Danish ambassador calls Korea 'gateway to Asian market' for its science, tech

Danish Ambassador to Korea Svend Olling gives a welcome speech at an event commemorating the 10th anniversary of the Innovation Centre Denmark in Seoul, Monday. Courtesy of Embassy of Demark in Korea

Danish Ambassador to Korea Svend Olling emphasized the crucial role of Korea as a global innovation hub and the importance of international science, technology and innovation collaboration amid geopolitical challenges during an event commemorating the 10th anniversary of the Innovation Centre Denmark in Seoul (ICDK Seoul), Monday.

"Denmark established ICDK in Korea as one of only seven locations in the world as a gateway for future science, technology and innovation collaboration. We did that because Korea is a world-leading innovation hub, and we know that our prosperity relies on working with the best in the world," Olling said.

The ICDK is an institution jointly established by Denmark's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Higher Education. It operates in seven locations worldwide, including Copenhagen, Silicon Valley, Munich, Shanghai, Tel Aviv and Bangalore. The Seoul office was established in Korea in 2013.

Olling highlighted the significance of innovation in Denmark, describing it as the core of the Danish identity.

"As a small, open economy, we are continuously told and challenged to think innovatively. Denmark has no natural resources of significance; thus, the avenue for prosperity is our ability to develop and utilize ideas. This is exactly what innovation is about," he said.

"I believe that Korea is the same as a gateway to the Asian market, with much science and technology resources and competencies building its national competitiveness. In spite of our distance, I think we could not be any closer in spirit."

The center in Seoul aims to provide market entry opportunities in Korea and collaborative research opportunities for Danish startups, universities, research institutes, public institutions and businesses interested in cooperation in the fields of science, technology and innovation.

It has been engaged in projects to create business opportunities in the fields of science, technology and innovation between the two countries and to build partnerships with relevant institutions.

Ambassador Olling underscored the importance of international science, technology and innovation partnerships, especially in the face of geopolitical challenges and changes to global supply chains.

"Strategic partnership at the government-to-government level, especially in science and technology, is required for future co-prosperity. And all of us here today are key players and front-runners for this partnership between Denmark and Korea," he said.

Highlighting the strong bilateral ties and collaborative history between Korea and Denmark, Olling mentioned initiatives such as the Green Growth Alliance, the co-founding of P4G and the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI) and a recent memorandum of understanding to work on startups and entrepreneurship.

Regarding the role of ICDK Seoul in Korea, Ambassador Olling commended its efforts in connecting innovation stakeholders across various fields, including robotics, education, hydrogen, food technology, smart cities and quantum computing.

"For the past 10 years, ICDK Seoul has worked to bridge innovation stakeholders in many different innovative fields: From robotics to education, from hydrogen to food technology, from smart city to quantum. Two important things connect these vastly different areas: They are solutions to global challenges and there is a mutual interest in Korea and Denmark to pursue them. Impact and mutual value," he said.