All say aye to city plan promising innovation district development
The City of Copenhagen now has a plan outlining the Danish capitals’ development until 2036. The plan was adopted unanimously by Copenhagen’s governing body, the Borgerrepræsentation, at a meeting on 12th. December 2024. A major point in the plan is that the city will partner with the Danish government to develop Innovation District Copenhagen to be a world leading innovation district within life science and quantum technology.
Improving the home of 500 start-ups and making space for more
Development opportunities for knowledge-based industry is a central issue in the city plan . The aim is to create an area with attractive residential, academic and business properties. Innovation District Copenhagen is already home to over 500 start-ups and scale-ups. With the new strategy, the city hopes to attract more global businesses. For example, in the form of R&D facilities or strategic partnerships.
Supporting the journey from lab to market
The district is home to world-leading research communities and lies within walking distance of some of the capitals most attractive residential neigbourhoods. With the plan, the City of Copenhagen aims to create a body of new commercial real estate, where start-ups as well as established businesses can co-locate with researchers. The City will also accelerate its work to attract foreign talent, companies and direct investments which will support the transition of inventions from lab to market.
Building on decade-long co-creation
Innovation District Copenhagen builds on a decade of effort to create Copenhagen Science City, which was an initiative by University of Copenhagen, University Hospital Rigshospitalet and University College Copenhagen (KP). In the continuation of the project, the City collaborates with the original partners and the Ministry of Industry, Business and Financial Affairs as well as Ministry of Higher Education and Science.
An ideal place for collaboration between academia and business
The innovation district is a two square-kilometre area in the heart of Copenhagen. 40,000 researchers, students and staff work here within science, health and care and 500 innovation intensive start-ups have chosen to launch in the area. Many of them in order to collaborate with researchers or clinicians.
Global hotspot for life science and quantum technology
Denmark is already a global hot spot for life science. Research as well as business. With University of Copenhagen the City of Copenhagen also has a history of contributing to the development of quantum technology. In fact, the university is the world’s seventh biggest publisher of quantum research-papers while Denmark educates the highest number of quantum-related graduates per capita.
Experts invited to co-create unified plan for further development
City and state have now convened a larger group of innovation-ecosystem stakeholders including property developers and investment-specialists. Together, this group will create a unified plan for the district to ensure strong urban qualities and an overall concept for its on-going development.