The Heart of Denmark's Pharmaceutical and Bio Powerhouse, Medicon Valley②
Annette Steinberg, Head of Medicon Valley Alliance
Growth Based on the 'Triple Helix' of Industry, Academia, and Public Sector
Recent Workforce Shortage Emerges... Focus on Attracting Overseas Talent
"We Will Continue Growth Through Cooperation and Focus"
Medicon Valley, ranked as the world's third-largest and Europe's largest bio-cluster spanning eastern Denmark and southern Sweden, is notably characterized by its spontaneous formation. After companies like Novo Nordisk and Leo Pharma established themselves in the early 1900s, other pharmaceutical firms, medical device companies, hospitals, and universities naturally gathered to form the cluster.
However, just because it was formed spontaneously does not mean that its subsequent operation and development would be efficient; such a scenario could lead to fragmented growth. The continuous development of Medicon Valley is largely credited to the Medicon Valley Alliance (MVA), a consortium leading the cluster. Anette Steenberg, CEO of MVA, emphasized her role as a facilitator repeatedly in an interview with Asia Economy, mentioning concepts such as the "triple helix" and "bridge."
Founded in 1997 as the predecessor 'Medicon Valley Academy,' MVA celebrated its 26th anniversary this year. Steenberg explained the birth of MVA by saying, "There had already been many research and development (R&D) activities taking place," but "voices calling for a support organization to promote cooperation among parties led to the formation of MVA."
Map of Medicon Valley. It is a cluster spanning the border across eastern Denmark and southern Sweden. [Image provided by Medicon Valley Alliance]
Steenberg repeatedly highlighted the "triple helix" as the driving force behind MVA's ability to lead Medicon Valley's growth. The triple helix concept involves industry, academia, and the public sector coming together to advance life sciences in Medicon Valley. She added, "MVA is a member-based, member-centered organization," and "As a private non-profit institution with no need to generate profits, its board is also composed based on the triple helix concept." In fact, MVA's board consists of two regional representatives (one each from Denmark and Sweden), three university representatives, and four corporate representatives.
This also connects to the Nordic culture of public-private cooperation, which Steenberg cited as Medicon Valley's greatest strength. She said, "Of course, the government ensures compliance with laws here," but "we engage in dialogue rather than being controlled." This means that problems are solved through cooperative discussions rather than unilateral government enforcement. She cited the Øresund Bridge, which opened in 2000 connecting Denmark and Sweden, as an example, emphasizing MVA's role as a bridge linking public, private, and academic sectors as well as Denmark and Sweden.
However, not everything is running smoothly in Medicon Valley. Amid ongoing workforce shortages in the pharmaceutical and bio industries domestically, this region is also experiencing a labor shortage. Steenberg stated, "We are also facing a shortage of professionals in research, regulatory science, and production," adding, "Although 66,000 people currently work in Medicon Valley, which is a high proportion relative to the regional population, considering the industry's continuous growth, there is a shortage of about 4,000 people compared to the estimated appropriate workforce of 70,000 by the end of the year."
To address this, active efforts are being made to attract overseas talent. She said, "Denmark and Sweden have a birth rate of 1.67, which is slightly higher than Korea's but still very low," and "Alongside efforts to increase birth rates, we emphasize 'work-life balance' to attract foreign talent." Rather than simply offering higher salaries to recruit workers, they focus on highlighting the appeal of why people should come to work and live here. She also added that considerable efforts are being made to create a more female-friendly work environment, including welfare support such as childcare assistance.
Looking ahead, Steenberg mentioned "focus" as a strategy for Medicon Valley's sustainable growth. She said, "MVA is fundamentally a small organization," and "Rather than trying to do everything, we aim to concentrate on specialized areas." She explained that they intend to focus support on areas where Medicon Valley is recognized for global top-level competitiveness, such as diabetes, the microbiome, and digitalization. In this context, she also expressed aspirations regarding women's healthcare. Steenberg said, "Considering Denmark and Sweden's greatest strengths?innovation, digitalization, sustainable growth, and gender equality?I want to pay more attention to women's health," adding, "Since existing safety systems and medical devices were designed for male bodies, we aim to lead changes to develop these to suit female bodies as well."
Steenberg also worked for about 12 years at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, engaging in global life sciences and healthcare industry cooperation. She mentioned having visited Korea during her tenure and was strongly impressed by Korea's pharmaceutical and bio industry. Steenberg said, "Korea has a solid foundation in the medical field and has made significant technological advancements, so I believe it has global competitiveness," and "Just as Korea shows considerable interest in Denmark and Sweden, we also have great interest in Korea."
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