Copenhagen’s “Shit Island” has become the “Start-Up Island”

Once nicknamed “Shit Island” (Lorteøen) because the capital’s main landfill sites were located there until the 1970s, Amager has now become an industrial area that is a transition towards a mix of new housing and industry with a lot of soul and heritage. Copenhagen’s “Shit Island” has become the “Start-Up Island”.

Amager was a farming area and in the 1700’s the King decided to create a broad street from the farms on the island into the city so the farmers could easily bring their wares into the town markets. That street is Amagerbrogade.

The main building on Amager began in the 20th century, the area of villas around Femøren and Kastrup were largely built in the 1930’s and the more working class apartment buildings closer to the city slightly earlier. In the second half of the 20th century Amager gained the reputation as a slightly run down working class area but has recently undergone urban renewal and there are signs that even hipsters are starting to discover Amagerbrogade.

These days, numerous startups are coming to appreciate the variety, flexibility and lower costs of Amager’s post-industrial building-stock, the same built environment that once saw it nicknamed “Lorteøen” by snobby Copenhageners.

Now, ski enthusiasts can hit the trails on the roof of a waste-treatment plant, Copenhill (Amager Bakke).

A whole ‘downtown’ area, Ørestad, has been created from scratch here; a shining new metro station brings shoppers to one of Denmark’s largest malls, and to the beautiful DR Koncerthuset, a part of the DR Byen (DR Town),home of the Danish Broadcasting Corporation. The concert complex consists of four halls with the main auditorium seating 1,800 people, in which you can enjoy listening to the Danish National Symphony Orchestra. The venue was officially opened in 2009.

Today, Amager is an excellent place for startups due to several key factors that foster innovation and growth:

Proximity to Copenhagen’s Startup Ecosystem

Amager benefits from its integration into Copenhagen’s vibrant startup scene, which includes coworking spaces, accelerators, incubators, and events like TechBBQ. Copenhagen is home to top universities and technical institutes, providing startups with access to skilled graduates in fields like tech, engineering, and business.

Strategic Location

Amager is close to Copenhagen Airport, making it highly accessible for international clients, investors, and partners. It is well-connected by metro and other public transport, facilitating commutes and meetings.

Community and Networking Opportunities

Amager hosts innovative areas like the Copenhagen FinTech Lab and Symbion, where startups can collaborate and share ideas. The district also attracts a mix of locals and expatriates, fostering diverse teams and global perspectives.

Quality of Life

Denmark consistently ranks as one of the happiest countries in the world, and Amager is known for its green spaces, like Amager Strandpark, which offers work-life balance. The Danish workplace culture emphasizes collaboration, trust, and flat hierarchies, which are conducive to startup growth.

Supportive Policies

Denmark provides grants, tax incentives, and startup visa programs to entrepreneurs, and Copenhagen is known for its straightforward regulatory framework, making it easy to establish and operate a company.

Tech and Sustainability Focus

Amager is home to startups working in green tech, clean energy, and sustainability, aligning with Denmark’s leadership in renewable energy and sustainable development.

Amager’s combination of strategic location, access to talent, quality of life, and integration into Copenhagen’s broader innovation ecosystem makes it an ideal choice for startups looking to thrive.

Grown Zero for startups

But grown zero for startups on Amager is Siljangade, a large co-working and living complex exclusively for small businesses, which opened in 2021. This is the only co-living space in Copenhagen that requires residents to have a CVR -a Danish company number, which was a way for the owners, property company NREP, to get around restrictions on residential properties in this part of the island.

Some apartments are purely used as company bases, other function as company premises and homes for the company owners. Rents start at DKK9,900 (USD1,400). There are 138 studio apartments in all, along with a gym, a café run by residents, shared workspaces, meeting rooms and a spectacular roof terrace.

Copenhagen’s “Shit Island” has become the “Start-Up Island”, written by Tor Kjolberg