Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, UCPH

What Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, UCPH does

The Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences (SUND/HEALTH) is a constituent faculty of the University of Copenhagen (founded 1479), formed in 2012 through the merger of the Faculty of Health Sciences, the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, and the veterinary parts of the Faculty of Life Sciences. It is the largest health and medical sciences graduate school in Denmark, enrolling 7,800 students (2025) and employing 4,056 FTE staff, with operations across 13 academic departments, four teaching hospitals, and the 42,700 sqm flagship Maersk Tower research facility (opened January 2017). The faculty delivers bachelor's (primarily in Danish), master's (in English), PhD, and continuing education programs spanning immunology, neuroscience, pharmaceutical sciences, global health, and veterinary medicine, alongside international exchange agreements via Nordplus, Erasmus+, and bilateral partnerships.

The portfolio is anchored by advanced biomedical research infrastructure, including borderless laboratories designed for cross-departmental collaboration, energy-efficient building systems (loop ventilation, seawater district cooling), and research centers covering protein research (CPR), metabolic research (CBMR), translational neuroscience (CTN), and biomedical research (BRIC). Research output is substantial at 5,600 publications in 2024, supporting the Danish healthcare system pipeline of doctors, dentists, veterinarians, pharmacists, and researchers. The faculty's innovation infrastructure (The Pipeline) and UCPH Tech Transfer Office handle commercialization, licensing, and spinout creation, embedded within Innovation District Copenhagen—a network connecting approximately 200 life science businesses with 30,000 students and academic employees.

The revenue model is overwhelmingly public-sector. Government funding from the Danish Ministry of Higher Education and Science is the primary stream, with supplementary revenue from tuition (primarily non-EU students and continuing education/professional masters), research grants, and major philanthropic donations—most notably DKK 725 million from the A.P. Møller Foundation for the Maersk Tower and DKK 160 million in 2025 for a virology centre. Disclosed yearly revenue is 3.4 billion DKK for 2025. Distribution occurs through direct enrollment, university-managed exchange networks, clinical placement at affiliated hospitals, online courses via Coursera, and continuing education programs marketed to working healthcare professionals.

Name

Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, UCPH

Legal name

Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen (Københavns Universitet)

Website

https://healthsciences.ku.dk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

The Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences at the University of Copenhagen is Denmark's largest health and medical sciences graduate school, enrolling 7,800 students and employing 4,056 FTE across 13 departments and 4 teaching hospitals. It delivers degree programs, PhD training, and biomedical research anchored by the Maersk Tower facility, funded primarily by Danish government appropriations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education - Health and Medical Sciences

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (611310), Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (54171), Scientific Research and Development Services (5417)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYEDAHAAAC

Public Research Universities with Academic Medical Centers (AMCs)

Education/Higher Education (Colleges & Universities)/Public Research Universities

SECONDARYEDAHAGAB

Medical Schools (MD/DO Granting)

Education/Higher Education (Colleges & Universities)/Medical & Health Sciences Universities

SECONDARYEDAHAGAI

Biomedical Sciences & Medical Research Institutes (University-Based)

Education/Higher Education (Colleges & Universities)/Medical & Health Sciences Universities

SECONDARYEDAHAGAA

Academic Medical Centers & Teaching Hospitals (University-Affiliated)

Education/Higher Education (Colleges & Universities)/Medical & Health Sciences Universities

SECONDARYEDAHAGAD

Schools of Public Health

Education/Higher Education (Colleges & Universities)/Medical & Health Sciences Universities

Keywords

• Health sciences education
• Biomedical research
• Medical degree programmes
• PhD graduate school
• Continuing professional education

Headquarters

HQ city

Copenhagen N

HQ country

Denmark

HQ region

Europe

Offices9 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Government funding: Primary revenue source from Danish government funding for public education and research activities.
2. Tuition fees: Revenue from student tuition, particularly from international students and continuing education programs.
3. Research grants and donations: The A.P. Møller and Wife Chastine Mc-Kinney Møller's Foundation contributed DKK 600 million + DKK 125 million for equipment and furniture for Maersk Tower, plus DKK 160 million in 2025 for virology centre.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences at the University of Copenhagen is a public academic institution offering higher education degree programmes (Bachelor's, Master's, PhD) and professional continuing education in health and medical sciences. The faculty also conducts biomedical and translational research across 13 academic departments and 4 affiliated teaching hospitals, and supports innovation commercialization through The Pipeline infrastructure and the UCPH Tech Transfer Office.

Product overview

Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences at the University of Copenhagen operates as a multi-module educational platform offering a comprehensive portfolio of degree programmes and support services. The core offerings include a PhD Graduate School (the largest in Denmark), Bachelor's programmes (primarily in Danish), Master's programmes in English across health and medical sciences disciplines, and Professional Master/Continuing Education programmes for working professionals. Supporting modules include exchange/student mobility programmes (with Nordplus, Erasmus+, and bilateral partnerships), The Pipeline innovation support infrastructure, SUND Career Day employer engagement events, and Open Online Courses via Coursera. The portfolio is designed to serve students from undergraduate through doctoral levels, with pathways from academic study to research commercialization.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• The Pipeline: Innovation infrastructure at the Faculty offering programs and activities within innovation and entrepreneurship
• Graduate School of Health and Medical Sciences
• School of Health Innovation
• Maersk Tower
• Medical Museion

Products and services

• Graduate School of Health and Medical Sciences (PhD Programmes) The largest PhD programme of its kind in Denmark, offering high-quality PhD programmes for students wishing to obtain a PhD degree in health and medical sciences at an international level.
• Master's Programmes Two-year Master's programmes within health and medical sciences offered in English, covering disciplines such as immunology, neuroscience, pharmaceutical sciences, and global health.
• Bachelor's Programmes Bachelor's degree programmes primarily offered in Danish within health and medical sciences disciplines.
• Continuing Education / Professional Master Programmes Professional Master programmes and continuing education courses in English for career advancement, including specializations such as Industrial Drug Development, Medicines Regulatory Affairs, and Disaster Management.
• Summer Courses Short-term summer course offerings awarding 1.5 ECTS per week for veterinary summer clinics (programmes ranging 2-8 weeks), enabling students to earn additional academic credits during summer breaks.
• Exchange / Student Mobility Programmes International exchange programmes through Nordplus, Nordlys, Erasmus+, and bilateral agreements, with medical packages ranging from 7.5 to 30 ECTS, allowing students from partner universities worldwide to study and complete clinical rotations in Copenhagen.
• The Pipeline (Innovation Support) Innovation infrastructure offering business development support, entrepreneurship training, and commercialization guidance for students and researchers, provided in collaboration with the UCPH Tech Transfer Office and including the UCPH:BII Life Science Innovation Award.
• Open Online Courses (Coursera Partnership) Online courses offered through the Coursera partnership, providing accessible learning opportunities in health and medical sciences for students and professionals worldwide.

Quantifiable outcome

• 5,600 publications produced in 2024
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Nordplus Network - Medicin i NordencoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNordic exchange network for medicine students. Partners include Karolinska Institute, University of Eastern Finland, University of Tampere, Göteborg University, Linköping University, and Uppsala University.
• Nordplus Network - Veterinary MedicinecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNordic exchange network for veterinary medicine students. Partners include University of Agriculture, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, and Estonian University of Life Sciences.
• ECTS Medicine Association (ECTS MA)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerForum where European universities discuss medical education and bolster exchange agreements.
• Erasmus+ Partner Universities (Medicine)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMultiple European partner universities including Medical University of Graz, University of Innsbruck, Charité Berlin, Heidelberg University, University of Bonn, University of Helsinki, University of Oulu, University of Turku, University of Crete, and others.
• Erasmus+ Partner Universities (Veterinary Medicine)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartners include University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Ghent University, University of Helsinki, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Utrecht University, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences.
• Bilateral Exchange Partners - Pharmaceutical SciencescoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartners include KU Leuven, University College Dublin, Leiden University, Utrecht University, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zürich, University of Bath.
• Innovation District CopenhagencoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNetwork connecting legislature, academia and business community. Houses approximately 200 businesses based on science and health research, with 30,000 students and academic employees from UCPH.
• UCPH Tech Transfer OfficecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAssists researchers in commercializing inventions through intellectual property protection, patent filing, and commercialization activities including licensing and spinout creation.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves1 record

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Karolinska Institutet: Sweden's premier medical and health sciences university and a Nordic counterpart. Comparable as a public research-intensive health sciences university with affiliated hospitals, large PhD programmes, and biomedical research output.
• Lund University Faculty of Medicine: Swedish medical faculty with strong biomedical research and clinical training. Comparable as a Nordic peer university faculty with similar biomedical and health sciences research portfolio.
• University of Southern Denmark Faculty of Health Sciences: Danish public university faculty providing health and medical sciences education. Comparable as a domestic peer competing for Danish healthcare workforce training and biomedical research funding.
• Aarhus University Faculty of Health: Direct domestic Danish competitor offering health and medical sciences education and research. Comparable as a public Danish health sciences faculty competing for students, faculty, and research funding.
• University of Oslo Faculty of Medicine: Norwegian medical faculty with affiliated university hospitals and biomedical research. Comparable as a Nordic public medical faculty with similar education, research, and innovation missions.
• University of Gothenburg - Sahlgrenska Academy: Swedish health sciences faculty within the University of Gothenburg. Comparable as a Nordic public medical faculty with similar structure, hospital affiliations, and research output.
• Amsterdam UMC (University of Amsterdam / VU University Medical Center): Dutch academic medical center combining the medical faculties of UvA and VU. Comparable as a European academic medical center with biomedical research, medical education, and hospital-based training.
• University of Helsinki Faculty of Medicine: Finnish medical school within the University of Helsinki. Comparable as a Nordic public university faculty offering medical, dental, and biomedical research programmes with affiliated hospitals.

Broad incumbents

• Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin: One of Europe's largest university hospitals and medical schools. Comparable as a comprehensive European medical university with extensive research and clinical training though broader in scale and international reach.
• University of Copenhagen (UCPH): The parent public research university founded in 1479. Comparable as the broader university that houses the faculty, with multiple faculties spanning humanities, law, science, theology, and health and medical sciences.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/faculty-of-health-and-medical-sciences-university-of-copenhagen

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, UCPH