Entrepreneurship Academy in the Øresund region

A new and innovative entrepreneurship academy will soon open in the Øresund region! The academy will offer entrepreneurship education of the highest standard to students in the region and will hence be the largest development project in the region since the opening of the Øresund bridge.

The new entrepreneurship academy will be given the name Øresund Entrepreneurship Academy. The academy will unite the 14 universities around entrepreneurship and thereby capitalise on the potential of the region and its 140.000 university students and 12.000 researchers. The aim is to create the best range of entrepreneurship education in close collaboration with private businesses, incubators, research parks and initiatives in the Øresund Science Region. This will encourage more students to start-up ventures and create growth in established organisations after earning their university degree. The academy is currently backed by Danish-Swedish resources of 11,5 million Dk kr.

Bendt Bendtsen, Minister for Economic and Business Affairs (C) (Denmark):
- The foundation for a prosperous entrepreneurial climate must be constructed in our educational system. Hence it is the goal of the Danish government that all students at higher educational institutions should be introduced to entrepreneurship. This academy is a big step in the right direction. I’m very pleased that we in collaboration with the Swedish government and the regional authorities can launch this initiative which will benefit the entire Øresund region.

Thomas Östros, Minister for Industry and Trade (S) (Sweden)
- The Øresund Region is a growing region with strategic importance for the entire Swedish business community. An important activity of the Øresund Entrepreneurship Academy is to stimulate collaboration across the strait. Sweden’s competitiveness will also increase through research and initiatives in entrepreneurship and business creation.

Mads Lebech, Mayor of Frederiksberg (C) and Chairman of The Greater Copenhagen Authority (HUR):
- The aim of the academy is to benefit the 140.000 students at the universities in the Øresund Region. The academy will each year educate hundreds of entrepreneurship students. It will be a key driver in increasing growth in Scandinavia’s most important metropolis, says Mads Lebech, Mayor of Frederiksberg (C) and chairman of HUR.

Christine Axelsson, Regional Council Commissioner(S), Region Skåne (Sweden):
− The Øresund Region has a strategic importance for the development of the Swedish and the Danish business communities. However, it may be advantageous that we aim to improve the application of research done within the Region. To ensure this, entrepreneurship will now be part of the universities and other higher educational institutions, on both sides of the Øresund.

Ralf Hemmingsen, Chairman of the Øresund University and Vice Chancellor of Copenhagen University & Göran Bexell, Chairman of the Øresund Science Region and Vice Chancellor of Lund University:
− Entrepreneurship is key for our region and for the development of our students. It is important that our students see it as a possible future profession to create their own businesses. The Academy is also a good hub for collaboration between the universities and the industry.

Contact:
Project Manager of the Øresund Entrepreneurship Academy, Christian Vintergaard (+45 2062 6525) or
CEO Bengt Streijffert (+46 733 861 774) from the Øresund University.