Danish creativity is inherently value-driven, aesthetically functional, and engagingly original with its strong focus on innovation, digitalisation, and partnerships.
Insights: Danish Architecture
Architecture is an integral reason why the people of Scandinavia rank among the happiest in the world. Danish architects build liveable, high-quality surroundings for everyone. Their designs solve societal challenges, create sustainable solutions, and deliver impact around the globe.
Discover the best of Danish architecture here.
Insights: Danish Interior design
As an industry, Danish interior design stands on the shoulders of giants. The ‘Danish Modern’ and ‘Danish Design’ concepts are world-famous for their craftsmanship, timelessness, quality, functionality, and not least design for human needs. These ideals are finding new relevance today as a focus on sustainability and circularity motivates both designers and consumers.
Discover the best of Danish interior design here.
Insights: Danish Communication design
Communication design – encompassing advertising, branding, graphic design, typography design, packaging, and digital design – is one of the dominant design disciplines in Denmark by the number of employees and professionals. Developing brand loyalty, market share, employee satisfaction, and human behaviour through communication demands creative solutions.
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Insights: Danish Fashion
Danish fashion is human-centred and designs for the way most people actually live: working long hours, being active outside, and going to meetings and social gatherings. Copenhagen is often considered the world capital of sustainable fashion.
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Insights: Danish Industrial & strategic design
Design is an unparalleled, human-centred approach to innovation. It is about creating meaningful, relevant, and profitable products and services. Used in this way, design thinking is a tool to reach strategic goals - and it is central to what Danish design means today.
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Insights: Danish Digital games & XR
The digital games & XR industry is on a rapid growth trajectory. In Denmark, the creative environment has a ‘born international’ approach in both hiring and sales. And the working culture is defined by a high level of trust and self-management. Combined with playful workplaces and work-life balance, this has attracted many international talents to the Danish digital games industry.
Discover the best of Danish digital games & XR here.
Insights: Danish Music & sound
Danish musicians are indeed individual artists, but outside observers will notice a certain Nordic DNA in sound and songwriting and acknowledge how Danish artists, producers, and songwriters succeed in building partnerships and establishing collaborations with some of the most acclaimed international artists.
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Insights: Danish Film, TV & animation
As a small nation this Danish industry has always had to find its own way resulting in a unique Danish style. That style has received international acclaim and demand for Danish directors, actors, films, TV shows, and animation talent.
Discover the best of Danish film, TV & animation here.
Danish creativity in numbers
The creative industries are important trade and export industries for Denmark, and they leave a significant imprint on the economy.
In 2021, the industries employed 128,000 people, hereof 88,000 full-time and 40,000 part-time workers. With derived effects from other industries*, they created a turnover of €59.8bn in 2022.
Since 2013, the creative industries have reached an annual export growth of 7.6%. A large part of the turnover is generated through exports abroad, which was just over €18.8bn in 2022.
Socio-economic footprints
Creative solutions significantly impact the Danish economy – both in terms of employment and economic footprints.
The circle diagrams illustrate the direct and derived effect in terms of employment in 2021 and revenue in 2022.
The derived effects indicate how activity in the creative industries creates input and gives rise to activity in other professions and industries. For example, designers, architects or digital marketing agencies who provide services or consultancy for other sectors, thereby contributing to both jobs and growth.
*The derived effects are a projection of 2016 numbers calculated by Damvad Analytics.
Sources:
Statistics Denmark, 2022
Damvad Analytics for Growth plan for the creative industries, Ministry for Industry, Business and Financial Affairs, 2019