Located on the large island of Funen (Fyn) which connects Jutland and Zealand is Odense, one of Denmark's larger cities with a population of 175,000 inhabitants. Its strategic position as a port city makes Odense a major industrial and commercial hub, while its cultural significance as the birthplace of legendary Danish author Hans Christian Andersen draws tourists to the area.
Odense has a rich history with signs of Viking settlements, but today, it's a bustling city undergoing major renovations to modernise infrastructure; nearly 30 billion kroner have been invested in redeveloping the city.
The economy of Odense
Odense has strong service, manufacturing, offshore, and exporting sectors that welcome foreign professionals. The city itself is an attractive area with Denmark's second-largest shopping centre, buzzing streets, and trendy little cafés. As with most major Danish cities, Odense is home to prominent educational institutions such as the University of Southern Denmark.
Language requirements for working in Odense
Odense is Denmark's third largest city and the emphasis on modernization and expansion is significant; there is a good chance of finding a job with English speaking requirements – especially at some of the bigger companies listed at the end of this article.
However, even jobs in the capital city of Copenhagen often require fluency in at least one Scandinavian language. Expats who hope to relocate to the city of Odense should plan on learning Danish, while experience from companies in other parts of Denmark might also be advantageous.
Career prospects in Odense
Along with a focus on development and innovation, the city of Odense has a strong ICT sector. Jobs within the fields of drones, mobile development, robotics, and IT are high in demand.
Here are some promising career opportunities for expats in Odense:
- Education and research: The University of Southern Denmark and the Odense University Hospital (OUH) regularly post PhD vacancies, as well as other academic roles such as professors and research assistants. Many of the PhD programmes are in English with no additional Scandinavian language requirements.
- Robotics: Odense is home to one of the most significant robotics clusters outside of the United States and one of the top European cities for automation and health technology. The city hosts Europe's biggest yearly robotics event, the R-19, and prestigious companies like Blue Ocean Robotics have made Odense their home base.
The city's universities also offer some of the most exciting undergraduate and postgraduate degree programmes in the field of robotics.
Here are some of the popular vacancies available for expats who want to work in the field of robotics:
- R&D
- Front-end developer
- Back-end developer
- Full-stack developer
- Sales
- Technical support
- Digital marketing
Check the Odense Robotics job portal for more roles that are in demand.
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Miscellaneous: Odense has a good-sized population with a developed retail and service industry. Other job types in the city include everything from working as a travel consultant to roles such as customer support agents, waiters/waitresses, and management positions.
Here are some of the bigger international companies where expats might find success in Odense:
IKEA
Facebook
Danske Bank
Elgiganten
Other popular job websites:
Glassdoor
Indeed
Jobs in Odense
City of Odense
Step Stone
Job Finder
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