ICT cluster has great untapped potential

This was one of the key points at the Conference IT WILL CHANGE hosted bythe EU project BrandITabout ICT in the Øresund Region. The conference offered presentations on both the industry’s status in terms of numbers and statistics, and on how companies within the region create successful collaboration.

- There are really a lot of things to be excited about. The Øresund Region has succeeded in building one of the strongest ICT clusters in Europe – and that is a great starting point, says Morten Bangsgaard, CEO of the Danish IT Industry Association, and started his presentation with this hard-hitting statement. Bangsgaard emphasizes the high cultural efficiency that characterizes the region.

- The degree of collaborations in the Øresund Region has increased with 30% from 2007 till 2009. This increase implies that still more people are working across the Sound.

A good example of a regional collaboration is Danish Milestone Systems and Swedish Axis Communications AB. The companies have worked closely together for several years, which has been a great success for both partners. Therefore the business managers support the new common platform Cluster 55°, which was launched Tuesday on the conference IT WILL CHANGE in Copenhagen. But both CEO of Milestone, Lars Thinggaard and founder of Axix Communications AB, Martin Gren, point to fact that there still are some challenges which cannot be solved with any platform.

- We need the politicians within the Øresund Region to enter the debate. For instances; it has to be easier to employ Swedish labor in Denmark – and vice versa, says Lars Thinggaard and continues;

- Such formalities have to be changed in order to make collaboration in the Øresund Region more attractive.

To strengthen the sense of community within the region requires that Danish and Swedish employees or companies are not met with issues at the same level as other international stakeholders in their collaborations with actors in the Øresund Region. This untapped potential has to be handled politically – but a common storytelling and understanding of what makes the ICT cluster unique is one step in the right direction.

For more information about the project, contact Karina Kolter: +45 3334 3451