http://ipaper.ipapercms.dk/Udenrigsministeriet/FocusDenmark/FocusDenmarkJuni2012/RSS.ashxFocus Denmark 2/2012 PagesFri, 29 Jun 2012 12:40:52 +0200http://ipaper.ipapercms.dk/Udenrigsministeriet/FocusDenmark/FocusDenmarkJuni2012/http://ipaper.ipapercms.dk/Udenrigsministeriet/FocusDenmark/FocusDenmarkJuni2012/?Page=1http://ipaper.ipapercms.dk/Udenrigsministeriet/FocusDenmark/FocusDenmarkJuni2012/?Page=1JUNE 2012 FOCUS DENMARK THE REGULAR BUSINESS AND INVESTMENT REVIEW DRAMA QUEEN ‘The Killing’ and other Danish TV series captivate viewers worldwide – P. 36 GIRO D’ITALIA GOES NORTH NEW GREEN PARTNERSHIPS THEME: HEALTH AND RESEARCH P. 14 P. 20 P. 242012-06-29T12:40:52+02:00http://ipaper.ipapercms.dk/Udenrigsministeriet/FocusDenmark/FocusDenmarkJuni2012/?Page=2http://ipaper.ipapercms.dk/Udenrigsministeriet/FocusDenmark/FocusDenmarkJuni2012/?Page=2Infrastructure specialists Infrastructure is the foundation of society Aarsleff specialises in earthwork and construction work, underground structures and marine construction. We handle major, complex assignments which call for a unique specialised knowledge of geotechnical work. We have a corporate culture by which initiative and adaptability are part of everyday life. Our organisation is flexible and expertise is used across the Group.2012-06-29T12:40:52+02:00http://ipaper.ipapercms.dk/Udenrigsministeriet/FocusDenmark/FocusDenmarkJuni2012/?Page=3http://ipaper.ipapercms.dk/Udenrigsministeriet/FocusDenmark/FocusDenmarkJuni2012/?Page=3We take part in the world’s largest offshore wind projects Great know-how and well-prepared solutions With a strong focus on establishment of offshore wind farms in Northern Europe, Aarsleff has obtained great know-how and is well-prepared for development of solutions that are optimised in terms of technology, economy and time. Our references include the offshore wind farms: DanTysk, London Array, Rødsand 2, Sprogø, Thanet, Horns Rev 2 and Nysted.2012-06-29T12:40:52+02:00http://ipaper.ipapercms.dk/Udenrigsministeriet/FocusDenmark/FocusDenmarkJuni2012/?Page=4http://ipaper.ipapercms.dk/Udenrigsministeriet/FocusDenmark/FocusDenmarkJuni2012/?Page=4EDITORIAL FOCUS DENMARK is published quarterly by the Trade Council Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark 2, Asiatisk Plads DK – 1448 Copenhagen K Telephone +45 33 92 00 00 E-mail: prs@um.dk www.focusdenmark.um.dk www.eksportraadet.dk Material contained in Focus Denmark does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the Danish Trade Council or the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark. Reproduction is authorised, provided the source is acknowledged, except where otherwise stated. Citations may be made without prior permission, provided the source is acknowledged. Editor in Chief Jesper Fersløv Andersen Head of the press department, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark Editor Mads Mariegaard, madmar@um.dk English Editor Nigel Mander Design India Cover photo Tine Harden, DR THE HEALTH WAVE In recent years, a wave of health consciousness has swept across much of the world. It has also hit Denmark – and with particular force. Increasing numbers of people are taking up jogging, cycling, fitness and so on. And although the Danes have had traditionally relaxed attitudes to food, alcohol and tobacco, today they accept extensive health initiatives – from smoking bans to a tax on fat – without much complaint. While the people of Denmark have had – and still have – much to learn from others concerning healthy lifestyles, others can learn plenty from Denmark when it concerns creating public health systems that are well-structured and efficient. According to the Euro Health Consumer Index, released by a Sweden-based think tank in May 2012, Denmark has the second best health care system in the EU. Furthermore, a national biobank has recently opened which contains blood samples from all citizens born after 1982, and a shared medication record and national patient index will soon be introduced. Strong health systems help make Denmark an attractive country to place health research – especially clinical trials designed to assess the efficacy of medicines. Denmark has seen a gradual decline in the number of clinical trials as new players in eastern Europe and Asia have gained ground, but still has a top ranking in relation to its size. And new initiatives will make it even more attractive to conduct research in Denmark. Besides health, we have also found space in this issue to tell the story of a golden decade for Danish TV drama. The latest offerings, The Killing and Government, have truly reached viewers beyond the country’s borders. These series deliver solid entertainment and offer insight into a society where the balance between work and family life seems to cause people problems. You can also read about public-private partnerships in the area of green growth, meet international students who have chosen to study in Denmark, and see what happened when an Italian cycle race in May literally turned a part of Denmark pink. Advertising DG Media Telephone + 45 70 27 11 55 www.dgmedia.dk Distribution Rikke Bech-Pedersen focusdenmark@um.dk Print Rosendahls-Schultz Grafisk a/s, Denmark Edition closed on 17 April 2012 June 2012 ISSN 1601-9776 Jesper Fersløv Andersen Editor in Chief Head of the press department, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark PHOTO: LARS GRUNWALD 4 FOCUS DENMARK | June 20122012-06-29T12:40:52+02:00http://ipaper.ipapercms.dk/Udenrigsministeriet/FocusDenmark/FocusDenmarkJuni2012/?Page=5http://ipaper.ipapercms.dk/Udenrigsministeriet/FocusDenmark/FocusDenmarkJuni2012/?Page=5CONTENTS N O R WA Y CONTENTS “We are seeking to apply the construction technique from old mines, and we are using railway elements as a starting point for the design.” – P.10 Bjarke Ingels Architect HERNING HORSENS AALBORG SW E D E N AARHUS COPENHAGEN ESBJERG JUTLAND ODENSE ZEALAND FUNEN BORNHOLM GERMANY P.06 IN BRIEF OUR REGULAR ROUND-UP OF TOPICAL STORIES P .20 GREEN GROWTH PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP PIONEERS P.42 THE DANISH WAY OF LEARNING STUDENTS ON GROUP WORK AND CRITICAL SKILL P.14 A PASSION FOR CYCLING STAGE RACE GIRO D’ITALIA GOES NORTH P .24 THEME: HEALTH GLOBAL COMPETITION FOR CLINICAL TRIALS P.47 INTERVIEW: JANDA CAMPOS CARLSBERG VP ON HER NEW HOMELAND P.18 PROFILE: ISABELLE DE CREMOUX FRENCH LIFE SCIENCE INVESTOR P .36 TV DRAMA MEET DENMARK’S FICTIONAL PRIME MINISTER FOCUS DENMARK | June 2012 52012-06-29T12:40:52+02:00http://ipaper.ipapercms.dk/Udenrigsministeriet/FocusDenmark/FocusDenmarkJuni2012/?Page=6http://ipaper.ipapercms.dk/Udenrigsministeriet/FocusDenmark/FocusDenmarkJuni2012/?Page=6IN BRIEF PHOTO: STIG STASIG/SCANPIX. WORTH KNOWING ABOUT ENERGINET.DK Energinet.dk is a state-owned non-profit enterprise which owns Denmark’s gas supply network and electricity grid. Its English language website is a comprehensive source of information for anyone who wants to extend their knowledge of Denmark’s energy market, infrastructure development, renewable energy ambitions and energy technology research. The fact-packed website features easy-to-navigate sections on electricity, gas, infrastructure, climate and environment, and research. There’s a jobs section too. English language videos are presented on subjects like Denmark’s smart grid development, and the website also offers a news section. Utility operators, public officials, business executives, investors, and journalists with an interest in energy systems for a sustainable world will find plenty to interest them at Energinet.dk. • A SHOWCASE FOR ENERGY EFFICIENCY Held in June exactly 20 years after the Earth Summit that put sustainability onto the global agenda, the Rio+20 UN Conference has highlighted a number of priority issues. One of them – energy – is being championed by the Secretary General himself as the leader of the Sustainable Energy for All initiative. Ban Ki-moon’s initiative focuses, among other things, on improving energy efficiency and increasing the use of renewable resources. In this regard, Denmark can serve as a model to exemplify the Secretary General’s vision. Denmark was, after all, one of the first countries to introduce local activities within the framework of Agenda 21, a UN action plan which was an outcome of the Earth Summit in 1992. With an energy policy focused on energy efficiency, renewable energy and smart grid infrastructure, Denmark aims to become an international showcase for energy and environment technology. All over the world, coal-fired power stations are being built with lower efficiency and greater emissions than those which Denmark can supply today. In renewables, Denmark is pioneering the incorporation of 50% wind energy into the electricity grid by 2020, an objective to be assisted by smart grid technology that will enable the batteries of mass transport electric vehicles (EVs) to act as energy reserves to buffer output dips in low-wind periods. • OPEN FOR BUSINESS Read more: weforum.org/getr For the second year in succession, Denmark has gained third place in the World Economic Forum’s Enabling Trade Index, which ranks countries according to ease of conducting business. Denmark’s Minister for Trade and Investment, Pia Olsen Dyhr, commented: “The ranking reflects our excellent infrastructure, both in terms of internet proliferation and our general transport infrastructure. These are part of the essential framework conditions for being a competitive trade and investment destination.” The World Economic Forum also praised Denmark’s border and customs administration, which is one of the most efficient in the world. “The government is working actively to make Denmark more open. We are not introducing any new border controls, but are increasing our openness to the world by for example making visa rules more flexible,” said the minister. • 6 FOCUS DENMARK | June 20122012-06-29T12:40:52+02:00http://ipaper.ipapercms.dk/Udenrigsministeriet/FocusDenmark/FocusDenmarkJuni2012/?Page=7http://ipaper.ipapercms.dk/Udenrigsministeriet/FocusDenmark/FocusDenmarkJuni2012/?Page=7ZIBAT - Takeoff for a better career ZIBAT offers you: !(* ƫ*/0%010!ƫ+"ƫ1/%*!//ƫ* ƫ!$*+(+#5ƫ +û!./ƫ%*0!.*0%+*(ƫ !)%ƫ,.+#.))!/ƫ .*#%*#ƫ".+)ƫ).'!0%*#ƫ+2!.ƫ+),10!.ƫ /%!*!ƫ0+ƫ(! !./$%,ċ ((ƫ+"ƫ+1.ƫ,.+#.))!/ƫ%*2+(2!ƫ(+/!ƫ.!(0%+*ƫ 0+ƫ1/%*!//ƫ* ƫ+),*%!/Čƫ+0$ƫ%*ƫ0$!ƫ"+.)ƫ +"ƫ+),*5ƫ/! ƫ,.+&!0/ƫ* ƫ%*0!.*/$%,/ƫ%*ƫ +.#*%/0%+*/ƫ* ƫ+),*%!/ċ ((ƫ,.+#.))!/ƫ.!ƫ.! %0! ƫ%*ƫ+. *!ƫ 3%0$ƫ0$!ƫġ/5/0!)ċ ƫ%/ƫ(+0! ƫ%*ƫ0$!ƫü2!ƫ)%*ƫ%0%!/ƫ%*ƫ0$!ƫ .!#%+*ƫ+"ƫ!(* Čƫ3$%$ƫ(%!/ƫ*!40ƫ0+ƫ0$!ƫ ,%0(ƫ.!#%+*ƫ+"ƫ+,!*$#!*ċ !ƫ3!(+)!ƫ5+1ƫ%*ƫ0$!ƫƫ")%(5ċ Go check on www.zibat.dk AP Degree Programmes: đƫƫ%*ƫ.'!0%*#ƫ*#!)!*0 đƫƫ%*ƫ+#%/0%/ƫ*#!)!*0 đƫƫ%*ƫ+),10!.ƫ%!*! đƫƫ%*ƫ1(0%)! %ƫ!/%#*ƫ* ƫ+))1*%0%+* đƫƫ%*ƫ!.2%!Čƫ+/,%0(%05ƫ* ƫ+1.%/)ƫ*#!)!*0 đƫƫ%*ƫ+))!.!ƫ*#!)!*0 Bachelor top-up Programmes: đƫƫ+"ƫ!ƫ!2!(+,)!*0 đƫƫ+"ƫ*0!.*0%+*(ƫ(!/ƫ* ƫ.'!0%*#ƫ*#!)!*0 đƫƫ+"ƫġ+*!,0ƫ!2!(+,)!*0 đƫƫ+"ƫ!%/1.!ƫ*#!)!*0 Bachelor Programmes đƫƫ+"ƫ!%/1.!ƫ*#!)!*0 Leadership and Management Programmes đƫƫ%*ƫ! !./$%,ƫ* ƫ*#!)!*0 đƫ%,(+)ƫ%*ƫ! !./$%, www.zibat.dk Zealand Institute of Business and Technology2012-06-29T12:40:52+02:00http://ipaper.ipapercms.dk/Udenrigsministeriet/FocusDenmark/FocusDenmarkJuni2012/?Page=8http://ipaper.ipapercms.dk/Udenrigsministeriet/FocusDenmark/FocusDenmarkJuni2012/?Page=8IN BRIEF DID YOU KNOW… … that Denmark is one of the least violent countries worldwide? Intentional homicide rate per 100,000 population (2010) Source: UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) PROMISING PRODUCTIVITY Denmark saw a 3.3% rise in productivity growth in 2010 show new figures from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). This compares with an average productivity growth of 2.2% for OECD’s 34 member countries, while in the Eurozone the figure was 1.8%. Professor of economics Torben M. Andersen, who was previously the chairman of the Danish Economic Councils, said to Danish national newspaper Politiken that he sees the growth as a clear sign that Danish companies are recovering: “Productivity has increased strongly in Denmark after having slumped heavily. In the long term it is essential that this trend continues if we are to create progress and prosperity.” The positive trend seems to be continuing. In the industrial sector, productivity increased by 9.4% in 2010 and 6.0% in 2011. Prices are growing at a more rapid pace than salaries, and many PHOTO: FINN FRANDSEN/POLFOTO. NORTH AMERICA 4.7 EUROPE 3.5 CENTRAL AMERICA 25 DENMARK 0.85 employed staff in Denmark have seen lower wage increases in recent years than their colleagues in neighbouring Sweden and Germany. There are also voices of caution however. Professor Anders Sørensen from Copenhagen Business School says: “We have seen fine growth in productivity in the last couple of years. But it very much reflects the fact that we have had an economic downturn, where many companies laid off employees.” • AFRICA 17.4 SOUTH AMERICA ASIA 3.1 21 HAPPIEST IN THE WORLD Denmark has once again been ranked as the happiest nation in the world. This time in the first ever World Happiness Report, commissioned for the UN Conference on Happiness, held in April. The 158 page report, published by the Earth Institute and co-edited by its director, Jeffrey Sachs, found that the happiest countries are all in Northern Europe – Denmark, Finland, Norway and the Netherlands – with an average life evaluation score of 7.6 on a 0 -10 scale. At the other end of the spectrum, the African nations Togo, Benin, Central African Republic and Sierra Leone, had an average life evaluation score of 3.4. The life evaluation score takes a range of factors into account including political freedom, government corruption, health, and family and job security. According to the findings in the report, it is not just wealth that makes people happy. “Political freedom, strong social networks and an absence of corruption are together more important than income in explaining well-being differences between the top and bottom countries. At the individual level, good mental and physical health, someone to count on, job security and stable families are crucial,” the report stated. • 8 FOCUS DENMARK | June 20122012-06-29T12:40:52+02:00http://ipaper.ipapercms.dk/Udenrigsministeriet/FocusDenmark/FocusDenmarkJuni2012/?Page=9http://ipaper.ipapercms.dk/Udenrigsministeriet/FocusDenmark/FocusDenmarkJuni2012/?Page=9BRIGHT GREEN ISLAND – a sustainable community GREEN SOLUTION HOUSE BORNHOLM ON ITS WAY Bornholm is in the process of becoming a 100% green and sustainable community. Residents, researchers and private-sector and public-sector enterprises are teaming up to turn bright ideas into green solutions. And we don’t hesitate to share our knowledge. Please contact Business Center Bornholm for further details. Please call +45 56 95 73 00. BORNHOLM A laboratory for green solutions PEOPLE A community based on sustainable principles. ECONOMY (IÀFLHQWXWLOLVDtion of energy. Minimised costs. KNOWLEDGE Curiosity – blazing new trails – sharing knowledge. TECHNOLOGY Developing tools for a sustainable future. VALUES Healthy lifestyles – a clean environment – visible responsibility. GREEN SOLUTION HOUSE Conference center »Green Solution House« at Bornholm, Denmark, will take sustainability to a new level. Green Solution House will be an innovative laboratory that integrates the latest knowledge within materials and appropriate green technologies based on Cradle-to-Cradle, the Active House-vision and Green Build Council. 2025: 100 % SUSTAINABLE ENERGY Today more than 75 % of energy produced on the island comes from sustainable sources. The concept »Bright Green Test Island« causes a lot of research projects, many of them are in proces and will enable us to reach 100 % sustainable energy in 2025.2012-06-29T12:40:52+02:00http://ipaper.ipapercms.dk/Udenrigsministeriet/FocusDenmark/FocusDenmarkJuni2012/?Page=10http://ipaper.ipapercms.dk/Udenrigsministeriet/FocusDenmark/FocusDenmarkJuni2012/?Page=10IN BRIEF DELIVERING DESPITE THE CRISIS When Denmark took over the rotating Presidency of the Council of the European Union from Poland on 1 January, Europe was in the midst of a severe economic crisis. A dramatic EU summit in December, fraught with internal tensions and pessimism, set the tone for the challenges that needed to be addressed. During its presidency, Denmark has made efforts to recreate trust and build a bridge between EU member states. On 2 March, all EU member states except the UK and the Czech Republic signed the Fiscal Compact, which requires its parties to have national budgets that are in balance or surplus. The aim of the Fiscal Compact is to create more balanced budgets and ensure economic stability in order to avoid a debt crisis in the future. Germany’s Chancellor Angela Merkel said: “This is a milestone in the history of the European Union.” While this issue of Focus Denmark goes to press before the final phase of the presidency, where most agreements are normally concluded, other important results have already been achieved. These include agreement on assigning candidate status to Serbia, progressing plans to modernise the EU budget of approx. EUR 1,000 billion for the period 2014-2020, and a new Roaming-regulation which will significantly lower prices for mobile services in the EU. The Danish Minister for European Affairs, Nicolai Wammen, stated in Danish national newspaper Politiken that a lot has happened during Denmark’s Presidency of the Council of the European Union and that: “This emphasises that the EU – despite the crisis – can still deliver solutions and results.” The national rotating presidencies of the EU are divided into groups of three, referred to as Trios. Denmark, which is in a trio with Poland and Cyprus, will hand over the EU Council presidency to Cyprus on 1 July. • Architectural drawing of the new Kimball Art Center in Utah, USA. BIG IDEAS IN AMERICA Danish architect firm Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG), which has offices in Copenhagen and New York, has won the competition to design the renovation and expansion of the Kimball Art Center in Park City, Utah, USA. The art centre hosts the annual Sundance Festival, founded by American actor and film director Robert Redford. BIG’s winning design features a twisting timber tower which pays respect to the mining history of the town. Timber was the primary construction material of the first miner settlers in Park City. Inside the mines heavy timbers were stacked into retaining walls and outside the mines, the inverted technique was used as the primary structure for residential construction. “With our proposal we are seeking to apply the construction technique from old mines, and we are using railway elements as a starting point for the design,” says Bjarke Ingels. The massive stacked timber elements that will be used for the building are reclaimed from train track piles from the Great Salt Lake – just one of many sustainable elements in the innovative design. BIG is also applying its creative skills to another project in North America – the design of a new 49 storey building in Vancouver, Canada. The tower block will mark the entrance to Vancouver’s centre and add a new structure to the Vancouver skyline. • 10 FOCUS DENMARK | June 2012 ILLUSTRATION: BIG.2012-06-29T12:40:52+02:00http://ipaper.ipapercms.dk/Udenrigsministeriet/FocusDenmark/FocusDenmarkJuni2012/?Page=11http://ipaper.ipapercms.dk/Udenrigsministeriet/FocusDenmark/FocusDenmarkJuni2012/?Page=11MAKING MODERN LIVING POSSIBLE Save energy and CO today The solutions are ready! Danfoss is a global leader within energy-efficient solutions that help save energy and combat climate change. Our key competencies are the cooling of food, air conditioning, the control of electric motors and the heating of buildings – as well as solutions for renewable energy such as solar power and heat pumps. We have built up our competencies within these areas over the past 78 years. energy is typically saved by controlling fans and pumps in commercial buildings with variable speed drives from Danfoss. tons of CO2 could be saved per year if Europe doubled its use of district heating to 18-20% combined with increased reliance on renewable energy sources. Americans emit the same amount of CO2 from their homes annually as the installed Danfoss Turbocor compressors save in commercial buildings worldwide. Far less than 1% of these buildings are covered today. Climate & Energy | www.solutionsready.danfoss.com2012-06-29T12:40:52+02:00http://ipaper.ipapercms.dk/Udenrigsministeriet/FocusDenmark/FocusDenmarkJuni2012/?Page=12http://ipaper.ipapercms.dk/Udenrigsministeriet/FocusDenmark/FocusDenmarkJuni2012/?Page=12IN BRIEF STAR CUISINE IN COPENHAGEN The Danish capital is strengthening its status as the gastronomic centre of the Nordic region with four more restaurants receiving a star in the new edition of the Main Cities of Europe 2012 Michelin Guide. Copenhagen received a total of 14 stars, which were assigned to 13 restaurants. René Redzepi’s Restaurant Noma (photo), which has been judged the World’s Best Restaurant for the last three years, retains its two Michelin stars, while Geranium, whose head chef Rasmus PHOTO: NOMA. Kofoed won the gold medal at the 2011 Bocuse d’Or world cooking contest, receives its first Michelin star. The other new one-star Michelin restaurants are Grønbech & Churchill, Relæ and Den Røde Cottage. AOC, Herman, Kokkeriet, Era Ora, Formel B, Kiin Kiin, Kong Hans Kælder and Søllerød Kro were also awarded a star. The Michelin Guide comprises 1,500 hotels and 2,100 restaurants from 44 cities and 20 countries. 15 restaurants received three stars, 74 two stars and 287 one star. • BOOKMARK DENMARK SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT 8th European Conference on Modelling Foundations and Applications (ECMFA) 2 – 5 JULY Technical University of Denmark (DTU), Lyngby, Copenhagen The Software Engineering Section of DTU Informatics is hosting this European conference aimed at advancement of techniques and furthering knowledge related to Model Driven Engineering (MDE). FASHION Copenhagen International Fashion Fair (CIFF SS13) If there’s an event in your interest area, why not bookmark it to attend? July — August 2012 MATHEMATICS 88th European Study Group with Industry (ESGI) MICROBIOLOGY 14th International Symposium on Microbial Ecology (ISME14) 19 – 24 AUGUST Bella Center, Copenhagen The International Society for Microbial Ecology, the principal scientific body of microbial ecology, is hosting this event which is expected to attract 2,000 delegates. The theme is “the power of the small”. 9 – 12 AUGUST Bella Center, Copenhagen CIFF is Scandinavia’s largest fashion fair and one of several fairs taking place as part of Copenhagen Fashion Week. Showcases spring/ summer 2013 fashion. 13 – 17 AUGUST Technical University of Denmark (DTU), Lyngby, Copenhagenn ESGI is Europe’s leading workshop for academic mathematicians and industrial companies. Study Groups are meetings where mathematicians work on problems directly related to industry. Read more: www2.imm.dtu.dk/conferences/ ECMFA-2012 Read more: http://ciff.dk/ Read more: www.esgi.dk Read more: www.isme-microbes.org/isme14 12 FOCUS DENMARK | June 20122012-06-29T12:40:52+02:00http://ipaper.ipapercms.dk/Udenrigsministeriet/FocusDenmark/FocusDenmarkJuni2012/?Page=13http://ipaper.ipapercms.dk/Udenrigsministeriet/FocusDenmark/FocusDenmarkJuni2012/?Page=13THE STUDY GUIDE DOWNLOAD OUR APP AND EXPLORE MORE THAN 60 STUDY PROGRAMMES – ANYTIME, ANYWHERE! SCAN HERE IPHONE ANDROID2012-06-29T12:40:52+02:00http://ipaper.ipapercms.dk/Udenrigsministeriet/FocusDenmark/FocusDenmarkJuni2012/?Page=14http://ipaper.ipapercms.dk/Udenrigsministeriet/FocusDenmark/FocusDenmarkJuni2012/?Page=14CYCLING A PASSION FOR PINK This year the world’s second most prominent cycling stage race, Giro d’Italia, started further away from Italy than ever before – in one of the world’s most passionate cycling nations. By Jesper Løvenbalk Hansen The organisers of Giro d’Italia have never placed the start so far north before. The legendary stage race, where the riders compete over a period of three weeks for la maglia rosa, the pink jersey, has since the first race in 1909 only had its start outside Italy on nine occasions. This year, it was in the Danish provincial towns of Herning and Horsens (see p. 5). “We chose Denmark because there is a passion for cycling in the country and there are lots of people from Norway, Sweden and Germany who can come and watch the race. I expect thousands of people will enjoy the Giro while we are in Denmark,” said the director of the race, Michele Acquarone, before the start of this year’s first three stages on 5-7 May. With more than half a million spectators along the Danish country roads, Prime Minister Helle Thorning-Schmidt wearing pink, and the host towns hit by pink fever, Michele Acquarone got what he expected. “I am a happy man. That I am most of the time, but it has been amazing to be in Denmark. Everything has worked out perfectly and has far exceeded our expectations,” says Michele Acquarone. According to the race director, he and the rest of the management actually learned something. “I would like that we Italians were more Danish. We have learned a lot from 14 FOCUS DENMARK | June 20122012-06-29T12:40:52+02:00http://ipaper.ipapercms.dk/Udenrigsministeriet/FocusDenmark/FocusDenmarkJuni2012/?Page=15http://ipaper.ipapercms.dk/Udenrigsministeriet/FocusDenmark/FocusDenmarkJuni2012/?Page=15CYCLING ! GIRO D’ITALIA • One of the world’s three most prominent stage races, along with Tour de France and Vuelta a España. Normally run over 21 stages, with competitions for the best overall time, best mountain rider, and best sprinter. Giro starts outside Italy have previously included San Marino, Monaco, Vatican, Greece, France, Netherlands (twice) and Belgium (twice). In 2012, 22 teams participated with a total of 400 riders and officials. Attracts around 35 million viewers in Italy alone, and 350 million viewers in 165 countries worldwide. your country in terms of planning, organising and a passion for cycling,” says Michele Acquarone, director of RCS Sport, which organises Giro d’Italia each year. visible by letting the race start outside its home country. • CYCLING AS A CULTURE In Denmark, cycling is much more than just a sport for the fastest and most skilful. It is a lifestyle and a major part of most people’s lives. Nine out of ten people own a bicycle, and each year around half a million bicycles are sold to a population of 5.4 million. More than half the citizens in the capital Copenhagen cycle to and from their work or place of study every day, and a third of all those commuting to and from Copenhagen use a bicycle as their primary means of transport. But enthusiasm for cycling is not in itself enough to attract an event like Giro d’Italia. To get into that league, a country that aspires to host the race needs to “have something in its CV”, thinks Lars Lundov, director of Sport Event Denmark, whose primary aim is to attract major international sports events to Denmark. “There is no doubt that such responsibility is only assigned when you have already shown that you can handle such major events,” he says. “In recent years, Denmark has hosted a number of significant sports events. We had the UCI Road World Championships in September 2011, and that showed the Italian race management what we can handle. They seem to be confident in ‘lending us’ the Giro.” A couple of months before the Road World Championships, Denmark hosted the UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship, and later this year the country will host the European Table Tennis Championships. In 2014 Denmark will host the European Men’s Handball Championships, and the year after the World Women’s Handball Championships. The diary is booked up at Sport Event Denmark, which says that it wins four out of five events that it bids for. • We chose Denmark because there is a passion for cycling in the country. Michele Acquarone director, RCS Sport • • For the Danish organisers, who have long wanted to host an event like Giro d’Italia, it is about attracting tourists and promoting the country. And it works. When the UCI Road World Championships were held in Denmark in September 2011, around 545,000 Danish and international cycling fans watched the races along the Danish roads north of Copenhagen and the individual time trials in the capital. It generated earnings of EUR 31 million, says Sport Event Denmark and tourist organisation Wonderful Copenhagen. Managing director of Wonderful Copenhagen, Lars Bernhard Jørgensen, even sees events like the UCI Road World Championships and Giro d’Italia as necessary to ensure continued growth in the tourism industry. “We make constant efforts to market and develop Copenhagen and Denmark to create the necessary growth. In recent years we have been instrumental in providing more air routes to Copenhagen, and increases have been made in the capacity of the airport, the harbour and PHOTO: MAGNUS HOLM/POLFOTO. ! GIRO STAGES IN DENMARK Saturday 5 May 1st stage – individual time trials in Herning, 8.7 km. Winner was Taylor Phinney, USA. Sunday 6 May 2nd stage – start and finish in Herning, 206 km. Winner was Mark Cavendish, UK. Monday 7 May 3rd stage – start and finish in Horsens, 190 km. Winner was Matthew Goss, Australia. The Danish host cities were hit by “pink fever”. In Herning, even a house was painted in pink, the colour of2012-06-29T12:40:52+02:00http://ipaper.ipapercms.dk/Udenrigsministeriet/FocusDenmark/FocusDenmarkJuni2012/?Page=16http://ipaper.ipapercms.dk/Udenrigsministeriet/FocusDenmark/FocusDenmarkJuni2012/?Page=16CYCLING 1 1. With more than half a million spectators along the Danish country roads, the organisers of Giro d’Italia got what they expected. 2. Cycling field and farm land in Jutland, Denmark. Stage 2 of the 95th edition of Giro d’Italia. ! CYCLING, CLIMATE AND ECONOMICS PHOTO: TYCHO GREGERS/POLFOTO. Cycling in Denmark is about much more than sport and recreation. The promotion of cycling is written into the government’s manifesto, and in the capital Copenhagen, which aims to become CO² neutral by 2025, cycling forms one of the key elements in future transport strategy. Cycling is good for both the climate and the national economy. A new study undertaken by the European Cycling Federation (ECF) concludes that the EU as a whole can reduce CO² emissions from the transport sector by 25 percent if all Europeans cycled just as much as the average Dane, who cycles 965 km (600 miles) per year. An analysis by COWI Consult for the City of Copenhagen shows that for each kilometre travelled by bicycle rather than by car, the municipality saves about 6 eurocents as a result of less pollution, less traffic, fewer traffic accidents and less wear and tear on the infrastructure. With 1.2 million kilometres cycled in Copenhagen every day, the saving amounts to around EUR 27 million per year. If the savings on health costs and Copenhageners’ fewer sick days are included in the reckoning, the value per kilometre travelled by bicycle increases to around 74 eurocents, which gives the City of Copenhagen an annual benefit of approx. EUR 323 million. Source: Copenhagen – Beyond Green: The socioeconomic benefits of being a green city. 2 PHOTO: DANIELE BADOLATO/SCANPIX. the city’s hotel and conference facilities. The framework for increased growth in tourism is present, and a mega-event such as the road world championships is a significant strategic activity in terms of marketing,” he says. And there are indications that the effort is bringing rewards. In a recent issue of Sport Business International magazine, Copenhagen ranks among the world’s 25 best cities for hosting a sports event. Nine out of ten people in Denmark own a bicycle. The time had come for Sport Event Denmark to evaluate the hosting of the race. “It went really well. We had some amazing days, and the local back-up was massive,” says Lars Lundov. Race director Michele Acquarone is also satisfied, indeed so much so that he would have liked to continue the party in the north a little longer: “It will be hard for me to leave Denmark. I would like to stay.” • ! WHY DO COPENHAGENERS BIKE? When people in Denmark’s capital city Copenhagen are asked why they travel by bicycle, the most frequently given reasons are: It is the quickest mode of transport . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55% It is the most convenient mode of transport . . 33% It is healthy. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32% It is cheap . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29% It gives a good start to the day . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21% Environment/climate related reasons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9% Source: Cycling accounts 2010, City of Copenhagen. AMAZING DAYS After the third stage of Giro d’Italia 2012, the whole Giro field was quickly transported to two waiting aircraft at Billund Airport. After a single rest day, the race continued from Verona in northern Italy. 16 FOCUS DENMARK | June 20122012-06-29T12:40:52+02:00http://ipaper.ipapercms.dk/Udenrigsministeriet/FocusDenmark/FocusDenmarkJuni2012/?Page=17http://ipaper.ipapercms.dk/Udenrigsministeriet/FocusDenmark/FocusDenmarkJuni2012/?Page=17CBS Executive MBA CHALLENGED BY THE NEW WORLD? The Executive MBA program at Copenhagen Business School provides the tools and personal competencies to enable rising executives to deliver growth and lead their companies in a time of complex challenges and turbulent markets. This advanced Executive MBA program has been developed in close dialogue with the business community and includes focus on innovation, entrepreneurial skills and the ability to strengthen enterprises through change processes. We operate in an innovative and inclusive teaching environment, based on world-class business research and partnerships with global enterprises and other leading business schools. Top tune your leadership skills with the Executive MBA from Copenhagen Business School The 18 month program starts in September 2012 with in-class teaching taking place on four consecutive days each month (Wednesday through Saturday) To know more: · Call us on +45 3815 6002 · Visit www.cbs.dk/emba · Request application package on mba.mba@cbs.dk2012-06-29T12:40:52+02:00http://ipaper.ipapercms.dk/Udenrigsministeriet/FocusDenmark/FocusDenmarkJuni2012/?Page=18http://ipaper.ipapercms.dk/Udenrigsministeriet/FocusDenmark/FocusDenmarkJuni2012/?Page=18PROFILE INVESTORS Foreign businesspeople talk about their investments in Denmark. THE SCIENCE OF DANISH LIFE SCIENCE By Kasper Tveden A highly educated and flexible labour force – and many years of focus on Life Science. These were some of the reasons why Isabelle de Cremoux, CEO of French venture company Seventure, started investing in Denmark. Her first investment in the country, in 2005, was in Fluxome, an industrial biotech company specialising in molecular bioengineering and nutrition. This was followed by three more investments in Danish Life Science companies (Vivostat, Santaris Pharma and Acarix), which have all demonstrated their technical proof of concept to Seventure. According to Isabelle de Cremoux, who administers investment capital totalling EUR 500 million, Seventure's positive experience with Danish Life Science companies correlates with the fact that both the business community and the government have focused on this industry for many years. including lawyers, accountants and patent attorneys who Isabelle de Cremoux got in touch with through matchmaking conferences. PHOTO: SEVENTURE. STABLE CONDITIONS The French investor also thinks it is important that Denmark is a stable country in terms of its legal system. “It makes it much easier for a foreign investor to navigate. I don’t have to know all the most recent laws that can affect my business, I just have to know the first barriers and understand the local laws and environment. It is a very stable system,” Isabelle de Cremoux says. She thinks however that there should be more opportunities for start-up companies to apply for development support through seed funds. “When I started making investments in Denmark, there were a few seed funds for upcoming companies, but they all gradually disappeared during the financial crisis.” Seventure is also investing in a number of other countries, primarily in startup and growth capital companies which seek support to develop their product or technology. “We help the founders – who generally come from the science world – to translate their innovation so it fits the market. And in the long term we help them to expand internationally through our offices in Europe and the US,” says the French investor. • Isabelle de Cremoux Company: Education: Seventure Partners Graduated as an engineer from École Centrale Paris Tennis, jogging and travelling Danish Life Science companies Civil status: Married with four children Hobbies: Invests in: FRUITFUL ASSISTANCE Isabelle de Cremoux also acknowledges the assistance she has received from the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs. “A lot of countries try to attract foreign investors, but I will say that the best organized support I have received was in Denmark. There is high return for the money, and as a foreign investor you are given a lot of assistance both in terms of quality and quantity.” Initially, the assistance was primarily to help find competent professionals 18 FOCUS DENMARK | June 20122012-06-29T12:40:52+02:00http://ipaper.ipapercms.dk/Udenrigsministeriet/FocusDenmark/FocusDenmarkJuni2012/?Page=19http://ipaper.ipapercms.dk/Udenrigsministeriet/FocusDenmark/FocusDenmarkJuni2012/?Page=19Smart – Smarter – Wireless A Smart Grid requires wireless communication A Smart Grid – controlling the cutting in and out of large numbers of heat pumps and electric vehicles – demands fast communication with the electricity meters. The future grid will most likely become even more strained than today, and impose a challenge to safe for data exchange. But Kamstrup imposes no conditions on grid load to secure the necessary data exchange. With wireless technology we guarantee the highest performance – day and night. We offer the intelligent alternative: a robust system that leaves the electric grid to electric supply. A Kamstrup solution consists of Smart Meters with 2-way communication, a stable infrastructure for Smart Grid and Smart Home. Kamstrup A/S · Industrivej 28, Stilling · DK-8660 Skanderborg · Tel.: +45 89 93 10 00 · info@kamstrup.com · w w w.thegreendif ference.info2012-06-29T12:40:52+02:00http://ipaper.ipapercms.dk/Udenrigsministeriet/FocusDenmark/FocusDenmarkJuni2012/?Page=20http://ipaper.ipapercms.dk/Udenrigsministeriet/FocusDenmark/FocusDenmarkJuni2012/?Page=20GREEN GROWTH PUBLIC OR PRIVATE — WHY NOT BOTH? The global transition to green energy is a challenge of such enormous dimensions that neither the private nor the public sector can handle the task alone. Governments and corporations are therefore focusing to an increasing extent on a partnership approach. By Jan Aagaard Climate change, global population growth and scarcity of resources. The world is facing colossal challenges in the years ahead. With more and more people on the planet, the pressure is increasing on the Earth’s climate, environment and resources. According to a new report from McKinsey Global Institute, the next 20 years will see the number of middle class consumers reach 3 billion compared with the current figure of 1.8 billion. This will lead to a markedly higher demand for more or less all resources, from oil and gas to rare metals, as well as basic things like food and water. 20 FOCUS DENMARK | June 20122012-06-29T12:40:52+02:00http://ipaper.ipapercms.dk/Udenrigsministeriet/FocusDenmark/FocusDenmarkJuni2012/?Page=21http://ipaper.ipapercms.dk/Udenrigsministeriet/FocusDenmark/FocusDenmarkJuni2012/?Page=21GREEN GROWTH There is a need for green growth and new, sustainable approaches and technologies, and this will require huge investments. The International Energy Agency has calculated that in order to reduce the world’s CO² emissions by 50 percent by 2050, it will be necessary – in the energy sector alone – to invest USD 750 billion annually until 2030 and over USD 1.6 trillion annually from 2030 to 2050. The transition to green energy is a project of such enormous dimensions that neither private, institutional nor public parties, regions or countries can undertake the task alone. As the McKinsey report states: “Tackling the resource agenda must start with new institutional mindsets and mechanisms that can develop more coordinated approaches to the challenge of resources…” ! PARTNERSHIPS IN FOCUS IN COPENHAGEN The annual Global Green Growth Forum (3GF) in Copenhagen in October focuses on green growth through public-private partnerships. 3GF is a Danish initiative established in 2011 with support from the Republic of Korea and Mexico. Since the first forum in Copenhagen in October 2011, where UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon (photo) attended, 3GF has become internationally recognised as a leading platform for publicprivate dialogue and collaboration for green growth. The overall theme for 3GF 2012 is efficient use of resources and growth. This year the forum will profile and support a number of public-private partnerships, which through improved resource efficiency can stimulate green economic growth and thereby create more green jobs. The forum will also look at global partnerships in areas such as energy, water, biorefining, trade, purchasing, financing and urban development. Global Green Growth Forum 2012 takes place 8–9 October 2012 in Copenhagen. Read more: www.globalgreengrowthforum.com In Denmark, a number of companies received support from successive governments to focus on green technology. Today those companies are international leaders in areas such as wind, water and bioenergy. Governments and corporations the world over are therefore focusing to an increasing extent on public-private partnership (PPP) or similar forms of collaboration. This is also happening in Denmark, where a number of companies received support from BARRIERS TO GROWTH Partnerships can take different forms and have different objectives – from a wish to inform, to financing of projects and collaboration on the development and marketing of new products. Financing is one of the biggest barriers to green growth, and it is here that capital-rich private investors such as pension funds can play a decisive role. An actual example from Denmark is PensionDanmark’s investment of over EUR 540 million in two large-scale Danish offshore wind farms in collaboration with Danish energy company DONG Energy and the Danish Energy Authority. The two wind farms will supply enough green electricity to meet the needs of 540,000 households. Experience from previous PPPs around the world show that that partnerships are successful when the partners have common interests and the collaboration enables them to overcome barriers that they would not have been able to surmount alone, because one or the other player lacks expertise or experience in specific areas. FOCUS DENMARK | June 2012 21 PHOTO: KELD NAVNTOFT/SCANPIX. NEW INSTITUTIONAL MINDSETS successive governments to focus on green technology. Today those companies are international leaders in areas such as wind, water and bioenergy. PPP is traditionally known as a model for financing large-scale infrastructural projects, but many players in the climate and energy area see extensive opportunities to utilise the model to promote the development of a greener society. As Denmark’s Minister for Climate, Energy and Building, Martin Lidegaard, expresses it: “The world is facing scarcity of resources, rising fossil fuel prices and increased pressure on the Earth’s climate. The transition to a green future, seen from a global pers2012-06-29T12:40:52+02:00http://ipaper.ipapercms.dk/Udenrigsministeriet/FocusDenmark/FocusDenmarkJuni2012/?Page=22http://ipaper.ipapercms.dk/Udenrigsministeriet/FocusDenmark/FocusDenmarkJuni2012/?Page=22GREEN GROWTH PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS Many Danish cleantech companies are developing new green technologies in collaboration with or with the support of public sector partners in Denmark and abroad. ‘Focus Denmark’ presents a couple of current examples… MAKING BIOFUELS ABLE TO COMPETE Danish enzyme manufacturer Novozymes develops and manufactures second generation bioethanol worldwide. It is only possible with public support, the firm emphasises. sil fuels, political support and state subsidy will be necessary for development and the ensuring of proper framework conditions,” says Fleming Voetmann, director and head of public affairs and media relations at Novozymes. He points to the US as a showpiece of public-private partnership in the development of biofuels, where the US authorities offer support throughout the whole process, from the cultivation of crops to sales of fuel at gas stations. Novozymes collaborates with authorities in a number countries on the development and commercialisation of biofuels. In China, the company has entered a partnership with the state companies COFCO and Sinopec regarding the supply of enzymes to a new demonstration plant that will produce bioethanol from agricultural waste. BIOFUELS FOR SHIPPING Among the Novozymes projects in Denmark is a new large-scale research and development programme, which over the next five years will develop biofuels for ships as a replacement for polluting fossil fuels. Shipping today accounts for 10 percent of the global transport sector’s energy use and CO² emissions, corresponding to the entire emissions of Germany. Also involved in the project are the Danish shipping giant A. P. MollerMaersk and a number of other Danish companies, plus the University of Copenhagen and the Technical University of Denmark. The project has an overall budget of EUR 15 million, of which half comes from the Danish National Advanced Technology Foundation – a state financed agency that invests risk capital in high tech initiatives in order to build a bridge between companies and public sector research institutions. “The new collaboration on the development of biofuels for the shipping industry is a really good example of how the public and private sector in Denmark can get together to create new, sustainable technology,” says Fleming Voetmann of Novozymes. • By Jan Aagaard At the present time, biofuels are the only existing alternative to liquid fuels like gasoline (petrol) and diesel, and a number of Danish companies are among the international leaders in developing biofuels. One of them is the enzyme manufacturer Novozymes, which is involved in developing and producing second generation biofuel in a number of countries including USA, China, Brazil and Denmark. Unlike the first generation product, second generation bioethanol is made from agricultural waste like straw and corn stover, or from other sources of cellulosic waste material such as domestic waste. According to Novozymes, it is essential that private sector companies receive public support in order to develop and extend the spread of second generation bioethanol. “The energy sector is an area very much subject to political influence. Fossil fuels have played a dominant role in the world for the last 100 years, and have received significant state subsidy throughout that time. If biofuels are to become a competitive alternative to fos- 22 FOCUS DENMARK | June 20122012-06-29T12:40:52+02:00http://ipaper.ipapercms.dk/Udenrigsministeriet/FocusDenmark/FocusDenmarkJuni2012/?Page=23http://ipaper.ipapercms.dk/Udenrigsministeriet/FocusDenmark/FocusDenmarkJuni2012/?Page=23GREEN GROWTH HYDROGEN REFUELLING STATIONS The company has developed refuelling stations, where hydrogen FCEVs with a range of over 500 kilometres (300 miles) can be tanked up in a few minutes. The first 10 hydrogen refuelling stations are in operation in Scandinavia – of which three are in Denmark. H2 Logic has developed and matured its technologies and products by entering national and international collaborations involving private and public sector players. One example is the H2MOVES Scandinavia project, where H2 Logic and a number of European collaboration partners, including Daimler and Fiat, are investing EUR 19.5 million in testing hydrogen FCEVs and refuelling stations in the Norwegian capital Oslo. The EU is providing EUR 7.8 million in support, with additional finance coming from Denmark’s EUDP and Norway’s TRANSNOVA, which are both publicly funded programmes. The H2MOVES project involves the testing of 17 hydrogen FCEVs in Oslo, where a large-scale hydrogen refuelling station has been established. The vehicles will also go on a round tour of Europe together with a mobile hydrogen refuelling station in order to communicate the project’s aims and results. In another public-private collaboration, The City of Copenhagen, H2 Logic and Hydrogen Link Denmark last year entered an agreement with auto maker Hyundai/KIA Motors on extending hydrogen FCEVs and refuelling stations in both Denmark and the Republic of Korea. “The private and public sector need to work together in order to broaden hydrogen solutions to the transport sector. This is especially so in the demonstration and maturing phases, for while research and development costs money, it is typically much more expensive to demonstrate the technologies. This is not always an attractive scenario for private investors, but instead the public sector can go in and support the process,” says director Jacob Krogsgaard of H2 Logic. • PHOTO: CARSTEN SNEJBJERG/POLFOTO. Two blue hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles, developed by Danish entrepreneurial firm H2 Logic, exhibited next to a somewhat less modern vehicle near the parliament in Copenhagen. GREEN VEHICLES NEED A KICK-START Entrepreneurial firm H2 Logic is aiming to make Denmark one of the first countries where hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles are introduced onto the market on a large scale. manufacturers have entered agreements to introduce FCEVs onto the market in 2015. Denmark and the other Scandinavian countries have long been seen by auto makers as an attractive place to introduce hydrogen FCEVs onto the market. Part of the reason for this is the intensive hydrogen technology research and development work being carried out in Scandinavia. In Denmark alone, companies and universities, together with public sector programmes, have invested more than EUR 310 million in the technology since 2001. One of the frontrunners in this development is the Danish entrepreneurial firm H2 Logic, which since 2003 has positioned itself as one of the world’s leading developers of energy solutions based on hydrogen and fuel cells. By Jan Aagaard Hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs) are considered to be one of several alternatives to internal combustion engine vehicles. Worldwide there are currently only a few thousand FCEVs on the roads as part of research or demonstration projects. Even so, a number of leading automotive The private and public sector need to work together in order to broaden hydrogen solutions to the transport sector. Jacob Krogsgaard Director, H2 Logic FOCUS DENMARK | June 2012 232012-06-29T12:40:52+02:00http://ipaper.ipapercms.dk/Udenrigsministeriet/FocusDenmark/FocusDenmarkJuni2012/?Page=24http://ipaper.ipapercms.dk/Udenrigsministeriet/FocusDenmark/FocusDenmarkJuni2012/?Page=24THEME: HEALTH THE TRIALS By Morten Andersen Like most western countries, Denmark has seen a decrease in recent years in the number of clinical trials conducted – i.e. trials where the efficacy of medicines is studied. The main reason for the decline is competition from a number of new players in Eastern Europe and Asia. A study in Nature Reviews Drug Discovery shows that these countries are seeing annual growth rates of 5 -10 percent in the number of clinical trials, while countries which have been leaders in this area are seeing a reduction. In relation to its size, Denmark continues to have a high ranking, and new initiatives aim to ensure that this situation continues despite increased global competition. Danish Regions – the professional body of the five Danish regions which are responsible for hospitals in Denmark – has launched a plan which enables international corporations to direct an enquiry to just one place if it wishes to place a clinical trial in the country. Furthermore, the Ministry of Health has national IT initiatives in the healthcare area which provide a unique opportunity to supplement data from clinical trials with other forms of health information. It is the right strategy, thinks Søren Rasmussen, Vice President Medical of AstraZeneca Nordic Marketing Company: “Registers of high quality and a system with civil registration numbers provide the opportunity for long-term follow up on clinical trials. I do not mean follow-up on patients – data is anonymised – but via the civil registration number or a coded identification, patients can be followed later when they appear in other registers.” Denmark Israel Belgium Estonia Iceland 24 FOCUS DENMARK | June 2012 There is tough global competition to become the preferred country for conducting clinical trials to study the efficacy of medicines. New players in Eastern Europe and Asia are increasing their market share, while countries in the western world are fighting to maintain theirs. Denmark’s strengths are a high degree of professionalism and strong healthcare systems. ! MOST TRIALS IN DENMARK Countries with most clinical trials per capita, 2009 43.1 37.6 36.4 36.2 35.9 51 EU, OECD and BRIC countries are included in the full list. Sources: www.clinicaltrials.gov and The Danish Agency for Science, Technology and Innovation.2012-06-29T12:40:52+02:00http://ipaper.ipapercms.dk/Udenrigsministeriet/FocusDenmark/FocusDenmarkJuni2012/?Page=25http://ipaper.ipapercms.dk/Udenrigsministeriet/FocusDenmark/FocusDenmarkJuni2012/?Page=25THEME: HEALTH Though Denmark is not one of the cheapest countries in which to conduct a clinical study, it is on the other hand one of the best. Mike Connell Vice President, General Manager, GlaxoSmithKline Denmark “A clinical trial lasts perhaps 12 months and then you lose track of the patients. In many contexts however, it is interesting to obtain information on long-term effects when the patient no longer forms part of a carefully planned study. You need go no further than the UK before this type of research becomes difficult, solely for the reason that they do not have civil registration numbers.” THE CHALLENGE FROM THE EAST AstraZeneca is the world’s 7th largest pharmaceutical company, which supplies medicines for the treatment of cancer, cardiovascular diseases, infections, neurological diseases, and diseases of the respiratory and digestive systems. The company, which is headquartered in London, has had a presence in Denmark for many years. “We see the same advantages in Denmark as in Sweden, Norway and Finland, in the form of a well-structured healthcare system and a population with equal access to its services. The high quality of the Nordic healthcare systems is well-known. Here we have the opportunity to collaborate with doctors and other professionals who receive considerable international acknowledgement for their clinical research and pure research,” says Søren Rasmussen. “It means that we can base the future use of our medicines on documented knowledge from a Danish patient group. We can make use of that in our marketing so that our medicines reach the market faster, while at the same time we achieve greater certainty that they are used in the right way in the right patients.” As the Vice President Medical of AstraZeneca Nordic Marketing ! WHAT ARE CLINICAL TRIALS? When a pharmaceutical company has produced a candidate drug that appears to have promise for the treatment of a given disease, the first step is animal studies. If these show the desired effect and that the treatment is safe in animals, the company can seek permission to conduct a clinical study in humans. Clinical studies are built up in phases, where gradually more people are given the product. Between each phase there is an evaluation. It is only if the results are satisfactory in relation to efficacy and safety that the company is permitted to take the product forward to the next phase. When the product has been successfully tested with large groups of patients in many countries, the company can apply for permission to market its product. FOCUS DENMARK | June 2012 252012-06-29T12:40:52+02:00http://ipaper.ipapercms.dk/Udenrigsministeriet/FocusDenmark/FocusDenmarkJuni2012/?Page=26http://ipaper.ipapercms.dk/Udenrigsministeriet/FocusDenmark/FocusDenmarkJuni2012/?Page=26THEME: HEALTH PHOTO: ASTRAZENECA/SCANPIX. AstraZeneca, the world’s 7th largest pharmaceutical company, has had a presence in Denmark for many years. The photo shows employees preparing to enter the aseptic area at an AstraZeneca plant in Macclesfield, Cheshire, UK. ! CLINICAL TRIALS IN DENMARK Denmark has a long tradition for recording health data and data on the population in general. The county has a homogeneous population and there is a wealth of data to which researchers have easy access – in other words a unique information resource on the group of patients who participate in a clinical trial. A large number of recognised clinical research organisations have solid experience with establishing the framework for conducting clinical studies in all phases. This ensures data of high quality. Danish hospitals have considerable capacity and experience in conducting clinical trials. It smooths administrative work and ensures high efficiency with minimal time wasted. The generally high educational level in the population, and particularly the high level of English skills, ensures very favourable conditions for the conducting of clinical trials. Source: Optimal clinical trials framework, Invest in Denmark, Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Company, Søren Rasmussen would like to have as many clinical trials conducted in the Nordic countries as possible, but such wishes cannot always be fulfilled: “When we talk to development colleagues in other parts of the group, for example in the US, we know that the Nordic countries are competing with China, Russia and many other countries. In some countries, for example Eastern Europe and Asia, the costs of conducting clinical trials are low while the population figures are high, so large patient groups can quickly be built up. That is difficult to compete with, but it should be challenged anyway, because I certainly think that the Nordic countries continue to be attractive.” AN IDEAL PLACE The world’s 3rd largest pharmaceutical company, GlaxoSmithKline, which is headquartered in London, has also had positive experience with conducting clinical trials in Denmark. “We have been present in Denmark for more than 40 years. GlaxoSmithKline invests in Demark because it pays to in- vest here. We are an innovative company, constantly searching for the best ideas and the best places to be – that is why we are in Denmark,” says Mike Connell, Vice President, General Manager, GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) Denmark. The company’s primary business areas are medicines for the treatment of respiratory diseases, HIV and cancer. It also markets a wide range of vaccines. GlaxoSmithKline is typically engaged in 20 to 25 clinical research programmes in Denmark during a year, involving an investment of more than EUR 5.4 million. “Our internal analyses show that Denmark is an ideal place to have clinical research conducted. Though it is not one of the cheapest countries in which to conduct a clinical study, it is on the other hand one of the best. Danish research scientists and doctors supply some of the world’s best research, and Medicon Valley, part of which is in Denmark, is one of the world’s top three clusters in biotechnology,” says Mike Connell, who adds that investments in clinical studies are a win-win situation for patients, doctors, research scientists and the company: 26 FOCUS DENMARK | June 20122012-06-29T12:40:52+02:00http://ipaper.ipapercms.dk/Udenrigsministeriet/FocusDenmark/FocusDenmarkJuni2012/?Page=27http://ipaper.ipapercms.dk/Udenrigsministeriet/FocusDenmark/FocusDenmarkJuni2012/?Page=27THEME: HEALTH In some countries, for example Eastern Europe and Asia, the costs of conducting clinical trials are low while the population figures are high, so large patient groups can quickly be built up. Søren Rasmussen Vice President Medical, AstraZeneca Nordic Marketing Company “Patients get access to the latest, innovative treatments at a very early stage, doctors and research scientists get access to the best possible innovative technology, and GlaxoSmithKline gets access to the best possible data about our products.” GlaxoSmithKline has invested more than EUR 2 billion in Danish biotech companies over the years. In addition, the company has entered more than 60 agreements over the last ten years on research collaboration with Danish universities and hospitals. GlaxoSmithKline, the world’s 3rd largest pharmaceutical company, has had positive experience with conducting clinical trials in Denmark. The photo shows the company’s factory in Ulverston, Cumbria, UK. BETTER COMMUNICATION At AstraZeneca, Søren Rasmussen agrees on the high quality of execution of clinical trials in Denmark, but also notes: “Hitherto, the argumentation has been exclusively concerned with the high quality of execution of clinical trials. I think that is far too narrow. Other countries are busy improving their quality through national programmes. If you want to be part of the game, you have to find a new pitch, where you decide the rules yourselves. Otherwise your stadium will crumble and ultimately be torn down around you.” Although there are good arguments for continuing the execution of clinical trials of medicines in Denmark, Søren Rasmussen warns against thinking that it will happen by itself: “Today the Nordic countries are not good enough at communicating the benefits to the world that they evidently possess. I recently looked at the homepages of some really good registers and clinical databases in the Nordic countries, and noticed that only a tiny part of the content was in English.” ! DANISH BIOTECHNOLOGY • More than 160 Danish and international biotech companies are active in Denmark. The industry employs more than 40,000 people, of which more than 5,000 work full time in research and development. More than 300 companies specialise in servicing the biotech industry. • • EASY CONTACT WITH DANISH HEALTH SERVICE The Danish Regions organisation is committed to increasing awareness FOCUS DENMARK | June 2012 27 PHOTO: MARK WILLIAMSON/SCANPIX.2012-06-29T12:40:52+02:00http://ipaper.ipapercms.dk/Udenrigsministeriet/FocusDenmark/FocusDenmarkJuni2012/?Page=28http://ipaper.ipapercms.dk/Udenrigsministeriet/FocusDenmark/FocusDenmarkJuni2012/?Page=28THEME: HEALTH ! INVESTMENTS IN HOSPITALS • Denmark has over 75 hospitals, of which four have the status of teaching hospitals. In the coming years the five Danish regions, which have the responsibility for hospitals, will make comprehensive investments in expansion. From 2010-2020, EUR 5 billion will be invested in new hospitals and extending existing ones. Overall, approximately a third of the hospital building stock will be renewed in this period. A total of 16 new hospitals will be built. The plans involve significant new investments in hospital IT systems and medical technology. • PHOTO: CHRISTIAN LINDGREN/SCANPIX. • • GlaxoSmithKline has entered more than 60 agreements over the last ten years on research collaboration with Danish universities and hospitals. of the opportunities for having clinical trials conducted in Denmark. In April 2012, the organisation launched a report, One industry access point to clinical trials in Denmark, which is a road map for making it easy for international companies to make contact with the relevant collaboration partners in the Danish health service. “A strong profile in health research is necessary for Denmark to maintain and develop a robust pharmaceutical and medico industry, since many other countries are also intensifying their focus on growth opportunities in the health and welfare sectors. We must strengthen our research collaborations, so we can preserve our position,” said the chairman of the Danish Regions, Bent Hansen, when the report was launched. “We support doctors collaborating with industry on clinical trials. And Denmark has a reputation for supplying research of high quality,” he added. GLOBAL THINKING Søren Rasmussen welcomes the initiative from Danish Regions, and encourages follow-up. Besides beating the drum for the unique opportunities to utilise data from the health registers, he also encourages Denmark and the other Nordic countries to find particular niches: “One example could be the testing of medicines for children. Today there is very little testing of medicines on children, because such research is viewed as unethical. I would like to turn the question around and ask if it is not more unethical that today we give a wide range of medicines to children without having documented knowledge of how they work in children. Can we make Denmark into the right place to undertake such tests? The generally high educational level and the solid ethical committee system enables trials to be conducted in the best possible way, where there will be strong focus on protecting children’s interests.” Søren Rasmussen also warns against viewing foreign investments in clinical trials as a big bag of money that is made available and can then be used for other things: “If Denmark really wants to attract investments in clinical trials, a national campaign will be necessary that extends to the highest political level. A Nordic campaign would be even better. If the population base is extended to 25 million people, things get even more interesting. We ourselves are no longer the Swedish company Astra, but a part of the global concern AstraZeneca which looks at investment opportunities from a global perspective. The same is necessary for the Nordic countries.” • 28 FOCUS DENMARK | June 20122012-06-29T12:40:52+02:00http://ipaper.ipapercms.dk/Udenrigsministeriet/FocusDenmark/FocusDenmarkJuni2012/?Page=29http://ipaper.ipapercms.dk/Udenrigsministeriet/FocusDenmark/FocusDenmarkJuni2012/?Page=29Set up in a Science Park full of greentech. The NOVI portfolio company Scale Biofuel develops production technologies for biofuels specializing in rural areas. Greentech companies in NOVI Science Park Scale Biofuel - production technologies for biofuels MicroDrop Aqua - cleantech water treatment Aalborg Energie Technik - biomass power plants Provital Solutions - water filtration solutions .and 96 other technology companies Set up your business in NOVI Science Park Approximately 100 businesses reside in NOVI Science Park. These businesses have access to a dynamic, fullservice environment in the Science Park. The Science Park also provides access to NOVI’s innovation incubator which helps high-tech research projects move from concept to company. NOVI Science Park is adjacent to the Aalborg University (AAU)campus and has a strong and fruitful cooperative relationship with AAU. Read more at novi.dk.2012-06-29T12:40:52+02:00http://ipaper.ipapercms.dk/Udenrigsministeriet/FocusDenmark/FocusDenmarkJuni2012/?Page=30http://ipaper.ipapercms.dk/Udenrigsministeriet/FocusDenmark/FocusDenmarkJuni2012/?Page=30THEME: HEALTH FROM VIKING DRINKING TO STONE AGE FOOD Not so long ago, Denmark made playful fun of neighbouring Sweden for strictly limiting access to alcohol and forcing pizzerias to serve salads. Today Danish citizens accept far-reaching health initiatives without much complaint. Why did it change? By Markus Bernsen “We drink as frequently as southern Europeans, and we drink as wildly as the Vikings.” So said Denmark’s Minister for Health in 2010 about alcohol consumption in the country. It was true then and it still is: alcohol consumption in Denmark is among the highest in Europe, while the average life span of its citizens – 78.4 years – is among the lowest. The people of Denmark have never been known for their healthy lifestyle. The Danish queen smokes 20 a day and her husband is a winegrower who writes cookery books simmering with richly exotic recipes. Spring in Denmark begins on the day when Danish brewery Carlsberg releases its Tuborg Easter beer, and likewise the Christmas season begins with the appearance of Christmas beer. Both beverages are designed to accompany traditional Danish lunchtime fare of herrings, roast pork and cheese, washed down with liberal quantities of aquavit. Since 2007, smoking has been banned in cafés and restaurants over a certain size. 30 FOCUS DENMARK | June 2012 PHOTO: MIRIAM DALSGAARD/POLFOTO.2012-06-29T12:40:52+02:00http://ipaper.ipapercms.dk/Udenrigsministeriet/FocusDenmark/FocusDenmarkJuni2012/?Page=31http://ipaper.ipapercms.dk/Udenrigsministeriet/FocusDenmark/FocusDenmarkJuni2012/?Page=31THEME: HEALTH STONE AGE FOOD Denmark’s agricultural roots are still visible in the food that the population eats. More pork and milk products are consumed than in most countries, but even so, the nation’s diet has changed in the last ten years and has become significantly healthier. The consumption of cakes and sweets in Denmark has dropped, and more fruit and vegetables are eaten. The consumption of sweets has decreased so much that the average citizen in neighbouring Sweden consumes almost twice as many sweets (8.2 kilos per year) as the average Dane (4.8 kilos). The change in diet is most visible among children and youngsters. They drink far less soft drinks, and among young people smoking has declined. One in five people still smoke, but the next generation no longer thinks that smoking is cool and part of adult life. One of the best-selling books in Denmark in recent years is Kernesund familie [The fighting fit family], which is full of salad recipes with vitamin-rich vegetables. Danish chefs have returned to their roots in the “New Nordic Kitchen”, with its fish, game, berries and herbs. They also make “Stone Age food”, where processed carbohydrates such as flour and pasta are avoided. Healthy living has also become part of politics. In 2007, Denmark’s previous government banned smoking in schools, in trains, and in cafés and restaurants over a certain size. In April this year, the new government extended the smoking ban to include single occupancy offices. In autumn 2011, it introduced a fat tax, with the effect that for every kilo of saturated fat purchased in shops, the state receives EUR 2.15. In addition, the government plans to introduce a tax on sugar in 2013 covering all foods – from ice cream and cakes to yoghurt and pickled cucumbers. Things have changed rapidly. Fifteen years ago Denmark made playful fun of neighbouring Sweden for strictly limiting access to alcohol and forcing pizzerias to serve salads. Today Danish citizens accept health initiatives with hardly a murmur of complaint. But why? Denmark continues to differ from other countries by assigning particular importance to exercise. The motto is “rather fat and fit than thin and inactive”. Such initiatives include organic lunch schemes, employer-paid fruit and vegetables, jogging clubs and offers to receive massage during working hours. Around the same time, something similar happened across Europe and in North America. In the US, Canada and Great Britain in particular, governments discovered obesity and decided that it required immediate action. They worried about obesity epidemics and the costly long-term lifestyle diseases that result. In Denmark the approach was slightly different. Initially, the focus was less on obesity and more on exercise. Most Danish doctors and health experts considered that exercise was the most important OBESITY EPIDEMICS Nanna Mik-Meyer conducts health research at Copenhagen Business School. She thinks that a change began around the start of the new millennium, and has since accelerated. “The Danish welfare state became increasingly occupied with the health of the individual. The government could see the money being spent on smokers and obese citizens, so these became obvious focus areas for the state. Later the private sector joined in. They wanted to attract the right people and used health at the workplace as a sort of fringe benefit.” FOCUS DENMARK | June 2012 31 PHOTO: SISSE DUPONT/POLFOTO. The attitude of the Danes to food, alcohol and tobacco is generally more relaxed than their Scandinavian neighbours. It has given them the reputation of being “the Italians of the North”. But things are changing. In the last five years the Danish government has introduced a ban on smoking and a tax on fat, and has proposed a tax on sugar. Prime Minister Helle Thorning-Schmidt has a vision to see Denmark among the 10 countries worldwide with the highest average life expectancy. Much of it is to do with the times we live in. In the la2012-06-29T12:40:52+02:00http://ipaper.ipapercms.dk/Udenrigsministeriet/FocusDenmark/FocusDenmarkJuni2012/?Page=32http://ipaper.ipapercms.dk/Udenrigsministeriet/FocusDenmark/FocusDenmarkJuni2012/?Page=32THEME: HEALTH Health has occupied every sphere of life: at work, in our spare time, in the family. Nanna Mik-Meyer Copenhagen Business School factor, and that the population’s diet didn’t necessarily need much change. “Other countries have made significant efforts to fight obesity, while in Denmark it was quickly agreed that weight is not always the key issue. Physical activity is just as important,” says Professor Bente Klarlund Pedersen, chairman of Denmark’s National Council for Public Health. Denmark continues to differ from other countries by assigning particular importance to exercise. The motto is “rather fat and fit than thin and inactive”. A NEW RELIGION There are concerns among some however that eagerness for health has gone too far, and that health has become almost a religion. We have stopped questioning the health wave, thinks Nanna Mik-Meyer. “Today, our unquestioned preoccupation with health has become the most natural thing in the world. We have practically forgotten that the change happened, even though it was only 15 years ago. It has spread like wildfire. Health has occupied every sphere of life: at work, in our spare time, in the family.” But health is actually a very difficult thing to define, argues Nanna MikMeyer. What is healthy for some can be unhealthy for others. This becomes clear when one looks at Europe: in some countries people smoke a lot, but nevertheless have a higher life expectancy than in countries where people smoke less. There is also a big difference between men’s and women’s health in the various countries, and across Europe as a whole women are generally healthier than men. One trend is clear in Europe today: the more northerly the country, the higher the proportion of the population that takes exercise. According to a new survey, 70 percent of the population in Denmark, Germany and Finland exercise at least once a week. In comparison, the figure is less than 40 percent in Italy, Spain, Austria and the Netherlands. In Denmark, one third of the population exercises at least four times a week, and two thirds exercise at least once a week. Italy and Greece are among the countries where people exercise the least. In Greece, less than one fifth of the population exercises regularly. While alcohol consumption and smoking occur in all social strata, exer- cise is closely connected with economic means and education. The healthier the finances and the better the education of a population, the more they exercise. History also plays a significant role. In Denmark, exercise has always involved a social element. In the 1800s a wave of sports associations were established where Danish farmers were encouraged to straighten their backs and get to know each other. These associations became gathering points in small rural communities. In contemporary health surveys in Denmark, women say that they exercise to lose weight or stay youthful, while Danish men say that their primary purpose in taking exercise is to be with other people. HEALTHY CITIES When foreign visitors come to see Bente Klarlund Pedersen in Copenhagen, they are often surprised to see how people get around the city – that they use their legs as a means of transport. This is a form of exercise that few think about, but it is prevalent in Denmark. Half an hour’s cycling trip here, a quarter of an hour’s walk there. “People walk and cycle to and from work, and that is very different from many other countries,” says Professor Pedersen. “Only in Denmark and the Netherlands do people generally transport themselves around in this way. People cycle in other countries, but it is more a spare time activity. In Denmark bicycles are used as a means of everyday transport – a way to get from A to B.” Danish cities are also designed for cycling. In Copenhagen for example, road layouts are being redesigned to better accommodate pedestrians and cyclists. A lot can be learned about public health in a country by looking at its cities, thinks Pedersen: “It is2012-06-29T12:40:52+02:00http://ipaper.ipapercms.dk/Udenrigsministeriet/FocusDenmark/FocusDenmarkJuni2012/?Page=33http://ipaper.ipapercms.dk/Udenrigsministeriet/FocusDenmark/FocusDenmarkJuni2012/?Page=33THEME: HEALTH HEALTHY SYSTEMS A national biobank has just opened, and a shared medication record and a national patient index will soon be introduced. Public health systems make Denmark a country with fertile conditions for studying diseases. By Morten Andersen More than 15 million blood and tissue samples, collected during many national research projects, make Denmark’s new national biobank one of the largest in the world. The biobank opened in March this year at the State Serum Institute in Copenhagen. The biobank contains blood samples taken from all Danish children born after 1982, and from more than 100,000 pregnant women. The samples are anonymised, but by using the civil registration number system, it is possible to match a blood sample to a patient. This allows research to be conducted, for example, on whether diabetes in an expectant mother increases the risk of the child getting diabetes. “The currency unit in this bank is biological samples, and the return is research results that will benefit the entire population. The hope is that researchers will not hesitate to draw on our deposits,” said Morten Østergaard, Minister for Research, Innovation and Higher Education, at the inauguration. Besides the newly opened biobank, Denmark will soon have a national patient index which will give an overview of information on every patient, together with a shared medication record containing information on medicines prescribed to every single citizen (see boxes). ! NATIONAL PATIENT INDEX The opportunities to gain an overview of a patient’s health information will be significantly increased in the near future, when a national patient index is implemented in the Danish healthcare system. The index will give authorised healthcare professionals the opportunity to search for information on a patient in hospital electronic patient journals (EPJ), data on medicine consumption from a shared medication record, laboratory results and other relevant data. In addition, the information will be made available to the patient via the healthcare portal, sundhed.dk. The aim is for the national patient index to be fully implemented by the end of 2013. ILLUSTRATIONS: THE STATE SERUM INSTITUTE. The new biobank in Copenhagen (top) and a computer-generated image of tanks with biological material in liquid nitrogen. The currency unit in this bank is biological samples, and the return is research results that will benefit the entire population. Morten Østergaard Minister for Research, Innovation and Higher Education BLOOD SAMPLES BEFORE ILLNESS Although the Danish biobank is among the world’s biggest, it contains far from all the biological material available to Danish health researchers. A number of hospitals have their own biobanks for particular diseases. A shared record makes it possible to see how many samples of different types the different biobanks have. Naturally, it is not possible to identify the patients. This creates the opportunity for researchers to run data collectively from the biobanks, the civil registration system (the register of personal identity FOCUS DENMARK | June 2012 332012-06-29T12:40:52+02:00http://ipaper.ipapercms.dk/Udenrigsministeriet/FocusDenmark/FocusDenmarkJuni2012/?Page=34http://ipaper.ipapercms.dk/Udenrigsministeriet/FocusDenmark/FocusDenmarkJuni2012/?Page=34THEME: HEALTH PHOTO: THE STATE SERUM INSTITUTE. ! SHARED MEDICATION RECORD The shared medication record is a digital initiative applied across disciplines in the Danish healthcare system. The core of the initiative is a central database which contains information about all medicines that have been prescribed to each Danish citizen in the last two years, and the current medication. The aim of the record is to prevent patients being prescribed the wrong medicine – for example different types of medicine whose effects are in conflict with each other. The record enables doctors at different levels in the healthcare system to gain an overview of a patient’s current medication. The shared medication record will be fully implemented in Denmark before the end of 2012. numbers), the medicines record and the national patient database. This means for example that if a person born after 1982 develops cancer, blood samples will exist from before the development of the disease, which can be tested for early indication substances. This type of research can help future cancer patients by giving them an early warning. international position is that Denmark is one of the countries making most use of IT in both healthcare and society in general. Denmark has a high degree of digital communication between the different parts of the health service. Ninety-nine percent of hospital discharge letters are sent to the patients’ GPs digitally. The same high percentage applies to lab test results to GPs, while 85 percent of the prescriptions that GPs write are sent electronically to the country’s pharmacies, in readiness for collection by patients. “Our analysis (.) shows that three countries – Denmark, Finland and Sweden – are most certainly ahead of the US and most other countries concerning the development of IT systems in the healthcare area. These three Nordic countries have almost ubiquitous use of electronic patient journals (EPJ) among GPs and a high average rate among hospitals,” concludes a report from the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation. in eHealth among GPs.” Seen from a global perspective, few countries have the advantages that Denmark possesses for public health research, and it is certainly possible for foreign researchers to benefit from the new biobank and the other opportunities. But foreign researchers cannot get direct access to the data. The rules stipulate that foreign researchers must work in collaboration with Danish researchers to gain access. • ! HEALTH CONFERENCE WITH A DANISH TOUCH USA’s largest conference on health technology, Health 2.0, will be held 7-9 October 2012 in San Francisco, California. Denmark will attend the event with a range of companies, public institutions and research organisations presenting Danish technology. Following the conference, the Danish delegation will tour Silicon Valley to visit US health technology companies. US investments in this area are increasing significantly as the country tries to reduce its healthcare sector costs. Read more: health2con.com and icdk.um.dk/siliconvalley INTERNATIONAL RESEARCHERS WELCOME This is supported by a study by the EU Commission on the use of IT by GPs, which notes that “Denmark, the Netherlands, Finland, Sweden and the UK are the European frontrunners HEALTHCARE IT LEADERS Another factor which puts Danish public health research into a particularly good 34 FOCUS DENMARK | June 20122012-06-29T12:40:52+02:00http://ipaper.ipapercms.dk/Udenrigsministeriet/FocusDenmark/FocusDenmarkJuni2012/?Page=35http://ipaper.ipapercms.dk/Udenrigsministeriet/FocusDenmark/FocusDenmarkJuni2012/?Page=35The heart of life sciences Start with Denmark • We turn life sciences into business • Profit by the excellent ties between the industry and research institutions • Europe’s 3rd largest drug development pipeline* We look forward to hearing from you Headquarters Invest in Denmark Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark Asiatisk Plads 2 1448 Copenhagen K Denmark Tel.: +45 33 92 11 16 Europe Invest in Denmark Ambassade Royale du Danemark 77, Avenue Marceau 75116 Paris France Tel.: +33 1 4431 2193 North America Invest in Denmark Royal Danish Consulate General 885, Second Avenue, 18th Floor New York, N.Y. 10017 USA Tel.: +1 212 223 4545 Asia-Pacific Invest in Denmark Shanghai Technology Innovation Center 100 Qin Zhou Road, 2nd building, 711 Shanghai, 200235 China Tel.: +86 21 6085 2000 * Ernst&Yong, ”Beyond Borders Global Biotechnology report 2011”, p.92 www.investindk.com2012-06-29T12:40:52+02:00http://ipaper.ipapercms.dk/Udenrigsministeriet/FocusDenmark/FocusDenmarkJuni2012/?Page=36http://ipaper.ipapercms.dk/Udenrigsministeriet/FocusDenmark/FocusDenmarkJuni2012/?Page=36TEMA: TV DRAMA / OMRÅDE KNITWEAR IN PRIME TIME A jumper-clad detective and a prime minister with a messy private life have won a huge global following. Although The Killing, Government and other Danish TV series take place in a country that few know, and in a language that even fewer understand, they have captivated viewers worldwide. ‘The Killing’ is a darkly atmospheric murder mystery series set in a rain-soaked Copenhagen. 36 FOCUS DENMARK | June 2012 PHOTO: TINE HARDEN, DR.2012-06-29T12:40:52+02:00http://ipaper.ipapercms.dk/Udenrigsministeriet/FocusDenmark/FocusDenmarkJuni2012/?Page=37http://ipaper.ipapercms.dk/Udenrigsministeriet/FocusDenmark/FocusDenmarkJuni2012/?Page=37DRAMA TEMA:TV / OMRÅDE ‘Government’ depicts the interplay between politicians, spin doctors, the press and the public. By Rikke Albrechtsen It is not every day that the team behind a Danish TV series receives a letter from a British Prime Minister. But that was nonetheless the case for the creators of the political hit series Government who received a letter from 10 Downing Street in which David Cameron expressed his admiration for the series about the political and personal intrigues that enmesh a fictional female Danish prime minister. Nor is it every day that a British duchess insists on visiting a film set where a dour Danish jumper-wearing police detective is busy solving murders. But Camilla, the wife of Prince Charles, is a great fan of the crime thriller series The Killing and had personally asked to stop by the film set when she and her husband visited Denmark in spring. The duchess even received a cardigan similar in style to the trademark Nordic knitwear worn by the main character of the series, Copenhagen cop Sarah Lund, as a souvenir of the occasion. Danish TV series are going from strength to strength at present, not only in Great Britain, but also as far away as Japan, Brazil, Russia and the Republic of Korea. The great international interest in especially the two aforementioned series have taken most by surprise. The Killing, which resembles the American TV series 24, but takes place at an ultra-slow pace in a rain-soaked Copenhagen, and Government, which is seen as Denmark’s version of the American TV series The West Wing, have both been a hit with viewers in Denmark. But it is rare that a domestic success can be exported to the extent that is currently taking place. And although Danish drama gained international acknowledgment up through the 00s and has won a handful of prestigious Emmy Awards in the US, the two new series have exceeded all expectations. “There is significant interest in Danish fiction, and it has been growing in recent years,” confirms Helene Aurø, who is head of international sales at Denmark’s public service channel, DR, All the problems that are explored in ‘Government’ are the same problems that affect the rest of the western world. Marie-Cathrine Marchetti Head of fiction, Arte France FOCUS DENMARK | June 2012 37 PHOTO: MIKE KOLLÖFFEL, DR.2012-06-29T12:40:52+02:00http://ipaper.ipapercms.dk/Udenrigsministeriet/FocusDenmark/FocusDenmarkJuni2012/?Page=38http://ipaper.ipapercms.dk/Udenrigsministeriet/FocusDenmark/FocusDenmarkJuni2012/?Page=38TV DRAMA TEMA: / OMRÅDE which produced both series. She recently returned from the annual international MIPTV fair in Cannes, where Denmark received somewhat more attention than usually. The hype has even grown to a level where international purchasers are looking in the backlists to buy older Danish series to satisfy the thirst for Danish drama, says Helene Aurø. She makes it clear that other Danish series have also previously been sold abroad, but the extent has taken on new dimensions. “We can sell them currently because viewers want to watch original language TV which extends beyond the main global languages. In that way the markets are constantly changing,” she says. There is significant interest in Danish fiction, and it has been growing in recent years. Helene Aurø Head of international sales, Danish Broadcasting Corporation (DR) CHALLENGING ISSUES Nadia Kløvedal Reich, head of fiction at DR, thinks that one of the reasons for the great interest in Danish TV series is that Denmark and the rest of Scandinavia have developed particular insight concerning the sexes, careers and society matters which are reflected in the stories and characters in the series. “It means something that women in Denmark were early onto the labour market to carve out careers, and that our children have been looked after in daycare centres. It helps us to tell stories which have both a political dimension and relate to the dilemmas that exist between family and society,” says Nadia Kløvedal Reich. An example of this occurs in an episode of Government, where the prime minister solves an international conflict while her daughter is developing a mental disorder. In addition, The Killing breaks with the conventional form of TV crime thriller where each episode is a self-contained story. “We were among the first to present one story in 20 episodes, which enables us to examine issues which are more challenging,” says the head of fiction. SCANDINAVIAN CRIME THRILLER WAVE The 20 episodes were initially a hurdle, concedes Jan De Clercq, the head of The Danish engagement in the war in Afghanistan is incorporated into ‘The Killing’. distribution company Lumiere in Belgium which handles sales of The Killing, Government and many other Scandinavian crime thrillers in the Benelux countries. Although the Danish series benefits from a Scandinavian crime thriller wave driven by the bestselling Millennium Trilogy featuring Lisbeth Salander by Swedish writer Stieg Larsson, and Henning Mankell’s Kurt Wallander, no one was willing to bet that viewers would watch a Danish TV series in so many episodes. “I pushed for it for several years,” explains Jan De Clercq, who initially had great problems selling the TV rights to The Killing. It was not until a leading Dutch morning newspaper embraced it, promoted the series in its columns and advertised it on its webshop, that things seriously gained pace. “They thought that they could sell 3,000 copies, but they ended up selling more than 10,000 box sets,” says De Clercq. That was the start of a hype, with the result that today there are more copies of The Killing sold in Benelux than in Denmark, and that the TV stations ultimately had to jump on the wave. “I think that The Killing was the most important series ever in Benelux in terms of drawing attention to the quality of Scandinavian TV series,” says De Clercq, who thinks that both The Killing and Government address an audience who want something more from both plot and genre: “I think people are a bit tired of clichéd American and British crime thriller fiction.” UNIVERSAL PROBLEMS At the Franco-German channel Arte, which is screening both series, head of fiction for Arte France, Marie-Cathrine Marchetti, is also enthusiastic. “It’s often the case that European series are national clones of American hospital dramas and crime thrillers. That type of product is not particularly interesting to others,” she says. She adds that The Killing separates itself from the crime thrille2012-06-29T12:40:52+02:00http://ipaper.ipapercms.dk/Udenrigsministeriet/FocusDenmark/FocusDenmarkJuni2012/?Page=39http://ipaper.ipapercms.dk/Udenrigsministeriet/FocusDenmark/FocusDenmarkJuni2012/?Page=39TEMA:TV / OMRÅDE DRAMA PHOTOS: MIKE KOLLÖFFEL, THOMAS MAROTT, ULLA VOIGT AND ELSE THOLSTRUP, DR. GOVERNMENT (2010 -) This fictional drama about Denmark’s first female prime minister Birgitte Nyborg, who juggles with political intrigues and personal conflicts, has been sold for broadcast in more than 15 countries. The series won a BAFTA Award this year and an Emmy Award last year for the best foreign series and will be the first Danish TV series to be screened in its original language (with subtitles) in the US. THE PROTECTORS (2008 - 2009) A prime time series presenting difficult subjects such as faith and ideology by following a team of bodyguards from the Danish Security and Intelligence Service whose job is to protect the country’s most powerful and most exposed individuals against threats from extremists of various kinds. Won an Emmy Award for Best Drama Series in 2009. THE KILLING (2007 -) This darkly atmospheric murder mystery series set in a rain-soaked Copenhagen, featuring dour Copenhagen police detective Sarah Lund, has been broadcast worldwide, and has been the subject of a remake in USA, which takes place in an equally rainy Seattle. The series has won a BAFTA Award in Great Britain. The third season will be broadcast on Danish TV in the autumn. BETTER TIMES (2003 - 2006) This series, which set popularity records in Denmark, describes the development of Danish society through the 1950s and 1960s by following the fortunes of a small family-owned company, Bella Radio. More than half of the country’s population watched several of the episodes. The series also became a hit throughout the Nordic region. UNIT ONE (2000 - 2004) The focal point of the series is an elite investigative flying squad which assists local police with serious crimes. It is based on real-life incidents and aims to show that even the worst criminals have a personal story to tell. ‘Unit One’ was the first Danish TV series to win an Emmy Award. A European version called ‘The Team’ is being planned. TAXA (1997 - 1999) This story of a small taxi firm and its staff, fighting against acquisition by a competitor, was the first real hit with Danish viewers in modern times. It heralded a number of more modern-looking and up-tempo series. MATADOR (1978 - 1982) This 24 episode series is the mother of all Danish TV series. It provides a chronology of Denmark from the depression of the 1930s to the post-war years. Inspired by series like Britain’s ‘Upstairs, Downstairs’ (1971), it shows life across all social layers in the small provincial town of Korsbæk. The series set records for audience ratings in Denmark and has been a great hit in Norway and Sweden. FOCUS DENMARK | June 2012 392012-06-29T12:40:52+02:00http://ipaper.ipapercms.dk/Udenrigsministeriet/FocusDenmark/FocusDenmarkJuni2012/?Page=40http://ipaper.ipapercms.dk/Udenrigsministeriet/FocusDenmark/FocusDenmarkJuni2012/?Page=40TEMA: TV DRAMA / OMRÅDE the investigation of a murder – because it also explores what it means for a family to lose a loved one, and for a woman to have to choose between family and career. In 2011, The Killing was remade in a US version, produced by Fox and screened on AMC. “The fact that a remake was produced in the US indicates that the series has its own identity,” says Marie-Cathrine Marchetti. With regard to Government, MarieCathrine Marchetti comments that although the plot is locally-based and depicts the difficulties of a classic Danish minority government, the interplay between politicians, spin doctors, the press and the public is debated in many countries. “All the problems that are explored in Government are the same problems that affect the rest of the western world, although there are differences in political systems,” she says, adding that a number of political analysts writing in French newspapers during the recent presidential election have drawn parallels with the fictional universe of the series. In ‘Government’, the prime minister solves an international conflict while her daughter is developing a mental disorder. HELP FROM THE REAL WORLD Professor Gunhild Agger of Aalborg University, who researches media history and especially TV dramas, agrees that the broad appeal achieved in recent times by the Danish series is due to their particular skill at focusing on universal themes which extend interest in them beyond the country’s borders. Furthermore, Government has had some help from the real world, in that Helle Thorning-Schmidt became Denmark’s first female prime minister in October 2011, one year after her fictional predecessor gained the title. “That was a real scoop seen retrospectively, since the series depicts some of the same dilemmas that affect our politicians in real life,” she says. Gunhild Agger also argues that Danish foreign policy over the last 10 years, which has seen Denmark play a more active role in conflicts around the world, has rubbed off on Danish TV drama. “The producers of the series have been responsive to the problems of our time – not only in Denmark, but also The series shown at 8 pm Sunday have sometimes attracted an audience consisting of half the Danish population. abroad. This is for example reflected in The Killing, which incorporates the war in Afghanistan,” she says and adds that major foreign policy subjects are also addressed in Government. “Before Denmark became engaged in Iraq and Afghanistan, series like these could not have been made convincingly. The last time this was possible was during the German occupation of Denmark in World War II when people also felt the gravity of the situation.” Although Government has become an international success, it was not the original intention with the series, says its producer Camilla Hammerich. The principal aim was to make a series for the 8 pm Sunday slot on DR, which is traditionally a prime family viewing time. The series shown at this time have sometimes attracted an audience consisting of half the Danish population. They are made with the ambitious public service goal of portraying Danish society and to create national cohesion with the licence fee funding that finances them. Camilla Hammerich, who as a teenager played in the iconic Danish TV series Matador (see box p. 39), never imagined that Government would receive such a level of international attention. “Our main aim was to get the Danish public interested in politics,” she says. “It’s quite surreal to think that it is being broadcast in Brazil and the Republic of Korea, but also enormously gratifying. It is very satisfying, considering that we are a small TV station in a small country.” • 40 FOCUS DENMARK | June 2012 PHOTO: MIKE KOLLÖFFEL, DR.2012-06-29T12:40:52+02:00http://ipaper.ipapercms.dk/Udenrigsministeriet/FocusDenmark/FocusDenmarkJuni2012/?Page=41http://ipaper.ipapercms.dk/Udenrigsministeriet/FocusDenmark/FocusDenmarkJuni2012/?Page=41TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY OF DENMARK Study at one of Europe’s leading universities Technical University of Denmark (DTU) is one of the leading technical universities in Europe, and is the only Danish university in the top 50 in the Leiden Ranking of the world’s most influential universities. international level, and students are encouraged to work in interdisciplinary programmes and have the opportunity to create their own academic programmes. MSc graduates from DTU have a solid academic professional profile and have received a well-rounded education enabling them to undertake the complex engineering challenges they will meet during their careers – including such skills as project management, teamwork, communication, problem-solving and resource planning. DTU’s main campus is located in a woodland setting just north of the Danish capital, Copenhagen. The University is recognized internationally for excellence in research within the technical, life, and natural sciences; for its unrelenting focus on green technology, and for its success in the transfer of knowledge and technology from the laboratory to the marketplace. DTU offers numerous summer schools and exchange programmes, 28 international MSc programmes (in English) in all engineering fields, a wide range of joint and double degree MSc programmes with international partner universities in Europe, Asia, and the Nordic countries, and is renowned for its research-based education and flexible course structure. At DTU, MSc students are exposed to advanced research standards and are allowed hands-on access to, and experience with, world-class facilities. Courses are taught by faculty members performing research at the highest DTU welcomes more than 1,100 international students each year. Tuition is free for all EU/EEA students and participants in exchange programmes. ” DTU is among the world leaders and a powerhouse within research, development and deployment of green technologies, focussing on sustainability, climate technology and the environment in all our study programmes and research activities Anders O. Bjarklev, President of DTU “2012-06-29T12:40:52+02:00http://ipaper.ipapercms.dk/Udenrigsministeriet/FocusDenmark/FocusDenmarkJuni2012/?Page=42http://ipaper.ipapercms.dk/Udenrigsministeriet/FocusDenmark/FocusDenmarkJuni2012/?Page=42EDUCATION MASTERS OF INNOVATION More and more international students are choosing to attend Danish universities, which encourage students to form ideas and think new thoughts in order to prosper on the global labour market. By Poul Kjar Global competition for the best international students is tough, and Danish universities are not at the top of the international rankings. But these rankings do not take into account a number of the strengths of the Danish approach to learning, where innovation plays a special role. International students, on the other hand, seem to take these strengths very much into account. The number of international students in Denmark has grown by more than 40 percent since 2006/07, and the number of international students taking a whole degree programme in Denmark has increased by more than 50 percent in the same period. The number of exchange students taking a short period of study is also increasing. There are now more than 25,000 international students taking higher education in Denmark, corresponding to around 10 percent of the total number of students. Social studies at the country’s leading universities and Copenhagen Business School, as well as engineering degree programmes, are especially attracting international students. Academies of higher education and university colleges are also seeing growth in a wide range of subjects. The Danish government is making efforts to attract students into all subject areas. The degree programmes can of- Chinese students do not choose Denmark to learn statistics and maths, because they have learned those subjects at home. fer something unique in areas where Denmark has a strong position, such as renewable energy, biotech, IT, design and architecture. In total, more than 500 degree programmes and 1,000 courses taught in English are offered at the country’s educational institutions. students have to work together to solve problems. We focus less on general knowledge and tests. This results in enjoyable teaching, satisfaction and fine graduates,” says Morten Pristed, head of the international office at University College Zealand. Morten Pristed also says that in Denmark there is a close collaboration between the educational institutions and workplaces, for example with internships. International students can also benefit from a well-functioning public ! NORWEGIAN AND CHINESE STUDENTS LEAD THE WAY International students taking a whole degree programme in Denmark, by country of origin 2009-2010. Norway. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,714 China . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,194 Sweden . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,155 Germany . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 999 Iceland . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 984 Lithuania . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 703 Poland . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 679 Romania . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 559 Bulgaria . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 537 Nepal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 392 Source: Danish Agency for Universities and Internationalisation. THE DANISH WAY OF LEARNING Danish educational institutions focus on acquiring new knowledge and forming ideas through problem-solving tuition and group work, and there is an informal2012-06-29T12:40:52+02:00http://ipaper.ipapercms.dk/Udenrigsministeriet/FocusDenmark/FocusDenmarkJuni2012/?Page=43http://ipaper.ipapercms.dk/Udenrigsministeriet/FocusDenmark/FocusDenmarkJuni2012/?Page=43EDUCATION Interviews by Kasper Tveden Huo Yi 22, China, 2-year Master in Pharmaceutical Science, Copenhagen University What made Denmark attractive for you? I did a lot of research before going abroad, and I discovered that the pharmaceutical industry in Denmark was highly developed. Furthermore I have read articles about Denmark being the happiest country in the world. What have you gained from studying in Denmark? From an academic point of view I have learned a lot about clinical and social pharmacy that I could not study in China. I have also learned a lot from working in groups, to be in a team and working together with people from different backgrounds. Socially I have learned how to cook and how to party with the other students at the student residences. Victor Musuku 30, Zambia, 2-year Master in International Business, Aarhus University What made Denmark attractive for you? I knew Denmark as a very international country in the sense that the country is doing a lot of business with the outside world. Coming to Denmark has given me several experiences working together with different international companies. What have you gained from studying in Denmark? I have gained several experiences looking into opportunities and challenges in a particular market/industry in an emerging economy (his master thesis focuses on Russia, Ed.). Furthermore I have learned to work more independently. Whereas in Zambia there was high level of direct influence from the professor or the teacher, in Denmark it is very much up to the student to take care of one’s education. Karolina Gelvonauskytė 25, Lithuania, 2-year Master in Applied Cultural Analysis, Copenhagen University What made Denmark attractive for you? I was looking for a programme in a Scandinavian country since it will be closer to my culture. At the same time the Master programme in Denmark focuses on practical learning and partnerships with different industries and companies. What have you gained from studying in Denmark? I have discovered that social entrepreneurship is a profiled area in Denmark, and it is a field I want to explore further. The rapport with the teachers differs from that which I am used to. In Denmark you are on a more equal level with the teachers. FOCUS DENMARK | June 2012 432012-06-29T12:40:52+02:00http://ipaper.ipapercms.dk/Udenrigsministeriet/FocusDenmark/FocusDenmarkJuni2012/?Page=44http://ipaper.ipapercms.dk/Udenrigsministeriet/FocusDenmark/FocusDenmarkJuni2012/?Page=44EDUCATION healthcare system, a low level of crime, good housing and the International Citizen Service, which helps make contact with public authorities easier. On the downside, prices are high on housing, on food and in cafés, which make it expensive to be a student in Denmark. MANY STUDENTS FROM CHINA AND EUROPE Education is free in Denmark for EU citizens, and the majority of students come from other European countries, a trend which has been strengthened by the economic crisis and growing unemployment in Europe. But Denmark is also attracting an increasing number of students from the rest of the world, especially China. Chinese students do not choose Denmark to learn statistics and maths, because they have learned those subjects at home. According to Janie Huus Tange, marketing manager at Copenhagen Business School, Chinese students choose programmes which focus on innovation and the Scandinavian welfare model. They typically take a bachelor degree in Beijing or Shanghai and go to Denmark for a one semester exchange. And some of them are so satisfied with their studies in Denmark that they return later to take a whole Master’s degree programme. We have a lot of group work where students have to work together to solve problems. We focus less on general knowledge and tests. Morten Pristed Head of the international office, University College Zealand A NEED FOR INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS The increase in the number of international students pleases the Danish Minister for Science, Innovation and Higher Education, Morten Østergaard: “International students are not only a gain for Danish educational institutions, they are also a great asset for the Danish Danish educational institutions focus on acquiring new knowledge and forming ideas through problem-solving tuition and group work. In the picture: Students at VIA University College in Horsens. PHOTO: HENNING BAGGER/SCANPIX (LEFT) AND JAKOB DALL/SCANPIX. 44 FOCUS DENMARK | June 20122012-06-29T12:40:52+02:00http://ipaper.ipapercms.dk/Udenrigsministeriet/FocusDenmark/FocusDenmarkJuni2012/?Page=45http://ipaper.ipapercms.dk/Udenrigsministeriet/FocusDenmark/FocusDenmarkJuni2012/?Page=45EDUCATION labour market. And there is no doubt that the prospect of a job in Denmark is also important for attracting international students. We must therefore make sure that it is easier for international graduates to find their way to Danish companies for example through student jobs. Although we have high unemployment at present, surveys show that we will need them before long.” The minister also has a concern for whether international students prosper socially. He is worried about a recently published survey which shows that some international students have difficulties finding Danish friends and becoming fully integrated into Danish society. That can make it more difficult to retain the best talent. • Read more: www.studyindenmark.dk ! MORE FOREIGN NATIONALS CHOOSE WHOLE DEGREE PROGRAMMES IN DENMARK International students taking a whole degree programme in Denmark, by sector. Number of individuals 2006/07-2009/10 06/07 ACADEMY PROFESSION PROGRAMMES PROFESSIONAL BACHELOR’S PROGRAMMES UNIVERSITY PROGRAMMES — of which Bachelor — of which Masters PhD TOTAL 1,374 1,805 7,548 2,643 4,905 794 11,521 07/08 1,917 1,960 7,841 2,948 4,893 911 12,629 08/09 2,629 2,264 8,316 3,150 5,166 1,205 14,414 09/10 3,579 2,821 9,407 3,298 6,109 1,494 17,301 Source: Danish Agency for Universities and Internationalisation. ! INTERNATIONAL DEGREE PROGRAMMES IN DENMARK STUDY PROGRAMME 2 year academy profession (AP) programmes 3-4 1/2 year professional bachelor’s programmes 3 year bachelor’s programmes 2 year master’s programmes 3 year PhD programmes INSTITUTIONS Academies of professional higher education, University colleges Academies of professional higher education, University colleges, and Universities Universities Universities Universities Source: Danish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Higher Education FOCUS DENMARK | June 2012 452012-06-29T12:40:52+02:00http://ipaper.ipapercms.dk/Udenrigsministeriet/FocusDenmark/FocusDenmarkJuni2012/?Page=46http://ipaper.ipapercms.dk/Udenrigsministeriet/FocusDenmark/FocusDenmarkJuni2012/?Page=46What’s cooking Hans Christian Andersen Oysters Bikes Happy People Art Fashion Festival NOMA Harbour Bath Solar Wondercool Flexicurity Copenhagen Literature Innovation Liquorice Green Nation Mindblowing Hot Dog Cleantech Wind Power Hygge Welfare Recycling Cycle Super Highway New Nordic Cuisine Cargo Bikes Denmark Culture Art What’s cooking Hans Christian Andersen Oysters Bikes Happy People Art Fashion Festival at th Solar S ol a r W ondercool Flexicurity Fle x xic i NOMA Harbour Bath Wondercool Copenhagen at tion Liquorice Liquor ice Green Green N at i Literature Innovation Nation Mindblowing g Clean Tech ch Wind Wind Power Power Hygge Hygg yg ge State St Stat te t e of f Green Welfare f Hot Dog Recycling Cycle Super u per r Highway High hway y New Ne w N Nordic ord dic C Cuisine u Cargo Bikes Denmark Culture e What’s Wh hat’s at ’s cooking c o ok i n g H Hans an s C Christian h Andersen O ysters Bikes B ik e s H ap py P e o pl e A rt F a shion Festival Festival NOMA NOM A Harbour Harbour Oysters Happy People Art Fashion Bath Solar Wondercool nd de r rcool c o ol F Flexicurity le x ic u r it y C Cop Copenhagen op pe n Literature I nnovation Liquorice Liquorice r ce Green Green N Nation at i o n M Mi indblowing Hot Hot Dog D og Innovation Mindblowing Clean Tech Wind Power Pow we er r Hygge Hyg ge e Welfare Welfare Recycling Recy Cycle Super Hig ghway y New Nordic ordi rd dic Cuisine Cui sine Cargo Cargo Bikes B ik e es s Denmark D Culture Highway Art What’s cooking Hans Christian Andersen Oysters Bikes Hap p py Peop ple Art Fashion Festival NOMA Harbour Bath Solar Happy People Wondercool Flexicurity Copenhagen Literature Innovation Liq quorice Green Nation Mindblowing g Hot Dog g Clean Tech Wind Liquorice Power Hygge What’s cooking Hans Christian Andersen Oysters Bikes Happy People Art Fashion Festival NOMA Harbour Bath Download the free app Denmark Stay Tuned Are you a journalist trying to figure out what Denmark and the Danes are all about? This app will help you tune into this country of bicycles, fashion, cinema, innovation and New Nordic Cuisine. Download the app and get free and ready-to-use editorial texts, images and videos from Denmark as well as local contacts for easy access to additional information and interviews. For information about the International Press Initiative, please visit our website www.presseinitiativet.um.dk or visit Denmark – Stay Tuned on Facebook2012-06-29T12:40:52+02:00http://ipaper.ipapercms.dk/Udenrigsministeriet/FocusDenmark/FocusDenmarkJuni2012/?Page=47http://ipaper.ipapercms.dk/Udenrigsministeriet/FocusDenmark/FocusDenmarkJuni2012/?Page=47INTERVIEW IN MY OTHER HOMELAND By Anne Klejsgård Hansen Why did you move to Denmark? Back in 1991 I was an exchange student in Denmark. I went back to Brazil and once I’d started my studies there, I decided to do them here in Denmark instead, since I had such a great time when I was here the first time. Then things started moving and after my bachelor I also wanted to acquire my Masters here. When finished I was offered an amazing job at Mandag Morgen (Danish think tank, Ed.) and it was hard to go back home. Since then other really nice opportunities have come along (such as my husband) and time has fled by… Today, my home is Denmark. What are the strengths of living and working in Denmark? Life-quality in terms of predictability and security are probably the biggest strengths from my point of view. Coming from São Paulo, one truly appreciates the fact that in Denmark you can walk on the streets at any time of the day and feel safe. I can play with my kid on the streets and in parks without being concerned that something dangerous might happen and having to follow certain safety rules. And everything is really easy accessible. What are the weaknesses? I really miss some of the “buzz” of a bigger city. Copenhagen is an amazing city but not São Paulo, New York, Paris or Tokyo where things just happen and the city is always “open”. Walking in the streets of Copenhagen on a Sunday afternoon can be quite empty. Sometimes I also believe that Danes, and now including myself, have become too much controlled by their calendars and social life is very limited. Things have been planned for so long in advance that it takes a bit of the pleasure out of improvisation. What can the Danes learn from you – and what can you learn from the Danes? I’ve learned a lot from Danes and from living in Denmark, also how to plan Expats who are living and working in Denmark give their impressions. my everyday and work-life a bit more. Conversely, I hope they have learned a bit more about improvising and being open. I’ve probably also taught some friends and colleagues a bit of hugging and “air kissing” since this is a Brazilian trait that I’ve kept. How do you get by language-wise? I’m now fluent in Danish but I’ve never had Danish classes. The fact that I was an exchange student helped push my spoken language and from there I’ve just learned more and more. Reading books and newspapers in Danish has been the best way to learn more about the language and how to write it. In the beginning, I was quite conscious in my workplaces that my Danish was not perfect, but after a while I realized that people could probably see from my name that I was not a Dane, and that they might appreciate my effort in trying at least, so I relaxed and started writing more which again helped me getting even better. “I’VE PROBABLY TAUGHT SOME DANES A BIT OF AIR KISSING” Janda Campos Brazilian. Born 1973. Vice President for CSR and Public Affairs, Carlsberg. Resident in Denmark since 1993. Married to a Dane, one child. FOCUS DENMARK | June 2012 47 PHOTO: TY STANGE.2012-06-29T12:40:52+02:00http://ipaper.ipapercms.dk/Udenrigsministeriet/FocusDenmark/FocusDenmarkJuni2012/?Page=48http://ipaper.ipapercms.dk/Udenrigsministeriet/FocusDenmark/FocusDenmarkJuni2012/?Page=48Denmark has decided to lead the transition to a green growth economy and will be independent of fossil fuels by 2050 as the first country in the world. As the official green brand for Denmark, State of Green gathers all leading players in the fields of energy, climate, water and environment and fosters relations with international stakeholders interested in learning from the Danish experience. State of Green is your gateway to learn more about the ambitious Danish plan and the innovative solutions which are essential to make it happen. Explore, Learn and Connect Online Stateofgreen.com is your online entry point for all relevant information on green solutions in Denmark and around the world. Here you can explore solutions, learn about products and connect with profiles. Many of the featured profiles and solutions welcome visitors and offer investment opportunities. Experience Solutions Live State of Green offers you a chance to experience Danish solutions live. Serving businesses, politicians, civil servants and journalists, State of Green creates visitor programs tailored to your needs. We organise technical visits and business meetings with leading Danish companies and organisations in the fields of energy, climate, environment and ressource efficency. State of Green Consortium The State of Green Consortium is the organisation behind the official green brand for Denmark. The consortium is a public-private partnership founded by the Danish Government, the Confederation of Danish Industry, the Danish Energy Association, the Danish Agriculture & Food Council and the Danish Wind Industry Association. THE BRANDING DENMARK FUND mfonden.dk State of Green’s commercial partners are DONG Energy and Danfoss. www.stateofgreen.com2012-06-29T12:40:52+02:00