Scan Magazine | Business Profile | Invest in Odense
Odense Robotics is one of the world’s ten largest robotic hubs.
From fairy tales to robot science Odense might be best known to many as the hometown of fairy-tale writer Hans Christian Andersen, but the city’s story in recent years has been shaped not by magic, but by science. Once a traditional industrial city, Odense is today one of the world’s leading hubs for robotics and drones.
from the municipality — in the form of, for example, the Odense Investor Summit in September, network events or access to the Odense Robotics StartUp Hub.
By Signe Hansen | Photos: Invest in Odense
A modern fairy tale
With the global market leader for collaborative robots Universal Robots as its centre of gravity, Odense has become a magnet for ambitious technology startups. Boasting more than 120 companies and 3,200 employees working within different fields of robotics, health technology and drone production, the city’s hightech ecosystem presents a surprisingly open, collaborative and supportive environment for new companies to grow in. Joost Nijhoff, director at Invest in Odense 76 | Issue 114 | July 2018
explains: “When we have visiting delegations, they’re often most impressed by the strength of the cluster – not just the number of companies working within the industry, but also the fact that everyone collaborates and shares knowledge. That’s what attracts a lot of companies. It’s like a ticket for the front row at a concert of your favourite band.” In addition to the strength of the cluster, companies also benefit from assistance
Once upon a time, Odense’s economy was based mainly on industry and Odense Steel Shipyard was, with 6,000 employees, the main protagonist. However, in the 1980s, in order to compete with low-cost shipyards from Asia, visionaries within the company started to look at industrial robots. This eventually led to a large donation from the Mærsk Mc-Kinney Møller family and the foundation of the Mærsk Mc-Kinney Møller Institute at the University of Southern Denmark.