CLUSTERS MEET REGIONS COPENHAGEN HAS OFFICIALLY WRAPPED
The inaugural Clusters Meet Regions (CMR) Copenhagen marked a significant moment for regional innovation and cross-border collaboration in Europe.
This year’s edition was especially meaningful for us at GSA, as it was the first time a CMR event has been hosted by a private organisation. We were honoured to bring this gathering to life together with the European Cluster Collaboration Platform (ECCP), the European Commission, Innovation District Copenhagen, and Danish Industry.
Hosted in the striking Maersk Tower, one of Denmark’s most remarkable modern buildings, this first edition brought clusters, policymakers, founders, investors, and innovation leaders together for two days of meaningful dialogue, partnership building, and exchange.
Held under the Danish EU Presidency 2025, CMR Copenhagen also served as a strategic meeting point between EU institutions, public authorities, startups, academia, and investors. The event reflected Europe’s broader ambition to support SME growth, strengthen cross-border collaboration, and accelerate the transition toward more sustainable and resilient industrial ecosystems. It further highlighted Denmark’s unique position as a bridge between Nordic innovation culture and Europe’s wider industrial transformation.
Day 1: Cluster Excellence, Innovation Leadership AND European Strategy
The opening day set the tone with high-level insights into Europe’s innovation landscape and the critical role clusters play in shaping regional competitiveness.
One of the most notable takeaways came from the European Innovation Scoreboard:
Denmark is the second most innovative country in Europe
The Capital Region (Hovedstaden) ranks among the top innovation leaders in the EU
These findings framed the conversations around Denmark’s uniquely connected ecosystem — small in scale, but big in vision and results.
Participants also heard from leading Danish clusters, including Energy Cluster Denmark, Copenhagen Fintech, Danish Life Science Cluster, and CenSec, each showcasing progress and opportunities within their sectors.
The European Commission presented updates on the EU Startup and Scale-up Strategy, emphasising the need to strengthen financing pathways, support research commercialisation, and create better conditions for European startups to scale at home rather than abroad.
A particularly felt message came from Hanne Bregendahl (NorthDenmark EU-Office / dacob / EEN Denmark), who reminded everyone that:
“We need simple, accessible solutions for SMEs — especially when it comes to finding finance and supporting their growth journey.”
Day 2: Startups, SMEs AND Turning Insights Into Practice
Day 2 placed a strong focus on SMEs, the backbone of the European business landscape, and opened with a session dedicated to translating ecosystem insights into practical next steps.
With contributions from Valentino Izzo (European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency – EISMEA), Sine Linderstrøm (Danish Industry), and Dario Zorić (Danish-Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce), the discussion moved from high-level reflections to clear actions that countries, clusters, accelerators, investors, and businesses can take together to strengthen innovation capacity and support SME growth across borders.
The momentum continued into the Opportunity Labs, where participants engaged in open and imaginative discussions on key themes such as green transition and energy, health and life science cooperation, digital transformation and AI, finance for innovation, and security and space technologies. The Labs created a dynamic setting for startups and innovation actors to shape early project ideas, test new perspectives, and explore fresh partnership pathways.
We extend a big thank you to our facilitators from WE BUILD DENMARK, Danish Life Science Cluster, Clusters of Sweden, and CenSec – Center for Defence, Space & Security for guiding these conversations and helping bring new ideas to life.
The GSA Nordics Spotlight AND Live Podcast Recording
A standout moment of the event was the GSA Nordics Spotlight, where two leading Nordic innovators joined us on stage for a live recording of the GSA Stars Podcast.
Mia Grosen – Founder and Investor
Mia is one of Denmark’s most influential entrepreneurial voices.
She is the founder of Canute, a platform that helps Nordic startups scale internationally by connecting them with the right communities, mentors, and markets. Her work has supported hundreds of founders looking to move beyond their home countries, and she has been a strong advocate for diversity and access within the startup ecosystem.
Mia’s perspective on community building, founder resilience, and the real challenges startups face brought honesty and warmth to the conversation. She shared openly about the moments that tested her and the ones that kept her going.
🌟 Douglas Stark – Co-founder of Voi Technology (GSA Unicorn)
Douglas is best known as one of the early driving forces behind Voi Technology, the Swedish micromobility company that became a European unicorn and transformed how people move around cities. With experience scaling across multiple countries, navigating regulations, and building a fast-growing team, Douglas brought a global, scale-up perspective to the discussion.
His reflections on risk, rapid growth, and the pressure of leading a company during hyper-expansion offered rare insight into the realities behind a “unicorn journey.”
The Takeaway From the Stage
Both podcast sessions brought something truly special to the room.
Mia’s episode offered an authentic and heartfelt look into the resilience, community, and determination behind a founder’s journey, while Douglas’s episode provided a candid and practical perspective on scaling, risk-taking, and navigating rapid growth.
Although recorded separately, their stories together reminded everyone, from policymakers to cluster leaders, that innovation begins with people who dare to take risks, challenge established norms, and stay curious even when the path ahead is uncertain.
Looking Ahead
As we close the inaugural Clusters Meet Regions Copenhagen, we want to express our sincere gratitude to everyone who helped bring this first edition to life — the speakers, facilitators, clusters, founders, investors, policymakers, and ecosystem builders who shaped two days of meaningful exchange.
We extend our appreciation to the European Cluster Collaboration Platform (ECCP) and the European Commission for the collaboration that made this gathering possible, and we warmly thank Innovation District Copenhagen and Danish Industry for their invaluable support throughout the event.
We hope these two days sparked new relationships, fresh ideas, and partnerships that will continue to grow long after the event. This is only the beginning, and we look forward to carrying this momentum forward together.
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