Cases
As a part of Hillerød's transition into a biotech intensive area two major biotech players, namely Novo Nordisk and Biogen Idec, have chosen to establish and expand the activites here. Below you can see why they chose Hillerød.
Novo Nordisk A/S
Novo Nordisk is one of the world's leading companies within diabetes treatment. The company develops and produces a great variety of products for diabetes treatment - using some of the most advanced systems in the world for insulin dosing. Novo Nordisk also holds a leading position in other therapeutic areas, such as coagulation disorders, growth hormone disorders, and hormone therapy for women. In recent years, Novo has extended its facilities to include production of its blockbuster product NovoSeven. This move represents a shift from device manufacturing at the Hillerød site to regular biotech production.
Novo Nordisk acquired its current facilities in Hillerød in the late 1980s when the Danish state sold the dairy industry's research institute, forming part of the research farm in Hillerød. The municipality of Hillerød bought the remaining buildings of the research farm as well as the adjoining farm land and developed the area into attractive business sites.
The high level of education of the ‘non-academic' population in Hillerød and the Capital Region in general combined with the good infrastructure in the area are the major reasons why Novo Nordisk selected to locate its manufacturing facilities in Hillerød.
Novo Nordisk's manufacturing facilities are located on a beautiful, well-ordered green business site; a site that both the company and the municipality of Hillerød proudly show to national as well as international visitors.
The municipality of Hillerød and Novo Nordisk were in close collaboration to develop a best practise, ensuring easy and smooth administrative procedures as regards the planning, building, and environmental approvals. Bothe Novo Nordisk, Hillerød municipality, and new companies that wish to locate in Hillerød have benefited from this best practise.
Novo Nordisk was the first company in ‘Trollesminde Erhvervspark' in Hillerød, which is also a part of ‘Medicon Valley'. Neighbouring Novo Nordisk, the American biotech company ‘Biogen Idec' has located its European Headquarters and large-scale manufacturing facility, which emphasises attractiveness of the area.
Biogen Idec Denmark AS
During the summer of 2004, US biopharmaceutical company Biogen Idec officially announced that the company was to start construction of a large-scale biological manufacturing facility in Hillerød, north of Copenhagen. On becoming fully operational in 2008, the facility will employ some 200 staff.
Biogen Idec develops and produces drugs for the treatment of multiple sclerosis, psoriasis, cancer and other diseases. The new facility in Denmark will manufacture Biogen Idec's existing drugs for sclerosis and psoriasis, as well as a new drug, Antegen, currently in the pipeline.
The opportunities afforded by Greater Copenhagen and Medicon Valley, a region with a world-class position in the biotechnological and pharmaceutical fields, were the major deciding factors in favour of Denmark.
"Denmark has a number of competitive advantages: a highly educated workforce, a pro-business environment and a strong research climate in Medicon Valley," explains Jim Mullen, Chairman and CEO of Biogen Idec.
Biogen was considering various locations for the facility and Hillerød formed a close cooperation with Copenhagen Capacity and local and national authorities to answer the questions Biogen had in regard to Denmark, Hillerød and the region. During the course of the project the number of locations competing for the investment gradually decreased and the Hillerød team was dedicated to answering any type of questions put to them by Biogen so quickly that answers to questions received after office hours were on Biogen's desk when they arrived at the office the following morning in Boston, USA.
"We are pleased with the outstanding and close cooperation we received during the site selection process," Jim Mullen says. "It was critical to our decision to locate our first major international manufacturing facility in the municipality of Hillerød."
He points to the well-functioning collaboration between companies and Danish authorities and the well-developed infrastructure as some of the important decisive factors in favour of locating in Hillerød.
Novo Nordic, one of the most prominent companies in Medicon Valley, will be Biogen Idec's neighbour - something Jim Mullen welcomes.
"I consider it positive when companies locate themselves in clusters. Together we can attract even more qualified labour to the region," he explains.
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