Five foreign direct investments in the region
When it comes to boosting private investments and founding international research facilities, five microbiome companies have established themselves in the region as a result of the project. Prior to their contact with Invest in Skåne and Copenhagen Capacity, most of the investors had not considered investments in Medicon Valley. “Our proactive approach with foreign companies has been a fruitful concept and critical to convince organisations to establish themselves in Medicon Valley,” says Camilla Münter, Investment Promotion Manager at Copenhagen Capacity.
Successful talent attraction to Medicon Valley
Attracting international talents to the region has been an important part of the project. “The unemployment rate within the life-science sector in Denmark and Sweden is very low so every new talent coming from another country is a win for the region and its companies, clinics and universities,” says Dan Rosenberg, Senior Talent Acquisition Manager at Copenhagen Capacity. The microbiome talent campaign ran over three periods. It resulted in 102 international talents being hired by organisations in the region. The word about the attractive Greater Copenhagen region has been spread more than 23 million times and 33,632 unique visitors have been registered at the talent campaign site.
Competition is strong when it comes to recruitment. Interviews show that all companies recruit from the same global talent pool and also recruit from each other. Large rotation of employees between the companies is not seen as a problem, but rather as a strength as it shows that there is a wealth of career opportunities in Medicon Valley.
Extensive mapping of the microbiome area in the region
Prior to the project, the microbiome cluster in Medicon Valley had not been mapped. One of the very first activities during the project was to interview more than 40 key regional stakeholders in order to get a better understanding of the region’s microbiome activities and capabilities. “The mapping and interviews were very important to create a foundation for the project to build on,” says Sarah. The findings show that Medicon Valley has a vibrant ecosystem of more than 80 companies, organisations and institutions working actively with the microbiome.
The mapping also showed a contact gap. The project team’s response was to to arrange cross-border activities including a virtual summit (due to the pandemic), a concluding event, and a pitch day. They were all well-received, well-attended and served as important platforms for networking and for increasing the visibility of Medicon Valley as a leading microbiome hub.
Learn more about microbiome research in Medicon Valley
