Opening of Innovation Center Denmark in Shanghai on 27 September by the Danish Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, Helge Sander

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Danish Minister of Foreign Affairs, Per Stig Møller:
"Shanghai is an Asian power centre both with respect to trade and research. The Chinese are now investing very large sums into research and trade. China is no longer just a low-production country but has increasingly become a place where a huge amount of research and development take place. Danish companies can strengthen their competitiveness through an offensive strategy in relation to the Chinese innovative environments and thereby help generating new jobs in Denmark.”

Minister of Science and Technology, Helge Sander
“The new center will assist Danish companies and research institutions with contacts to the Chinese and international research environment in the Shanghai region. Just like Denmark’s innovation center in Silicon Valley, the Shanghai center will strengthen the international cooperation of Danish knowledge environments and will help secure Danish, world-class innovation and research.

Focus will not only be on satisfying commercial demands for innovative cooperation partners. The Innovation Center will also assist with the start up of new companies (via an incubator arrangement whereby start-up companies may rent office space for a limited period of time). The Innovation Center will also assist companies in their search for relevant investors or relevant, technological solution models. Another aspect of the Innovation Center’s work will be to cater for the requirements of Danish educational institutions and innovators wishing to find cooperation partners. In this connection the Innovation Center will assist with making exchange agreements and providing access to research programs.

Invest in Denmark will also be housed in Innovation Center Denmark. In addition to attracting investments to Denmark, Invest in Denmark can serve as a useful source for foreign companies and institutions wishing to take advantage of doing business in Denmark with Danish companies and organisations.

The Center will focus on four different areas where Denmark is seen to have special competences that can be used in China:

• Energy and Environment
• Bio Technology
• IT and Telecommunications
• Design.

Innovation Center Denmark, Shanghai has 10 employees (three Danish full-time employees, five Chinese and two Danish trainees).

OPENING CEREMONY

In addition to the invited organizations and corporations with a strong interest in innovation, the opening was attended by three delegations with leading Danish professionals within life science, ICT and design.

The official opening started at 3 pm with speeches and cutting of the red ribbon by Helge Sander, Danish Ambassador Jeppe Tranholm-Mikkelsen, Senior Adviser of Shanghai Municipal for Science and Technology Zhang Ao, Director of STIC Wang Rong - and Director of Innovation Center Denmark, Shanghai Claus Lønborg.

DCBF Secretary General Tom Jensen also participated as a guest in the opening of the Design Symposium which took place in connection with the opening of the Innovation Center.  DCBF had given assistance to Danish Design Centre (a DCBF member) in organising the design symposium.

After the reception a matchmaking event centered on the four clusters: Life science, ICT, design, and environment and energy took place.

Claus Lønborg, the Director of Innovation Centre Denmark, comes from a position as marketing manager in IBM Denmark says, “There is no doubt that the next move as far as Danish companies is concerned will be on the development side. Even before the opening of the centre there has been massive interest, so I am very hopeful about the future.”

CONTACT

Innovation Center Denmark, Shanghai
Shanghai Technology Innovation Center, building 2, 7th floor
100 Qin Zhou Road
200235 Shanghai
People´s Republic of China

Telephone: (+86 21) 5497 2000
Fax: (+86 21) 5497 1507
Mail: info@innovationcenterdenmark.cn
Web: www.innovationcenterdenmark.cn

Claus Lonborg, director
Telephone: (+86 21) 5497 2000, ext. 11
Mail: claus@innovationcenterdenmark.cn

Anders Kjaer, Technology counsellor
Telephone: (+86 21) 5497 2000, ext. 12
Mail: anders@innovationcenterdenmark.cn

Henrik Brandt Jensen, director Invest in Denmark
Telephone: (+86 21) 5497 2000, ext. 13
Mail: henrik@innovationcenterdenmark.cn

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