Partnership between destinations and clusters: Developing business tourism and Danish areas of strength go hand in hand
Denmark's edge in the race for international congresses rarely lies in prices or the weather – but in its national areas of strength. Read how Destination Fyn and Odense Robotics, through MeetDenmark's project, worked closely to win the hosting of a leading robotics congress in 2027.
A key effort within MeetDenmark is to build bridges between the country's four congress destinations and the national clusters. This is happening, among other things, in the project 'Valuable Meetings', which aims to connect business tourism even more closely with Denmark's areas of strength in business and research through four cluster–destination partnerships.
One of the project's cluster–destination pairs has got off to an especially strong start. Destination Fyn and Odense Robotics, together with Syddansk Universitet, have won the hosting of one of the world's leading robotics congresses, ISARC 2027 – thereby providing a concrete example of how partnerships between clusters and destinations can deliver results.
The fact that they have already managed to bring this important international congress to the country under the project is due to this particular partnership being a little further ahead, as the two have collaborated before. Destination Fyn has used the local areas of strength to attract more international congresses, while the robotics cluster has used congress hosting to support innovation, internationalisation and growth among the cluster's companies. The project helps to structure and focus both the effort and the partnership.
Both parties therefore see many synergies in expanding the collaboration, and they warmly welcome MeetDenmark's project.
"We focus very much on using the area's strengths as a lever internationally. The more we collaborate, the stronger the area's areas of strength become as well. We use each other to reinforce the story – and thereby the value creation, the business and the output for everyone involved," explains Kent Kordt Röder, Head of Business Tourism at Destination Fyn.
A door-opener to the business community
Odense Robotics represents more than 380 members within robotics, automation and drones. The cluster's close relationships with the business community and knowledge environments provide a natural point of entry to companies and knowledge institutions – and that is a major advantage in the work with international business tourism.
"The cluster is a door-opener to an incredible number of things for us; to conversations, relationships and meetings that are crucial to succeeding. It's a gift, built on the cluster's natural and well-attuned foothold in the industry," says Kent Kordt Röder.
Similarly, there is also a great deal to be gained from the collaboration for the cluster, explains Julie Thygesen Rydahl, Project Manager for Internationalisation at Odense Robotics.
Destination Fyn brings so much to the table – knowledge, competencies and concrete help that the whole ecosystem can use in the work to attract congresses and events.
Added value on many bottom lines
The very way in which the two business-promotion organisations complement and support each other's work and agendas is crucial to the success, says Julie Thygesen Rydahl:
"When we succeed in winning congresses, it gives enormous visibility to the companies, their products and their services. It creates innovation and new knowledge and opens the door to talent attraction – all gains that not only strengthen the cluster's companies, but also Denmark as a robotics nation. That's why the collaboration is so important," she says, adding:
"By now we know each other's circumstances, goals and ambitions thoroughly within the strong ecosystem that has been built up around the Danish robotics cluster. That creates a shared understanding which makes it far easier to work in the same direction."
Kent Kordt Röder calls the partnership unique and believes the seed of success lies precisely in all the players leaning into the collaboration – including the municipality, the knowledge institutions, the companies and other relevant partners.
Within business tourism, there's often a tendency to measure only on parameters such as overnight stays, spending and so on. But here we see far broader effects: talent attraction, settlement, urban development, retention. The broad value creation really comes into play when we sit down around the table – together.
Strategic bidding with a long-term view
It is precisely this united front that is particularly important in the selection and bidding processes on Fyn. Bids are submitted only for congresses with a clear strategic connection to the university, the cluster, the municipality, partners and the area's development plans.
"We'd rather wait to bid until we know it's completely right for all parties. By focusing on our strengths, we can zoom in on the areas where we have the greatest chance of winning. In the robotics field, we have a conversion rate of 66 percent – a very high success rate," says Kent Kordt Röder, continuing:
"And it's often about taking the long view of what the players around the areas of strength want and aspire to, and what's happening in the field. We have to stay ahead, and it's a shared responsibility among all of us not just to look at the here and now, but also six, seven, eight years into the future."
The long-term approach also came into play when Odense won the hosting of ISARC 2027 in June. The congress was identified years ago as an obvious match, and the timing of MeetDenmark's project aligned perfectly with the leading professor's wish to bid for the conference.
The next step will be to explore which other conferences and events can be brought to Fyn in the same period – and that too will be a close collaboration between the players, with broad value creation in mind.
A project with a national perspective
And the gains reach far beyond Fyn, Julie Thygesen Rydahl emphasises:
"It makes very good sense to establish this partnership project, so that we can share experiences across the 11 national clusters. In that way, we can inspire and learn from each other, harness the synergies, and show how congresses can help lift the companies in the clusters. Together with many other players, we're delighted with the positive response to the robotics conferences we've helped attract."
Kent Kordt Röder nods:
"When we rise shoulder to shoulder, we create results. We're also trying to extend this to the other national areas of strength anchored here on Fyn. And it makes perfect sense to spread the experiences across the country as well."
The project 'Valuable Meetings' is supported by the Danish Board of Business Development and runs until mid-2027.
ISARC 2027
ISARC 2027 is the 44th edition of the International Symposium on Automation and Robotics in Construction. The congress will be held in Odense in the summer of 2027.
The hosting was won through a broad and strategic collaboration between Syddansk Universitet (SDU), Odense Kommune, Invest in Odense, Odense Havn, DTU, OTH Regensburg, Odense Robotics and Destination Fyn.
Valuable Meetings
The project 'Valuable Meetings' has an ambition to strengthen the international competitiveness of Danish congress destinations and, at the same time, contribute to innovation, internationalisation and growth in Danish cluster companies.
The project has established four cluster–destination pairs: Wonderful Copenhagen & Danish Life Science Cluster, Destination NORD & Green Hub Denmark, VisitAarhus & CLEAN, and Destination Fyn & Odense Robotics.
Based on the clusters' goals and needs, the four pairs will:
- Identify and bid for the most relevant and attractive international congresses
- Develop plans for how best to continue their collaboration after the project ends
Last but not least, the project will spread knowledge about the potential and the experiences from the collaboration to other Danish clusters, areas of strength and destinations.
