City of Odense

When the financial crisis hit back in 2008, Odense, as almost every other city, faced significant challenges. The shipyard closed and many jobs were lost, so they had to come up with a new strategy to attract new companies, growth and workplaces. “One of our responses was to focus on robot technology, striving for critical mass within a high-potential growth area,” explains Bjarke Wolmar, executive vice president responsible for growth at the city of Odense. In close collaboration with the growing robotics cluster, the university and local trade organisations, among others, in the city of Odense aim to retain and attract the best companies to locate their business in Odense.