哥本哈根推行“Valuable Meetings”计划：深化生命科学会议与本地产业生态的融合
After the Closing Session: Copenhagen’s Holistic Life Sciences Model
哥本哈根会议中心局（Copenhagen Convention Bureau）联合丹麦生命科学集群启动为期三年的“Valuable Meetings”试点项目，旨在利用国际会议促进全球专家与本地医院、高校及企业的深度合作。
文章展示了哥本哈根如何通过“Valuable Meetings”项目将国际生命科学会议转化为本地产学研合作的长期资产，为会展目的地的价值评估提供了从单纯接待向生态连接转型的具体路径。
Nearly half of Copenhagen’s international congresses focus on the life sciences. Beyond filling venue halls, each gathering aims to connect visiting experts directly with the hospitals, universities and companies of one of Europe’s densest health ecosystems – creating broader economic and scientific value long after delegates depart.
Imagine an international association bringing thousands of cardiologists, oncologists or diabetes researchers to the Danish capital. A decade ago, success was measured primarily by room nights and packed plenary sessions. Today, Copenhagen Convention Bureau and its partners ask a more strategic question: who in Denmark should be in the room with this global community, and how can both local and international professionals continue to benefit from the knowledge shared?
A growing network of initiatives in the Copenhagen region revolves around this challenge. A prime example is the development project Valuable Meetings, which examines how a visiting congress can act as a permanent bridge between global specialists and local researchers, clinicians and enterprises.
Strong but fragmented players The starting point is a paradox: while Denmark’s life sciences sector excels internationally, local actors do not always find it easy to connect.
Jane Nøhr, Head of Unit for Research, Collaboration & Community at Danish Life Science Cluster, describes it as “a complex and fragmented ecosystem with many actors, diverse needs, and barriers to collaboration.” In her view, unlocking the sector’s full potential “requires greater coherence, trust, and stronger partnerships across companies, the healthcare system, and knowledge and educational institutions.”
This is precisely where congresses play a transformative role. For a few days, an international meeting gathers an entire global discipline in one venue.
“Foreign experts arrive, and Danish actors who rarely meet at home suddenly share an agenda around one disease area, technology or specialty,” says Bettina Reventlow-Mourier from Copenhagen Convention Bureau. “Used deliberately, that concentration can build connections that would otherwise take years. For the convention bureau, this changes the job: less selling a destination, more helping to set up those connections and build stronger relationships.”
A three-year test bed Launched in October 2024 and running through September 2027, Valuable Meetings operates as a national test bed. Across Denmark, the initiative has established four strategic partnerships, each pairing a convention destination with a dedicated industry cluster.
The overarching goal is to use scientific congresses as catalysts for knowledge exchange and collaboration between academia and industry. By engaging the right stakeholders, the initiative demonstrates the tangible value of congress participation and opens clearer pathways to talent acquisition. Simultaneously, it sharpens Copenhagen’s value proposition for two distinct audiences: the international associations selecting host cities, and the local small and medium-sized life sciences enterprises positioned to benefit from those gatherings.
For Jane Nøhr, the initiative has reshaped how the cluster engages with its own community. She describes Valuable Meetings as “a highly rewarding and eye-opening project” that pushes the organisation to define the concrete value congresses offer to members and vice versa – observing firsthand what occurs “when specific disciplines and interests intersect, creating new opportunities and increased innovation.”
“Unlocking the sector’s full potential requires greater coherence, trust, and stronger partnerships”
Why life sciences, why here The choice of sector is simple. Life sciences account for over 40 per cent of all international congresses held in Copenhagen, representing one of Denmark’s most vital economic positions of strength.
The Danish government’s Strategy for Life Science Towards 2030, published in 2024, underscores this strategic focus. Towards 2030, the policy aims to drive sector growth through accelerated innovation, smarter application of health data, faster deployment of medical solutions, and enhanced conditions for international investment and research cooperation.
What organisers find locally For an association planning a congress, the primary consideration is what lies within immediate reach. The most concentrated answer is Innovation District Copenhagen – the Nordic answer to Boston’s Kendall Square. It is anchored by five leading institutions: the University of Copenhagen, Technical University of Denmark (DTU), Copenhagen University Hospital, Bispebjerg Hospital and University College Copenhagen. Some 40,000 researchers, students and staff work there alongside 500 innovative companies, creating one of Europe’s densest environments for health and life sciences research. For congress organisers, it serves as an immediate pool for keynotes, technical site visits, clinical partners and local co-hosts.
The district expanded its global reach in June 2026 when the University of Copenhagen and Healthcare Denmark established a strategic partnership designed to promote international cooperation and elevate Danish healthcare innovation on the world stage.
The Medicon Valley connection Zooming out, the ecosystem extends across the Øresund Region, positioning Copenhagen as the central hub of Medicon Valley – the life sciences cluster spanning Eastern Denmark and Southern Sweden. Serving a population of 4.2 million, the region boasts 12 universities, 32 hospitals including 11 academic medical centres, and over 1,100 life sciences companies employing more than 85,000 people. The Medicon Valley Alliance, representing over 330 member organisations across the sector’s value chain, connects both sides of the strait through collaborative networks, events and advocacy.
A network of dedicated bodies ties this vast landscape together. Danish Life Science Cluster serves as the national hub for industry, healthcare and research, driving state-funded initiatives like Business Lighthouse Life Science, which targets health equity, healthy weight and mental health. Meanwhile, Copenhagen Life Science acts as a joint international platform, conveying a clear and compelling message to visiting organisers: close triple-helix cooperation between academia, industry and the public sector directly accelerates health innovation, job creation and global impact.
Measuring what stays behind These initiatives reflect a fundamental shift in how Copenhagen approaches business events. Under the framework of Copenhagen – All Inclusive, Wonderful Copenhagen’s overarching strategy for 2024–2030, tourism and congresses are evaluated by their social, economic and environmental footprint across the capital. This long-term commitment is spearheaded by Copenhagen Legacy Lab, which designs and tracks tailored impact frameworks for incoming events. That global ambition is further evidenced by Copenhagen Convention Bureau’s role as a founding partner in developing the international Global Impact Measurement Tool – in collaboration with ICCA, UTS, BII Norway and five partner destinations – targeted for completion in 2028.
For international associations, this translates into a destination that offers far more than venue capacity and hotel beds. Copenhagen is establishing a robust methodology to link every congress directly with local clusters, companies, hospitals, research hubs and innovation ecosystems, ensuring every event leaves a measurable legacy behind.
The national MeetDenmark project, ’Valuable Meetings,’ is funded by the Danish Board of Business Development. In the capital, the project pairs Copenhagen Convention Bureau, part of Wonderful Copenhagen, with the Danish Life Science Cluster.
Event organisers looking to explore legacy frameworks and local cluster integration can access further destination resources via: www.wonderfulcopenhagen.com/convention-bureau
来源：Meetings International · meetingsinternational.com