New National Centre for Health Innovation to be Based in Odense

Danes who become ill and require assistance from the healthcare service now have far better opportunities to fully recover or to live well with their illness than in the past. This is largely due to the significant advances that are continually being made in the medical field.

Every day, new technologies, work processes and treatment methods with the potential to improve the quality of care for patients and save valuable time for healthcare staff are being tested and implemented. 

However, it often takes too long before these new solutions are widely adopted, and we can do even more to ensure that innovative solutions and technologies, which are already creating value in one part of the country, benefit patients and staff throughout the healthcare system.

That is why the government is now establishing a National Centre for Health Innovation as part of the agreement on healthcare reform. The centre, which will be based in Odense, is intended to boost the development and dissemination of innovative health solutions while also supporting the many local innovation initiatives taking place within the healthcare service.

Minister for the Interior and Health of Denmark, Sophie Løhde stated:

- With the healthcare reform we have set a clear direction for a more localised and integrated healthcare service, where innovation and cross-sector collaboration will ensure better patient care throughout Denmark. The new national centre in Odense will serve as a hub for rapidly bringing the best solutions and technologies to the forefront, making a real difference for patients and healthcare staff. In doing so, the centre will also play an important role in the shift towards a more localised, integrated and sustainable healthcare service.

With its location in Odense, the centre will become part of a strong environment for health innovation based on the Health Innovation of Southern Denmark, as well as the clinic and research environment at Odense University Hospital and the University of Southern Denmark. Its central position in the country also ensures geographical balance and provides a solid foundation for recruiting the necessary expertise.

- We already have many strong innovation environments and passionate trailblazers across Denmark, but we must become much better at attracting expertise and sharing the solutions that work, so that they can quickly benefit more patients and healthcare professionals. With the centre in Odense, we get a national engine that can both consolidate knowledge and drive development and implementation across regions, hospitals and municipalities, ensuring that innovation and new solutions do not just end up as pilot projects, but are actually set up and disseminated throughout the healthcare service, said Sophie Løhde.

The National Centre for Health Innovation will be established as an independent entity and will be anchored under the joint management of Digital Health Denmark, which will initially bring together the Danish Health Data Authority, sundhed.dk and MedCom, and is set to play a central role in developing and disseminating new health solutions and infrastructure across the healthcare system. With this organisational framework, it will be possible to ensure coherence in the implementation of innovative health solutions, digitalisation and IT development.
It has not yet been decided which specific tasks the National Centre for Health Innovation will undertake. An analysis is expected in 2025 to provide recommendations regarding the centre’s portfolio of tasks and leadership.

The new centre is expected to be established during 2026.