With the bridge across the sound, “Øresund”, Denmark and Sweden have become connected and a new region is developing. The integration between Denmark and Sweden opens up new opportunities for companies considering locating in the Øresund Region.
The attractiveness of the region has created the largest metropolitan area in Scandinavia with a population of 3,6m inhabitants and a high concentration of companies. Approximately 3,400 foreign owned companies have chosen to locate in the region. Furthermore, 137,000 students attend courses at 14 universities with a scientific staff of about 10,000 researchers.
As a result of the agglomeration of people, companies, education and research institutions, the region experiences a higher growth than the two nations of which it consists. Furthermore, the Øresund Region is one of Europe’s strongest economic centres.
An extended labour market is now becoming reality and potentially the recruitment base of Copenhagen could increase by 50%, from 340,000 to more than 500,000 with a higher education. Graduates in engineering, science and social sciences constitute a particularly attractive labour pool. More and more companies recognize this opportunity and begin to recruit highly qualified Danish and Swedish personnel for operations located in Copenhagen.
The Øresund Bridge has also expanded the highway network and linked the Scandinavian countries more effectively in and around Copenhagen.
Number of Persons with higher education in the Øresund Region, 2003
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Source: Danish and Swedish central bureaus of statistics, 2004
