Greater Copenhagen beckons with career and a good life
The Project Cross-border Talent Bridge was started in Fall 2024 to promote matching between international talents and companies in Life Science and Tech.
- We want to promote the Öresund region as an interesting career destination for international talents, says project manager Viktoria Nilsson, Lund Municipality. The ambition is to see it as a common region with many interesting job opportunities, where you can work in different places in different phases of your career.
Both on the Danish and Swedish sides of the strait there is a skills shortage in Tech and Life Science, but also many organizations with extensive experience in handling the challenge. Ideon Science Park, Medicon Village, OpenTech The City of Lund is now working with Copenhagen Municipality, Kapasiteit Copenhagen and Medicon Valley Alliance to become even better, including by sharing their experiences and promoting the region jointly.
- We have similar operations when we work with international talent, but we have different ways of working and are located in two different countries, continues Viktoria Nilsson. Copenhagen is the big city, but Lund also has good business. We see how we can learn and be inspired by each other and then sync that. It's important to find what we can do together and upgrade activities to promote the region. Promoting the region as an interesting career destination cannot be done on your own, but it requires collaboration.
In order to move forward in how to work with talent attraction, a survey is made of existing reports on skills needs in Life Science and Tech. Another important activity is a series of seminars for companies on daring to recruit internationally.
- This can be a way for small and small companies to get on the radar so that they are visible to international talent, says Martina Åkerlund, communicator in the project. And by participating, they also create new contacts, for example with universities.
Kapasiteit Copenhagen has cultivated international channels and has launched a campaign to elevate the entire region as a career destination — including through ads in the New York Times promising travel money back to anyone who does not increase their quality of life upon a career move to the area.
- They have worked for a long time to attract international talent and are good at it, says Martina Åkerlund. Companies often need to go outside Europe to find competencies and Copenhagen Capacity has well-worked channels and working methods.
A career portal fare already registered, but more new companies, mainly Swedish, will register in the project, so there will be a larger supply.
Retaining talent is another important component of the project. There are a number of activities here that are now being reinforced. Matchmaking events and career days will be promoted both in Sweden and Copenhagen. International Citizen Hub Lund has long had kickstart programs for accompanying, and now it is also being opened for master's students at universities. On both sides of the strait, welcome events should also be worked on, while businesses can be prepared by creating an understanding of cultural differences. Copenhagen Municipality offers several mentorship programs and in the fall began Lund is also preparing a similar program within the framework of the project — and anyone interested in becoming a mentor for international talents can contact Lisa Andersson (lisa.andersson@lund.se).
- In order to make the talents who come here feel comfortable, it is important that they feel welcome and feel that they fit in, says Martina Åkerlund. Therefore, it is good for companies to understand differences in language and culture, but also how to take advantage of diversity and a broadened, international perspective. It is also useful to know what the rules apply to recruitment within and outside the EU.
In order to bring about lasting changes, the actors are also thinking about how to influence the work on policies for the area. A particular obstacle is the flow of talent across national borders and the fact that laws and regulations may differ between countries.
As a final result, a compilation of working methods, tools and methods that have been used in the project will be made. Finally, a collaboration model and a cross-border talent strategy will also be presented — because the collaboration will continue even after the three years in the project are over.
The project is funded by Interreg Öresund-Kattegat-Skagerrak together with Lund Municipality and other partners.
- We are pleased that Lund Municipality has taken the lead and dares to invest and run the cooperation. It takes a lot of coordination and understanding. The issues are important for the business environment and the development of Lund and the entire Greater Copenhagen region,” concludes Viktoria Nilsson.
Footnote: In addition to Lund Municipality, Copenhagen Capacity, Ideon Science Park, Medicon Village, OpenTech, Copenhagen Municipality and Medicon Valley Alliance, several universities and actors in the business and public sector are associated partners in the project and will follow the project closely and contribute to the dissemination of results.
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