Tiltrækning af kliniske forsøg – analyse
af danske rammevilkår i et internationalt perspek-
tiv”
[Attracting Clinical Trials – Analysis of Danish
framework in an international perspective].The report,
which later became part of the new life science strategy,
offers suggestions for how Denmark can become a more
attractive host country for clinical trials. Clinical research
is at a high level, and healthcare personnel has a strong
reputation, whilst improvements could be made to
framework in areas such as time for conducting clinical
trials at Danish hospitals, recruiting patients and pricing.
As part of efforts to market Sweden as a life science
country and attract more investments from abroad,
the Swedish government has determined that a broad
mapping of Sweden’s life science sector
is needed. In
late August, the government appointed Sweden’s inno-
vation agency Vinnova to conduct the analytical work
in collaboration with trade associations and regions.
Reports on the progress will be annual, and a more
thorough survey of a specific area in the sector will be
prepared every third year.
The Swedish government appointed Vinnova to
establish an
innovation hub
that will help companies
further develop their products and the production of
advanced pharmaceuticals and vaccines in Sweden. The
final review of the assignment will be in March 2023.
Stockholm Chamber of Commerce published the
report “Livsviktigt
för huvudstaden”
[Vital for the
Capital City], presenting seven actions for strengthe-
ning the sector. Region Stockholm’s goal is for
Stockholm to become one of the world’s leading life
science regions by 2025.
In its
Annual report
for 2020, Invest in Denmark
confirms that the life science industry is among the
sectors that have been affected least by covid-19. The
78
The Danish government presented a new life science strategy in April 2021. From left: Denmark’s former minister of Hig-
her Education and Science Ane Halsboe-Jørgensen (S), Minister of Health Magnus Heunicke (S), Minister of Economic and
Business Affairs Simon Kollerup (S) and Minister of Foreign Affairs Jeppe Kofod (S).
Working on behalf of Region Skåne, the consulting
firm WSP conducted an
ecosystem analysis
of the
innovation system in the life sciences. One recommen-
dation made in the report is to pursue the notion of the
Øresund Region as ”Scandinavia’s life science centre”.
The Research and Innovation Council of Skåne, FIRS,
prepared an
agenda
for the area of Life science &
Health to achieve the goals set in Skåne’s innovation
strategy. Among the priorities that the working group
deemed particularly important are clinical research and
innovation and access to test beds, as well as maintai-
ning competence for the future.
Forska Sverige! [Research Sweden!] compiles an
annual
report
on the medical research situation in Sweden and
other countries every year. According to the latest report,
the total investment in R&D decreased from 3.9% to
3.4% of the BNP between 2001 and 2019. During the
same period, companies’ investments in their own R&D
in Sweden decreased from 3.0% of the BNP to 2.4%.
A
study
by SwedenBio shows that 80% of Sweden’s life
science companies plan to expand by recruiting more
employees or consultants over the next year. More
companies have a more positive view of the future now
than before the start of the coronavirus pandemic.
According to the annual compilation of
”The Phar-
maceuticals Industry”
in figures from the Euro-
pean Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and
Associations, EFPIA, the pharmaceutical industry is
a key asset to the European economy. The industry
employs 830 000 people; for comparison, this figure
was around 550 000 in 2000.
LIFE SCIENCE ACROSS THE ØRESUND
This June, Øresundsinstituttet conducted an analysis of life science
across the Øresund within the framework of the Interreg-project
Greater Copenhagen Life Science Analysis Initiative, which is being
carried out jointly by Øresundsinstituttet and Medicon Valley Alliance.
Among other things, it reveals that contact across the Øresund is
wide-reaching, with commuters, researchers, the establishment of
companies, and investments. However, 21 years after the inauguration
of the Øresund Bridge, a great deal of collaborations still depend on
personal contacts and EU-projects, whilst e.g. national structures en-
cumber collaboration between universities in Denmark and Sweden.
The report in hand,
“State
of Medicon Valley 2021”,
is an annual report,
published for the first time
in November 2016. The
report has been prepared
by the Danish-Swedish
knowledge centre Øre-
sundsinstituttet and com-
missioned by the network
organisation Medicon
Valley Alliance.
STATE OF MEDICON VALLEY • November 2021
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APPENDIX
APPENDIX
ORGANISATIONS
TRADE AND NETWORKING ORGANISATIONS:
• ASCRO
– Swedish association focused on clinical
research and clinical trials
• 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
• CHI,
Copenhagen Health Innovation – Danish organis-
ation focused on developing new educational and
development activities within healthcare
• Danish Life Science Cluster
– one of 14 new cluster
organisations in Denmark that was highlighted by the
Ministry of Science Innovation and Higher Education
and received funding from the Danish Executive Board
for Business and Growth
• 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).
FOTO: EMBASSY OF SWEDEN COPENHAGEN, DENMARK
•
•
•
•
•
•
Around 20 players from the life science sector met Anna Hallberg (S), Sweden’s Minister for Foreign Trade and Nordic
Affairs, for a round table discussion at the Swedish embassy in Copenhagen this September.
the Capital Region of Denmark, Region Zealand, Region
Skåne and Region Halland
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 Agency for Economic and
Regional Growth
– Swedish authority to promote com-
panies’ competitive strength
Tillväxtanalys/Growth Analysis
– Swedish authority
with tasks such as analysing and evaluating Swedish
growth policies
Trial Nation
– Danish organisation that offers a single,
national entry point for actors wishing to conduct
clinical trials in Denmark.
• Vetenskapsrådet/Swedish Research Council
–
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
PUBLIC ACTORS:
• Clinical Studies Sweden
– Swedish collaboration
between six healthcare regions that aims to simplify
and develop the work of clinical studies
• 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
• Greater Copenhagen
– Political partnership organisation
between 46 Danish and 39 Swedish municipalities and
•
•
•
•
•
MEDIA:
• Altinget
– News site with a website and newsletter on
research, health and more.
• Biostock –
News- and analysis service with a focus on
companies in the life science sector and an editorial
board in Lund’s Medicon Village
• 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
•
•
INTERREG ÖRESUND-
KATTEGAT-SKAGERRAK
EU’s programme for transregional collaboration.
Funds for the Interreg-projects come from the
EU’s European Regional Development Fund,
and half of the project’s budget goes to financial
support. Since 2015, the EU-programme Interreg
Öresund-Kattegat-Skagerrak has granted around
€47mn to joint Danish-Swedish development
projects in the life sciences. A total of 18 life
science projects received funding between 2015-
2022; ten of these are still active.
•
•
•
•
•
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APPENDIX
APPENDIX
• 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
•
•
SCIENCE PARKS IN MEDICON VILLAGE THAT
COMPLETELY OR SIGNIFICANTLY FOCUS ON THE
LIFE SCIENCES:
• DTU Science Park
– focus on deep tech. Located in
Hørsholm and Lyngby. Formerly known as Scion DTU.
Incubator:
Futurebox.
• Copenhagen Bio Science Park, COBIS –
Located in
Copenhagen. Owned by Symbion. Incubator established
at COBIS on initiative of the Novo Nordisk Foundation:
BioInnovation Institute.
• Symbion –
Coworking space and network organisation
focused on life science, foodtech, hardware/makerspa-
ce and SaaS. Seven different locations in Copenhagen
from the end of 2022/beginning of 2023. Symbion owns
COBIS. Located in Copenhagen.
• Ideon
– focus on future transportations, smart cities,
smart materials and health tech. Located in Lund.
Incubator:
Ideon Open/Beyond.
• Krinova
– focus on food, the environment and health.
Located in Kristianstad. Incubator and science park.
• Medeon
– focus on life science. Located in Malmö.
Incubator:
Medeons inkubator.
• Medicon Village
– focus on life science. Located in Lund.
Incubator:
SmiLe.
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
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.
• Copenhagen Business Schoool, CBS
– A university
in Copenhagen with focus on economics, as well as
educational training i fx Business Administration and
Bioentrepreneuship
• 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.
Steno Diabetes Center Copenhagen
– a hospital spe-
cialised in diabetes that offers some education and is
part of the Capital Region today.
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 university with a transdiscipli-
nary 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.
University College Absalon
– Educational institution
that offers programmes in the life sciences such as
biotech engineering, machine engineering, and bioana-
lysis at Campus Kalundborg.
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
the sectors (DB07): CF, 266, 32.5 og 46.46.10.
The source for corporation tax in Denmark is Statistics
Denmark. The population and the calculation method
for corporation tax in the life science sector have been
adjusted with respect to the methods used in previous
reports. This is due to a change in Statistics Denmark’s
method of linking financial units to concerns that made it
impossible to recreate figures using the criteria utilised in
the past. The entire period 2008-2019 has been updated
with figures for this population. It is however important to
note that corporation tax is paid on the company/concern
level, and the main sector of a workplace does not neces-
sarily correspond to the company’s main sector.
For Sweden corporation tax is the company’s final
tax, which consists of state tax (corporation tax) on the
year’s result (22% of reported surplus) plus other taxes
that may be applicable, e.g. yield tax. The source for
corporation tax in Sweden is Statistics Sweden (SCB), and
all companies in the sectors 21, 26.6, 32.5 and 46.46 are
included.
Income tax
In Denmark income tax for people employed in the life
science sector is defined for people employed in the
companies/concerns in the sectors (DB07): CF, 266, 32.5
and 46.46.10. Income tax is determined geographically
according to where the income is earned, and not where
the employee resides. The source for Danish income tax
is Statistics Denmark. Commuters are not included in the
statistics of Danish income tax. Residents of Denmark who
work abroad are not included in the statistics for 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 perso-
nal final tax on income, including labour market contribu-
tions. 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 contri-
butions. 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-
NEW RESEARCH FACILITIES
European Spallation Source, ESS, is a multidisci-
plinary neutron facility currently under construction
in Lund; expected completion in 2023. ESS’ data
centre, located at COBIS in Copenhagen, opened in
2019. The ESS facility will be the world’s largest and
most advanced neutron source. In the future, the
ESS facility will furnish new knowledge in e.g. ma-
terials research and biotech, which can be used to
develop new drugs, materials, fuels and more. Not
far from the ESS facility is Sweden’s national MAX IV
Laboratory, which is part of Lund University.
ABOUT THE FIGURES
TAXATION, PAGES 8-17
Corporation tax
Corporation tax for Danish life science companies is
defined as the corporation tax paid by all workplaces in
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APPENDIX
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 2008-2019. Income
from gainful employment includes income from a position
of staff employment including benefits, surplus from
business operations, sickness benefits, unemployment be-
nefits and pension income after general deductions. These
may be social security duties to another country, alimony
or social contributions. The source for Swedish income
tax is SCB. The statistics utilised are retrieved from tax on
earned income in the industrial branches 21, 26.6, 32.5
and 46.46. Commuters are not included in the statistics for
Swedish income tax.
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
distributers. 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 sig-
nificantly 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 scien-
ce industry is not shown in its entirety. Therefore, the
figures are supplemented by figures for employees at life
science companies 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 supplemen-
tary 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.
SCB’s register-based labour markets statistics, RAMS,
has changed its method and source, and comparisons
with earlier statistics are thus no longer possible. The
number of employees picked up statistically, by sector
codes, may be considered a tentative estimate, as many
businesses with some or all of their activities in the life
STATE OF MEDICON VALLEY • November 2021
APPENDIX
sciences are registered with an incorrect sector code.
The number of Øresund commuters was retrieved
from the report ”Life Science Across the Øresund” from
the Interreg-project Greater Copenhagen Life Science
Analysis Initiative.
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 60-71
Figures for the number of researchers and students have
been provided by the universities, regions and research
institutions themselves. All figures are headcounts and
from 2020 unless otherwise noted.
University of Copenhagen.
The number of researchers
and professors at the Faculty of Science are measured
in annual work units; the figures were drawn up in July
2021. 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 a selected
number of researchers at the Faculty of Science and
researchers who primarily work in the life sciences at
the following departments at Lund University’s Faculty of
Engineering (LTH): Immunotechnology, Automatic Control,
Food Technology, and Chemical Engineering. There are
also researchers in the life sciences at the Department
STATE OF MEDICON VALLEY • November 2021
SECTOR CLASSIFICATION
The definition of life science often includes:
• BIOTECHNOLOGY COMPANIES
• PHARMACEUTICAL COMPANIES
• MEDICAL TECHNOLOGY COMPANIES
of Biomedical Engineering, the Department of Computer
Science, the Department of Transport & Roads and the De-
partment of Technology and Society at LTH. Of the doctoral
students, those who are employed elsewhere have not
been counted this year. The number of students refers only
to those who study at the Faculty of Medicine and thesis
students at relevant departments at LTH. There are also
life science students at the science department and other
who study at LTH.
Technical University of Denmark (DTU).
The informa-
tion is for the number of annual work units for 2021 and
applies to researchers at the following departments: DTU
Food, DTU Vet and Centre for Diagnostics, DTU Aqua, DTU
Biosustain, DTU Bioinformatics, DTU Bioengineering,
DTU Chemical Engineering, DTU Environment and DTU
Nutech, and a selection of students in programmes in
the life sciences or with electives in the life sciences for
the academic year 2019/20. 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.
The number of students includes those from
Agroecology, Horticultural Science, Agriculture and Rural
Management, Outdoor Environments for Health and
Well-being, Horticultural Management: Garden Design,
Horticultural Management: Gardening and Production,
Plant Biology for Sustainable Production, Sustainable
Food Systems, Euroforester and Forest Science, for the
academic year 2020/21.
Malmö University.
Life science students: full-time
equivalents. Includes students of Dentistry, Oral hygiene,
Dental technician studies, Welfare work, Social work and
related, Nursing – Care, Specialist nursing, Biomedical
analysis and related, and independent courses.
Kristianstad University.
Number of students for autumn
2019. Other data is from 2019.
Roskilde University.
Figures from the turn of the year
2016/17.
Aalborg University in Copenhagen.
Figures from 2021.
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APPENDIX
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.
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
APPENDIX
All students study Sustainable Biotechnology.
The Capital Region of Denmark.
Figures from 2019. 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 resear-
chers also have part-time positions at the University of
Copenhagen.
Region Skåne.
All professors also have part-time
positions at Lund University. Head count for research-
ers – many conduct research part-time. The number of
professors refers to positions funded or partially funded
by Region Skåne; there may also be professors with
external funding.
Region Zealand.
Head count for researchers – many
conduct research part-time.
The State Serum Institute.
Head count. Figures from 2019.
INTERNATIONAL RESEARCHERS AND STUDENTS,
PAGE 68-69
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
ABOUT THE EMPLOYMENT
STATISTICS
The figures in the introductory macro section are
based on the most recent statistics available from
Statistics Sweden (SCB) and Statistics Denmark.
Due to a change in method in SCB’s register-ba-
sed labour market statistics, the figures are not
comparable with figures from previous years. The
figures may also be seen as a tentative estimate,
as many businesses with some or all activities of
their in the life sciences are registered with other
sector codes than those used in the statistics.
The figures presented in the ’Beacons’ chapter
of this report and in the Greater Copenhagen Life
Science Analysis Initiative project, GCLSAI, in
which a manual survey of the regions companies
is conducted, is thus higher.
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.
ABOUT THE FIGURES - RESEARCH ABOUT THE CORONA-
VIRUS, PAGES 63
Information about the number of research projects on the
novel coronavirus is based on information on the number
of projects supplied by the universities, regions, and
other research institutions themselves. Multiple actors
emphasise however that the figures are approximate.
The higher learning institutions, regions and other
research actors in Medicon Valley that have reported
conducting research projects on the novel coronavirus are
the Capital Region of Denmark, Region Zealand, Region
Skåne, DTU, the University of Copenhagen, Lund Univer-
sity, Malmö University, Aalborg University in Copenhagen,
the Danish Cancer Society, Roskilde University and the
National Institute of Public Health (Denmark), which is
part of the University of Southern Denmark.
Many universities, research institutions, and regions
submitted information for this analysis on the research
projects that their researchers are heading and those in
which they are participating with others. However, some
only supplied aggregate information on both types of
projects, whilst still others simply provided the names
of projects headed by their researchers. It is thus not
possible to assert that exactly 200 research projects are
being or have been conducted, but the figure plausibly
represents the minimum number.
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.
INTERVIEW LIST
• Michael Hallgren,
Senior Vice President, Novo Nordisk
Manufacturing Kalundborg, e-mail, 2021-10-12
• Dennis Schmidt Pedersen,
Executive Vice President
Global People & Communications, LEO Pharma,
e-mail, 2021-10-05
• Elise Hauge,
Executive Vice President People and
Communication, Lundbeck, meeting, 2021-09-27
• Birgitte Stephensen,
Senior Vice President Head of
IPR & Legal, Genmab, digital meeting, 2021-10-08
• Jens Fricke,
Site Director, PolyPeptide Group Malmö,
meeting, 2021-10-15
• Jonas Nordström,
Communication Specialist, McNeil,
telephone, 2021-09-29
• Rebecca Arklöf,
International Coordinator, Malmö
University, e-mail, 2021-10-19
• Elisabeth Axell,
International Director, Faculty of Med-
icine, Lund University, e-mail, 2021-10-19
• Vanita Singh,
Admissions and Recruitment Manager,
DTU, e-mail, 2021-10-13
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
REFERENCE LIST
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.
The exact sources are provided with the statistics in the
respective chapters and on pages 83-87.
PRIMARY STATISTICAL SOURCES:
• Greater Copenhagen Life Science Analysis Initiative
• SCB/Statistics Sweden, including customised analyses
• Statistics Denmark, including customised analyses
• UN Comtrade
• World Ban
• Bisnode, Nordic Business Key, business database
OTHER SOURCES:
• Aalborg University, Aarhus University, University Col-
lege Absalon, Danish School of Media and Journalism,
Roskilde University, University of Southern Denmark,
UCL University College, University College South
Denmark, University College of Northern Denmark
and VIA University College: Experiences with Online
Teaching in 9 Further Education Institutions in Spring
2020, January 2021
• Bisnode, Nordic Business Key, business database
• Børsen, leading Danish business newspaper that also
reports on the life science sector
• Carlsberg Foundation
• 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)
• Danish Ministry of Industry/Foreign Affairs, Spring
2021 Status for dansk eksport – i lyset af covid-19 (Sta-
tus of Danish Exports in Light of Covid-19), March 2021
• The Danish Government: Stærkere lokalsamfund og
25 nye uddannelser uden for de største byer (Stronger
Local Communities and 25 New Educational Program-
mes Outside Largest Cities), 21 May 2021
• The Danish Evaluation Institute: Corona gør ondt
på nye studerende (Corona Hurts New Students), 1
February 2021
• European Patent Office, www.epo.org
• Forskarskattenämnden: Statistik (Statistics)
• Greater Copenhagen Life Science Analysis Initiative,
Life Science across the Øresund, June 2021
• Greater Copenhagen Life Science Analysis Initiative,
Life Science in Skåne, November 2020
• LINXS: Press Release: Top international researcher
will maximise the potential of MAX IV and ESS, 6
September 2021
• Lundbeck Foundation
• MedWatch, Danish media outlet focusing on the life
science industry
• Novo Nordisk, Annual Financial Report 2001
• Novo Nordisk Foundation
• News Øresund, Danish-Swedish news agency; part of
Øresundsinstituttet.
• Government Offices of Sweden: Regeringens sats-
ningar på forskning under pandemin (Government
Research Initiatives During the Pandemic)
• QS World University Rankings 2019
• The Riksbank, www.riksbank.se
• The National Bank of Denmark, www.nationalbanken.
statistikbank.dk
• SCB, Snabba fakta: Sveriges export (Quick Facts:
Swedish Exports), 14 September 2021
• Shanghai Ranking – Academic Ranking of World Uni-
versities 2018
• Swedish Tax Agency, www.skatteverket.se
• Times Higher Education – World University Rankings
2018
• Swedish Higher Education Authority: Coronapan-
demins konsekvenser på forskningen (Coronavirus
Pandemic’s Effects on Research), 1 June 2021
• Swedish Higher Education Authority: Coronaviruset
och högskolan (Coronavirus and University)
• Ministry of Higher Education and Science, Denmark
• University of Copenhagen: Udflytningsplan fjer-
ner 1.600 studiepladser i København (Plan to Move
Eliminates 1 600 Study Places from Copenhagen), 14
October 2021
• VIA University College: Corona-hjælp fra Folketinget
på 100 millioner (100 Million in Corona Aid from Danish
Parliament), 3 April 2021
• Press releases and annual reports from respective
companies
• We also received additional data via email and telepho-
ne from companies
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 300 members represents
the region’s triple-helix and include universities,
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.
www.oresundsinstituttet.org
MEDICON VALLEY ALLIANCE
MVA is a Gold Label-certified, non-profit member organisation in the Danish-Swedish life science cluster Medicon Valley. Its
300 members include universities, hospitals, human life science businesses, regional governments and service providers
that 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.
www.mva.org
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.