“Denmark brings together foundations and public-private healthcare partnerships in a way that feels completely natural. You’ve turned collaboration, digital innovation, and AI-driven technologies into real healthcare impact — something Canada, and Manitoba in particular, can truly learn from,” said Robert Shaffer, Assistant Deputy Minister, Manitoba Ministry of Health and Board Chair of the pan-Canadian Pharmaceutical Alliance (pCPA).

International visitors who come to Denmark consistently point to the same strengths: a unified national approach to health innovation, close collaboration across government, academia and industry, and a proven ability to turn new technologies into concrete results for patients.

These elements were on display as a Canadian delegation explored how Denmark works strategically to accelerate life science innovation through public-private partnerships. Their program included insights from the Ministry of the Interior and Health, the Novo Nordisk Foundation, Lundbeck, and other key players — each demonstrating how Denmark’s coordinated ecosystem supports rapid testing, scaling, and implementation of new solutions.

Read the publication "Public-private partnerships in healthcare and life science” here.

The visit concluded at Healthcare Denmark’s Nation of Health visitor centre in Innovation District Copenhagen, where discussions centred on how global partners can leverage Danish experience to advance their own health systems.

Watch the video to hear Robert Shaffer share the Canadian perspective — and why Denmark’s model offers valuable inspiration for health and life science.