Medicinsk Museion

What Medicinsk Museion does

Medicinsk Museion is a public museum and research institution housed in the 1787 Royal Surgical Academy building on Bredgade in Copenhagen, operating as a unit of the University of Copenhagen's Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences. It preserves, researches, and communicates the history and culture of medicine through permanent and rotating exhibitions, a multi-century collection of medical artifacts and human preparations, an award-winning publication and exhibition program, and an active research function in medical humanities. Headcount stands at approximately 47 staff covering research, collections/conservation, programming and communication, administration, and visitor services. The institution recorded 55,444 visitors in 2023, a 30% year-over-year increase, and holds multiple international recognitions including the UMAC Award (2nd place, 2023), the Dibner Award for Excellence in Museum Exhibits (2010, 2021), and the Danish Formidlingsprisen (2022).

Core offerings include permanent exhibitions such as 'Det indsamlede menneske' (The Collected Human), 'Mind the Gut', and 'Balance og stofskifte', alongside special exhibitions like 'Liquid Bodies – Stamceller og ny bioteknologi' (running through December 2026) and 'Measure Me' (2026). Supporting services include guided tours, school and SOSU (healthcare vocational) educational programs, venue rental of the historic auditorium (112 m², capacity 120) and reception room (60 m², capacity 70), a seasonal courtyard café operated by Hav a Java, and a museum shop. The institution also produces an extensive digital portfolio: six named podcast series (including partnerships with Politiken, Kongerækken, and Third Ear), online exhibitions (notably 'Life Support', a Dibner Award winner), film and video content, and a VR experience ('Øjet der ser') co-developed with Khora under the EU-funded Digitraining project. Technology stack centers on collections management, conservation (including specialist preservation of biomedical hybrid materials such as gene chips), digital curation platforms, and VR production; no AI/ML capabilities are disclosed.

Medicinsk Museion is a government state entity under the University of Copenhagen, with no private ownership or venture backing. Revenue mechanics combine institutional allocation (not publicly disclosed), competitive research grants (most recently 4.2M DKK from Carlsbergfondet for the 'Health Matters' project in 2024), earned income from unit-priced admissions (Adults 110 kr, Students 70 kr, Children 7-17 50 kr), hourly venue rentals, café concessions, and museum shop sales. Customer base is fragmented: general public visitors and tourists, schools and SOSU vocational programs, academic and cultural organizations using the venue, and grant-making foundations supporting research. Geographic scope is primarily Denmark, with international reach limited to online content, podcasts, and the museum's research collaborations across Europe.

Name

Medicinsk Museion

Legal name

Medicinsk Museion, Det Sundhedsvidenskabelige Fakultet, Københavns Universitet

Website

https://museion.ku.dk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1787

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Medicinsk Museion is a public medical history museum and research institution under the University of Copenhagen, operating permanent and rotating exhibitions, educational programs, and venue rentals from the historic 1787 Royal Surgical Academy building in Copenhagen.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Medical History Museum

NAICS

Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (7121), Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (712), Museums (71211), Museums (712110)

akta.pro primary industry

Science & Technology Museums (THAJADAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

Museums & Heritage Sites (History, Science, Specialty) (BPAGAHAA)

Keywords

• Medical history museum
• Cultural heritage research
• Medical humanities education
• Science communication exhibitions
• Museum venue rental

Headquarters

HQ city

Copenhagen

HQ country

Denmark

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Museum Admission: Ticket sales to visitors for museum access and exhibitions. Prices: Adults 110 kr, Students 70 kr, Children 7-17 50 kr, Children under 7 free.
2. Venue Rental: Rental of historic auditorium (112 m2, capacity 120) and reception room (60 m2, capacity 70) for academic events, conferences, concerts. Hourly rental plus staffing fees.
3. Courtyard Café Concession: Café operated by Hav a Java in museum courtyard during summer. Museum receives concession income.
4. Research Grants: External funding from Carlsbergfondet (4.2 million kr for 'Health Matters' project), Novo Nordisk Foundation, and other research bodies for specific research and collection projects.
5. Museum Shop: Sale of museum merchandise including science posters, books, and gifts related to body, health and medicine.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Medicinsk Museion operates a public medical history museum combined with a university research unit, presenting permanent and rotating exhibitions on the human body, health, disease, and medical history through historical artifacts, contemporary art, and scientific objects. It offers guided tours, school and healthcare education programs (including SOSU travel kits), venue rentals of its historic auditorium and reception room, podcast and video productions, online exhibitions, and a seasonal courtyard café.

Product overview

Medicinsk Museion is a medical history museum and research institution under the University of Copenhagen's Faculty of Health Sciences, housed in the former Royal Academy of Surgery (1787). It operates as a combined museum and research unit, integrating research, exhibition-making, and curatorship. Its core offering consists of permanent and rotating exhibitions exploring the human body, medicine, health, and disease through contemporary art, historical objects, and scientific artifacts. Key permanent exhibitions include 'Det indsamlede menneske' (The Collected Human), 'Mind the Gut,' and 'Balance og stofskifte.' Current special exhibitions include 'Liquid Bodies – Stamceller og ny bioteknologi' (running to December 2026) and 'Measure Me' (2026). The museum also offers digital content including podcast series (e.g., 'Struensees tand,' 'Bakteriekultur,' 'Verden er i dig'), film and video productions, and the award-winning online exhibition 'Life Support.' Additional offerings include venue rental of its historic auditorium and reception room, guided tours, school programs, SOSU travel kits, publications, and a seasonal courtyard café. The museum has developed a VR experience 'Øjet der ser' in partnership with Khora, supported by Creative Europe's Digitraining project.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Det indsamlede menneske (Permanent Exhibition)
• Mind the Gut (Permanent Exhibition)
• Balance og stofskifte (Permanent Exhibition)
• Liquid Bodies – Stamceller og ny bioteknologi (Special Exhibition)
• Measure Me (Special Exhibition)
• I blinde (Exhibition with VR Experience 'Øjet der ser')
• Life Support (Online Exhibition)
• Guided Tours and School Visits
• Venue Rental (Auditorium and Reception Room)
• Podcast Series
• Courtyard Café (Sommercafé)

Quantifiable outcome

• 55,444 visitors in 2023, 30% increase year-over-year
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Hav a JavaminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2026Café operator running the summer courtyard café at Medicinsk Museion from June-September. Provides food, beverages, and barista services to museum visitors and public.
• PolitikencoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Major Danish newspaper collaborating on Science Festival 2026, podcast series 'Verden er i dig' (The World is Inside You), and joint events.
• Third EarminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Danish podcast production company that produced 'Margarinemanden' podcast for Medicinsk Museion.
• KhoracoreTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2021Danish VR production studio based in Copenhagen. Developed VR film 'The Eye That Sees' for the 'I blinde' exhibition as part of the European Digitraining project.
• Kunsthal CharlottenborgcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Art hall hosting major exhibition 'Verden er i dig' (The World is Inside You) from September 2021 to January 2022.
• ØjenforeningenminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDanish eye association providing professional consultation and expertise for VR film 'The Eye That Sees'.
• Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Basic Metabolic Research (CBMR)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch collaboration on exhibitions including 'Verden er i dig' (The World is Inside You). CBMR is part of University of Copenhagen.
• KongerækkenminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDanish podcast series collaborating on 'Struensees tand' podcast investigating the mystery of Struensee's tooth.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Wellcome Collection: London-based free museum and library exploring health and the human experience, combining historical medical collections with contemporary art and research. Most direct international peer given its combined museum-research-public engagement model focused on health.
• Mütter Museum: Philadelphia museum of medical history operated by the College of Physicians, featuring anatomical and pathological specimens. Comparable in curatorial approach to medical artifacts, though smaller and more pathology-focused.
• Deutsches Hygiene-Museum: Dresden science museum dedicated to the human body, health, and hygiene, founded in 1912. Closely comparable in subject matter (medical/health humanities) and integrated museum-research approach.
• Karolinska Institutet Museum of Medical History: Swedish medical history collection associated with Karolinska Institutet. Comparable academic-medical museum model in a neighboring Nordic country with overlapping thematic scope.
• Thackray Museum of Medicine: Leeds-based museum dedicated to the history of medicine and healthcare, combining historic medical collections with public engagement. Closely comparable subject matter and integrated museum-education model.

Regional players

• Experimentarium: Copenhagen-based science center focused on interactive learning and family audiences. Regional peer in Danish science communication market with overlapping audience segments, though oriented toward hands-on STEM rather than medical history.
• Natural History Museum of Denmark: Copenhagen natural history museum also housed at the University of Copenhagen. Sister institution under the same university umbrella with overlapping public engagement mission and academic affiliation.
• National Museum of Science and Technology (Denmark): Denmark's national science and technology museum in Helsingør. Regional peer in Danish science museum sector with overlapping audiences but broader technology rather than medical focus.

Others

• Kunsthal Charlottenborg: Copenhagen contemporary art venue that hosted the 'Verden er i dig' exhibition co-curated by Medicinsk Museion. Adjacent collaboration partner and venue rather than direct competitor.

Broad incumbents

• Science Museum (London): Major London science museum with medical history collections and exhibitions as part of a broader science and technology portfolio. Overlaps on medical/scientific exhibition content but operates at significantly larger scale and broader thematic scope.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubevimeo.com/medicalmuseion
• Facebookfacebook.com/medicalmuseion
• Instagraminstagram.com/medicinskmuseion
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/medical-museion

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Medicinsk Museion