STATE OF MEDICON VALLEY 2019 An Analysis of Life Science in Greater Copenhagen PREFACE STATE OF MEDICON VALLEY 2019 The winds of change continue to blow through Medicon Valley and the Danish and Swedish life science industry. The region’s life science industry is still expanding, and new products An Analysis of Life Science in Greater Copenhagen are being launched, although turnover in the region’s largest pharmaceutical companies has temporarily plateaued. Novo Nordisk Foundation’s endeavour to establish a world-class inn- Commissioned and published by: Medicon Valley Alliance. ovation environment at COBIS in Copenhagen is progressing with the BioInnovation Institute. This analysis has been prepared by Øresundsinstituttet and Medeon Science Park in Malmö is expanding with the new structure Forskaren 1, and Lund’s was written by Jenny Andersson, Anna Palmehag, Medicon Village just inaugurated its newly constructed building The Spark. Thea Wiborg and Johan Wessman. Project manager: Jenny Andersson. Pharmaceutical exports are still rising. Between 2017 and 2018, Swedish life science Translation: Justina Bartoli. exports increased by 10.6%; in the same period, Danish life science exports increased by Coverphoto: News Øresund 7.7%. According to Statistics Denmark, the Danish pharmaceutical industry grew over 20% between November 2017 and June 2019, and the sector now makes up one-fifth of Den- November 2019 mark’s industrial production. As the life science sector has grown more important for both the Danish and Swedish national economies, and with the increasing pressure on public healthcare systems in both countries, political interest has also grown. Denmark now has an internationalisation strategy for health and the life sciences, and the Swedish government presented an eight-point programme that forms the backbone for the upcoming Swedish life TABLE OF CONTENTS science strategy. While there are many common points of interest in the two countries’ am- bitions and their choice of strategical areas, there are also certain important differences. In Denmark, the focus is clearly set on generating growth, and internationalisation and exports 1. SUMMARY ................................................................................................................. 4 are keywords. The Swedish debate centres more on co-operation, and partnerships between private, public and academic actors are among the principal elements. Nordic collaboration 2. FACTS AND FIGURES ................................................................................................ 8 has no prominent role as yet, although the countries share many of the challenges that face the sector in general. 3. THE BEACONS OF MEDICON VALLEY ....................................................................... 18 4. CLUSTER RANKING ............................................................................................... 22 There is also more potential for collaboration in academia. In a comparison with nine other leading European life science clusters, it was concluded that Medicon Valley’s research- 5. ANALYSIS ............................................................................................................. 50 ers are cited more often than average in 15 of the region’s 20 largest research areas. The conclusion is part of a bibliometric analysis conducted by the Dutch research centre CWTS at 6. APPENDIX ............................................................................................................. 54 Leiden University on behalf of Medicon Valley Alliance. While the result should certainly be - LARGER MEETINGS AND CONFERENCES ................................................................ 55 considered a success for Medicon Valley, it also shows that there is still great potential for - REPORTS AND FACTS ............................................................................................... 56 continued development in which trans-Øresund collaboration is an important element. - ORGANISATIONS ....................................................................................................... 58 - STATISTICS AND METHODOLOGY ................................................................................. 60 With its 250 members, the Danish-Swedish network organization Medicon Valley Alliance - REFERENCE LIST ....................................................................................................... 66 has a unique opportunity to build bridges between national and regional initiatives, as well as to create stronger links between the industry, academia and public healthcare providers in the region. In the years to come, Medicon Valley Alliance will place a strong emphasis on strengthening the organisation’s role as a facilitator of increased collaboration between our members, for the benefit of life science in Sweden and Denmark. Copenhagen and Malmö 4 November 2019 Petter Hartman CEO Medicon Valley Alliance 106 billion DKK SUMMARY 2018 was a record year for the Danish life science industry’s exports. In 2018, PHOTO: NEWS ØRESUND PHOTO: the export of medical products and devices was responsible for 15.4% of LUNDBECK PHOTO: Denmark’s total exports; that share has doubled since 2008. Exports were valued at nearly 106 billion DKK – more STABLE DEVELOPMENT than double what they were ten years IN MEDICON VALLEY ago. Life science exports were also GREAT POTENTIAL. ”Government funding for record-high in Sweden in 2018, having specific collaborations between institutions in the Higher employment numbers, large acquisitions and hopes for a risen 10.6% compared to 2017. Øresund Region would spark a lot of collabora- new blockbuster drug in oral-tablet form from Novo Nordisk for the tions, because funding is usually what controls treatment of type-2 diabetes are all indications of stable and positive how researchers organise their work”, says Anna developments in the continued renewal of Medicon Valley’s life Increase in tax contribution Blom, Professor of Medical Protein Chemistry at science companies. Lund University, in an interview on page 38. in both countries Employment rate on the rise 44 000 people are employed at Medicon Valley’s companies according The life science sector in Denmark contri- to the latest statistics from 2017 – a 3.4% increase in one year. If buted 19.6 billion DKK in revenue in 2017, consultants and subcontractors are included, the cluster’s importan- which is a 20% increase from 2016. Tax 699 ce is greater still. Last year, the largest employer, Novo Nordisk, had contributions from Swedish life science 16 300 employees in Denmark, and provided employment for another companies were 12.7 billion SEK in 2017; Danish life science patent applications to 7 900 people brought in via external companies. The majority of them this is a 5.2% increase from 2016. the EPO in 2018. The number of Swedish work at the company’s facilities in Zealand and in the Capital Region patent requests was 373. of Denmark. Acquisitions and new drugs bring growth STOCKHOLM-UPPSALA In the shift from older to new pharmaceuticals, the global turnover for The region’s researchers are cited more frequ- Medicon Valley’s four largest life science companies (Novo Nordisk, ently than average in 15 of the 20 largest subject Lundbeck, Ferring Pharmaceuticals and LEO Pharma) plateaued; the SCOTLAND areas for life science research in Medicon Valley. MEDICON VALLEY companies’ total turnover increased half a per cent last year, to 154 This was shown in CWTS’ survey of scientific ILLUSTRATION: LÖNEGÅRD & CO LÖNEGÅRD ILLUSTRATION: billion DKK. With the help of new drugs and acquisitions, turnover publications and citations in the life sciences from NETHERLANDS is expected to rise again. In 2019 so far, there have been six major LONDON-CAMBRIDGE-OXFORD FLANDERS 2006-2017. The 20 largest fields of research were acquisitions in Medicon Valley, worth more than 28 billion DKK. Of responsible for more than 50% of the total num- these, five concern sales in which the acquiring company is based in ÎLE DE FRANCE BIOVALLEY MUNICH ber of scientific publications in the life sciences in Medicon Valley. In addition, Widex, which manufactures hearing aids, ZURICH Medicon Valley during the period examined. has merged with Sivantos and become the new, larger company WS Audiology. An important new drug just won FDA approval in the USA: Novo Nordisk’s Rybelsus (Semaglutide) will give patients with type-2 Beacons growing bigger diabetes the option of an oral tablet instead of injections. In 2018, the turnover of Medicon Rising Danish and Swedish life science exports Valley’s four largest life science Positive development is also apparent on a national level in both companies (Novo Nordisk, Lund- 44 000 NEWS ØRESUND PHOTO: Denmark and Sweden. Danish life science exports rose by 7.7% last beck, Ferring Pharmaceuticals and year to 106 billion DKK. Swedish life science exports rose 10.6% to the LEO Pharma) remained stable at equivalent of 65 billion DKK. The number of patent applications sub- 154 billion DKK. If the region’s lar- mitted in the life sciences to the European Patent Office (EPO) last year gest medtech company (Coloplast) increased ten per cent in Denmark and four per cent in Sweden. is included, it increased to 171 Medicon Valley’s life science billion DKK. sector employs 44 000 people. STATE OF MEDICON VALLEY • November 2019 5 SUMMARY SUMMARY Increased tax contributions from the life and Danish governments have prioritised e.g. in Lund. Together with regional