DANISH ROBOTICS AND AUTOMATION SECTOR
Søren Elmer Kristensen
CEO of Odense Robotics
While most people think of the USA and Asia as the world’s robotics hotspots, Denmark has become a leading European hotspot for robotics innovation. Our small country is home to market leaders within collaborative, mobile robots and flexible automation, innovative startups, leading robotics research institutions and state-of-the-art testing facilities. One of the reasons for this success lies in our strong collaborative approach.
Denmark’s robot, automation, and drone industry is home to around 600 companies that now employ 13,700 people in Denmark and 4,800 abroad. The most recent financial figures show that the industry generated a turnover of EUR 3.7 billion in 2022, of which EUR 1.8 billion was derived from exports. Despite market challenges, the workforce grew by 9% last year and companies have a positive outlook, expecting 14% growth in employees in the coming years.
The potential in the robotics industry has never been greater, but this won’t happen by itself. I believe Odense Robotics, as Denmark’s national robot and drone cluster, plays a key role in realising this potential. It’s up to us to bring the ecosystem together to stimulate innovation, growth and collaboration.
Collaboration is our DNA
It’s fair to say that Denmark’s leadership within robotics is the result of our ability to collaborate across the ecosystem – bringing companies, organisations, government, investors and talent together across domains, technologies and the entire value chain.
Collaboration has been the driving force behind key milestones in our industry: from its very beginnings in the 1980s when welding robots were developed in Odense’s shipyard to the establishment of global successes such as Universal Robots in the 1990s and the creation of a national cluster in the 2020s.
Today, more than 87% of companies collaborate with other robotics, automation or drone companies in Denmark and/or abroad. And 85% of companies collaborate with organisations in the ecosystem, such as knowledge and research institutions, publicly-funded Danish business hubs and the state investment fund.
“Denmark’s leadership within robotics is the result of our ability to collaborate across the ecosystem – bringing companies, organisations, government, investors and talent together across domains, technologies and the entire value chain”
Connecting the ecosystem
Odense Robotics forges partnerships and engage stakeholders in Denmark and in the global robotics community. We do this through projects, networks and events in close collaboration with our many partners.
Our partners include universities and government-approved Research and Technology Organisations. These aim to bridge the gap between researchers and companies, enabling companies to explore new applications for technology. These collaborations can be an invaluable steppingstone for further development because they can validate early-stage concepts and create successful teams.
We also have strong partnerships with public sector organisations such as local governments and regional business hubs across Denmark. Because of our historic roots in the city of Odense and the long standing commitment from Odense local government, Odense City is one our key public sector partners. By collaborating on joint activities, we can go further in driving common agendas such as supporting startups, attracting talent and securing investment.
Odense Robotics also has many activities that bring companies together. One example is our network groups for our member companies, focusing on various areas such as supply chain, mobile robots in healthcare and talent. These sessions are about more than meeting up with peers over a cup of coffee; they’re about building trusted relations that can pave the way for new collaborations and business opportunities.
Another example is our Robotics Innovation Sprint. Here, we bring small robotic, automation and drone companies together with a large manufacturing company or a public organisation in an intense, collaborative process designed to create new ideas for solving an automation challenge. It’s a win-win for everyone involved as it enables the small companies to showcase expertise to potential partners, while large companies can gain input on how to solve their individual challenge.
“Financial Times featured Odense Robotics StartUp Fund and its incubator on its list of Europe’s best startup incubators”
Importance of international partnerships
Exports account for around half of total turnover generated in Denmark’s robotics industry, so helping companies connect with potential partners internationally is key to growth. Our international outreach is focused on regions that are strategically important for Denmark’s robotics, automation and drone industry: Europe, United States and Asia.
On a trip to the USA and Canada in June this year, I had the pleasure of connecting again with Pittsburgh Robotics Network, with whom we have a formal partnership. I also started up conversations with the Canadian Robotics Council on potential collaboration opportunities. We also recently participated on a visit to South Korea, where we forged relationships with the Korean Robotics association and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Seoul.
We welcome many visitors from Europe and showcase Danish robotics solutions through trade fairs such as R-24 and the International Drone Show. We also help companies showcase their solutions at trade fairs in Europe such as Automatica in Germany, Europe’s largest automation expo and conference. Everywhere I travel, I encounter a huge interest in Danish robotics and drone solutions – and a huge will to collaborate.
Supporting robotic startups
The future of Denmark’s robotics industry depends also on our ability to generate more successful startups and nuture them through their scaleup journey. Once again, this is a shining example of how stakeholders across the ecosystem have joined forces to create a strong framework for supporting startups.
Back in 2025, a robotics startup incubator was established as a close partnership between Odense Robotics, Danish Technological Insitute and Odense City. This incubator
became known as one of Europe’s leading incubators with a success rate of 80%. More than 30 startups were part of the incubator. They received more than EUR 30 million in external investments and more than EUR 7.5 million in soft money, without renouncing ownership rights.
Today, this incubator continues in an even stronger model. Odense Robotics StartUp Fund has a total capital of DKK 18.4M consisting of donations from key figures from some of Denmark’s most successful robot companies, influential robot investors and prominent commercial foundations behind some of the country’s largest industrial companies.
Odense Robotics StartUp Fund helps ambitious robotics and drone entrepreneurs from Denmark and abroad by providing access to founder-friendly investment, cutting-edge “Financial Times featured Odense Robotics StartUp Fund and its incubator on its list of Europe’s best startup incubators” know-how from leading robotic business leaders and worldclass incubator facilities at the Danish Technological Institute in Odense.
Here, start-up companies are joined by a team of business and technology experts that help turn technology into business. Many successful robotic startups emerge from the incubator and stay in Denmark as they grow to become innovative businesses with international markets. Earlier this year, Financial Times featured Odense Robotics StartUp Fund and its incubator on its list of Europe’s best startup incubators.
We have long known that we have a strong setup, however the ranking is a strong validation of the fund’s unique offering. I could provide so many more examples of how our ability to collaborate is a driving force for innovation and growth in Denmark’s robotics industry. If you are interested in exploring partnerships with us, please reach out and I am happy to discuss.