February Edition 2022

27 Could you give us a brief overview of what your organization focuses on? Founded in 2016, Innovation Center Denmark directly connects companies to other companies. We also like to see how Israeli entrepreneurs are doing what they are doing, how they scale their business really fast so that we can learn and apply this also to Danish processes. What should Israeli entrepreneurs or investors know about doing business in Denmark? Denmark and Israel in some ways are a surprise but a perfect match and fit. There are so many similarities. Both have evolved from a social democratic foundation into a knowledge-based economy; both have invested heavily in R&D and champion new knowledge and innovation – such as climate, life sciences and cyber. For example, Denmark has been one of the countries that has invested most in sustainability and sustainable projects, and we do see that Israel is moving in that direction.With the new government, hope to see more projects unfold in climate tech and energy. One of the best things about Denmark is if you want to set up a sister company, there is no bureaucracy here at all. Everything is more seamless, digitized, and runs more smoothly. There is no time wasted on administration and it is a far more well-oiled machine here. That is definitely a plus! Furthermore, the way both Danes and Israelis communicate are similar. Danes don’t believe in bureaucracy and hierarchies, and as such, both Danes and Israelis speak plainly, frankly and directly. A romance on the cards? Israel should consider a first destination in Europe. If they want to set up a company, there are advantages. More and more Israeli start-ups are looking here because there is predictability and stability, the political system is stable, there are many public R&D programs that Israeli companies can get access to if they are present in Denmark. There are huge sums available, especially in fields such as climate tech and sustainability. Just an hour behind Israel, we also have a well-educated workforce and Copenhagen airport is growing fast as a European hub. We spoke to Lasse Vinther-Grønning, Executive Director of Innovation Center Denmark.

RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MjgzNzA=