Welcome to Lighthouse Life Science

Denmark should be a lighthouse that the rest of the world looks towards within life science and new technological healthcare solutions. A large number of public and private actors in the Capital Region have joined forces to develop new solutions through innovative partnerships between regions, municipalities, pension companies, knowledge institutions and small and medium-sized enterprises, among others. In the Capital Region, the initial focus will be on obesity.
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Greater equality in health

Lighthouse Copenhagen will be launching a number of pilot projects in the beginning of 2022, which aim to create better and greater health equality. We want to establish a lighthouse within life science that other countries will use as a source of inspiration for new technological welfare solutions. Together, we aim to improve citizens’ health, increase the efficiency and quality of the healthcare system and strengthen Danish companies’growth, employment and exports. In short, we want to make Copenhagen the global capital for health.

Health and welfare technology
The projects take a starting point in the Capital Region of Denmark, which is recognized internationally for being strong in life science. This provides a unique opportunity to create a favourable environment for innovative healthcare solutions developed across private companies, the healthcare system, startups, research environments, knowledge institutions and public bodies. In the long term, the projects will be broadened to cover all of Denmark, with the solutions being able to be used in a variety of chronic disease areas.
Focus on obesity
The initiative has been named ‘Lighthouse Life Science – Healthy Weight’. It focuses on the development of new healthcare solutions in life science and welfare technology that can prevent, detect and treat obesity. Healthy weight has been chosen as a pilot because obesity is one of the most significant risk factors for the development of chronic diseases, a poor quality of life and state of well-being, which have a significant influence on social inequality and entail high costs for Danish and global society. Early interventions and new cross-sector solutions will benefit people, the healthcare system and society.
Economy, growth and jobs
‘Lighthouse Life Science – Healthy Weight’ is based on recommendations from the Capital Region of Denmark’s Growth Team; one of a total of seven regional growth teams, previously set up by the Danish Government. The members of the seven growth teams, who come from the business community, trade unions, pensions companies, regions and municipalities, have provided recommendations for how Denmark can strengthen growth and create more jobs in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic. These recommendations will now be implemented in a number of regional lighthouses all over Denmark. The Danish Government has allocated a total of DKK 1 billion towards the implementation of the regional lighthouses. DKK 595 million will be distributed in 2022-2023, with a further DKK 500 million after 2023. At the beginning of 2022, The Danish Board of Business Development will determine how the funds are to be distributed.

The pilot projects in the Capital Region of Denmark aim to:

Prevent obesity among schoolchildren by using digital solutions.

Use health technology to inspire people to live healthier lives.

Find more people at risk of obesity.

Support people with obesity with health checks and counselling.

Help unemployed people with obesity to return to the labour market.

Contribute towards innovative, holistic and multidisciplinary treatment of obesity in a hospital.

About obesity

Every sixth Dane lives with obesity. This corresponds to 800,000 Danes1. From 2010 to 2017, the number of Danes with obesity increased from 13.6% to 16.8%. In the coming years, the number of people with obesity is expected to grow significantly if no steps are taken to deal with these developments2. Obesity is one of the biggest risk factors for a wide range of chronic diseases, such as cardiovascular diseases and type 2 diabetes3. Globally, more than 650 million people live with obesity4.

Public-private partnerships

The pilot projects are implemented across both the private and public sectors. This may, for example, involve municipalities, regions, hospitals, general practice, entrepreneurs, foundations, pension companies, life science and welfare technology companies, civil society organisations, business developers, universities and other knowledge institutions.

1.Sundhedsstyrelsen, Livsstilsintervention ved svær overvægt (svær overvægt karakteriseres ved et BMI over 30), 2019. Og Sundhedsstyrelsen og Statens Institut for Folkesundhed i ’Danskernes Sundhed – Den Nationale Sundhedsprofil 2017’ på danskernessundhed.dk.

2.www.cancer.dk/140420_notat-om-fremskrivning-af-overvaegt-i-danmarkfinal.pdf.

3.www.sundhed.dk/sundhedsfaglig/laegehaandbogen/endokrinologi/tilstande-og-sygdomme/overvaegt/overvaegt/.

4.www.who.int/en/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/obesity-and-overweight

The Capital Region of Denmark's main consortium is comprised of

Erhvervshus Hovedstaden

KKR (the municipal contact council)

City of Copenhagen

PensionDanmark

Capital Region of Denmark

University of Copenhagen

University College Copenhagen

Novo Nordisk

Wonderful Copenhagen

Copenhagen Capacity

Danish Life Science Cluster

Greater Copenhagen

Contact

Trine Søby Christensen
Program manager
Danish Life Science Cluster

+45 28 83 83 12

tsc@danishlifesciencecluster.dk

The website has been developed by Kompas Kommunikation in collaboration with the entire consortium. Films and materials on the site are financed by Novo Nordisk.