Medicon Valley is a life sciences cluster that spans the Greater Copenhagen region of eastern Denmark and Skåne, the most southerly of Sweden’s provinces. It is located on either side of the narrow strait between Sweden and Denmark which connects the Baltic Sea with the Kattegat. That strait, called Øresund in Danish and Öresund in Swedish, is crossed by the famous bridge which has provided a 16 km (10 mile) direct road and rail link between the two countries since 2000. Travelling from Copenhagen to Malmö, the largest city in Skåne, over the bridge takes about 20 minutes.
The Öresund region comprises three administrative regions, four million inhabitants and a geographical area measuring 21,000 square kilometres (8,110 square miles). Medicon Valley is very distinctive because the cluster spans two countries. However, it is not unique: BioValley is a life science cluster connecting France, Germany and Switzerland in the Upper Rhine Valley.
