Denmark has a long-held reputation for being a cornerstone of the Life Science industry’s R&D. LSC’s “Spotlight on Denmark” series will bring you the latest insights and info on contracting in the Life Science industry in Denmark, as well as shine a light on some of the employers in the region. We sat down with LSC Account Manager Laura Hoey to talk a little about the region and some of the major announcements for the industry over recent years.
Hi Laura, thank you for taking the time out of your busy schedule today to answer some questions! Can you tell us about your role?
l work closely with LSC’s key clients in Denmark and Ireland, building strong working relationships to best understand current and upcoming project recruitment and business needs. I also manage all client communications on behalf of multiple departments across LSC, ensuring a best-in-class client service is delivered
How often are you in Denmark?
Now that travel has pretty much returned to normal, we try go out once every quarter. It’s great to get on to the sites, put faces to names and see how projects are progressing. Travel is easy with lots of options, I usually fly from Cork via Heathrow to Copenhagen which takes about 4-5 hours. There are lots of different options however depending on where you want to fly from, the only direct flights from Ireland at this time are from Dublin.
What is a typical day like when you are out in Denmark?
While we are in Denmark, we will typically have a number of onsite client meetings to keep up to speed with their latest project resourcing needs and talk through any new developments in the pipeline. We also take the opportunity to touch base with our consultants on site while we are out there, where possible!
From my experience the Danish are early risers! This is site specific, but some of my clients start work at 6 or 7am and finish about 2 or 3pm, so our days often reflect this. Generally, each organisation offers flexibility and is accommodating to the needs of their employees – they put huge focus on peoples work life balance.
Have you found it easy to get around between sites?
We rent a car for convenience, but Denmark has a great public transport system, and cycling is popular too! For people working in Kalundborg and living in Copenhagen (Kalundborg is about an hour and a half from Copenhagen) there is a commuter bus in the morning that has Wi-Fi, so you can log in and start your workday once onboard – which I think is a fantastic idea!
There has been a phenomenal number of investments announced for Denmark lately, can you share a bit of information on these?
Yes, there has been a lot of major investments announced in Denmark in the past number of years in fact, across many sites. The region is very much in growth mode! The list below covers a few of the announcements made in recent years:
COMPANY | TYPE OF INVESTMENT | CITY | SUM | NEW JOBS CREATED REGIONALLY |
Novo Nordisk | Expansion of an existing Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient (API) production facility – expected to start producing API by early 2029 Three new plants and expansion of existing production facility – expected completion in 2027.
Expansion of existing Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient (API) production facility – expected to start producing API by early 2029 | Hillerod
Kalundborg Kalundborg | 15.9bn DKK (Approx €2.1 Billion) 17bn DKK (Approx €2.2 Billion)
15.9bn DKK (Approx €2.1 Billion) | 340
400 340 |
Fujifilm Diosynth Biotechnologies | Expansion of cell culture production services. The expansion is scheduled to be completed in mid-2026 Plant expansion, 19 400 m2 – expected completion in 2023. Plans to expand plant by 73 000m2 afterward can be made from June 2022 | Hillerød Hillerød | 11bn DKK (Approx €1.4 Billion) 6bn DKK (Approx €805 Million) | 450 300 |
LEO Pharma | New plant, ca 6 000m2 – expected completion in 2023 | Ballerup | 1.5bn DKK (Approx €201 Million) | 150-200 |
Bavarian Nordic | Plant expansion to bring total production area to 4 700m2 – double what it was in 2018 – expected completion in 2022. | Kvistgård | 1bn DKK (Approx €134 Million) | 200 |
Fig 1.1 table contents synopsised from https://mva.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2022/05/20220518_Life_science_easter_denmark.pdf
What would you say to anyone considering a role on contract in Denmark’s Life Science Industry?
Reach out to us and start a conversation! The projects in Denmark have attracted some of the best talent in the industry, it’s a fantastic opportunity to gain experience. Beyond this, the technologies being installed are mind boggling, the culture promotes work life balance from flexible working hours to the potential for hybrid working, and from a lifestyle perspective our consultants have found Danish culture not all that dissimilar to that in Ireland! To make any moves abroad as seamless as possible, we also partner with a number of local companies that can help you get up and running from a taxation point, and our team of resourcers are always on hand to give advice to those considering the move! There are so many reasons to check out what’s happening in Denmark right now!
Thanks Laura! Check out our latest roles in Denmark here, or get in touch via [email protected]
Be sure to look out for our next Spotlight on Denmark blog, where we’ll dive deeper into some of the companies working in the region.