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Massachusetts and Denmark sign memorandum to deepen trade, energy and life‑sciences ties
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Summary
Massachusetts and Denmark signed a memorandum of understanding to expand cooperation on offshore wind, life sciences and trade, with officials and Danish investors pledging follow-up industry-specific partnerships and investment. State leaders emphasized existing projects such as Vineyard Wind and pledged to grow Danish investment in the state.
Massachusetts and representatives of the Kingdom of Denmark formalized a new memorandum of understanding on Feb. 3 to strengthen cooperation on energy, life sciences and trade, Governor Healy announced at a public event in Boston.
The governor said the MOU "celebrates our partnership and reaffirms our commitment to collaborate and to lead together for generations to come," framing the agreement as a step to expand cultural, technological and commercial ties. She highlighted existing collaborations in offshore wind and credited projects such as Vineyard Wind—built with Danish expertise—for powering "hundreds of thousands of homes and businesses" and creating "thousands of good jobs."
Ambassador Sorensen, speaking for the Danish delegation, praised the long-standing scientific and industrial links between Massachusetts and Denmark and described the agreement as "yet another step on the journey to bring Denmark and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts closer together." He noted Denmark’s substantial investment footprint in the United States and said Denmark seeks to deepen ties at the state level, including with Massachusetts.
Eric Paley, Massachusetts secretary of economic development, said the state wants to be the leading U.S. base for Danish investment. "We'd like you Massachusetts to be the largest state that you're invested in," Paley said, noting that Massachusetts–Denmark trade has grown to roughly a quarter billion dollars annually and has risen about 150% over the past 15 years. He named Danish firms already active in the state, including Ørsted, Novo Nordisk and LEGO.
A representative of IFO, Denmark’s sovereign investment fund, described the fund’s strategy of "catalyzing innovation" and cited recent investments and partnerships that link Danish capital and companies with Boston-area research and venture groups. The representative said IFO recently invested $20,000,000 in Mission Bio Capital and sees Massachusetts as a key life‑sciences market.
During brief questions, a reporter asked whether last‑minute threats or political developments had imperiled the agreement; the governor declined to discuss national political issues at the event and reiterated that the focus was on the MOU and continuing partnership work. Another question asked whether the state should share SNAP recipient information requested in a federal fraud investigation; the governor said many fraud investigations begin with state agency referrals to prosecutors and affirmed support for program integrity while noting the prosecutorial role of federal authorities.
Officials said the MOU will be followed by industry-specific working groups and meetings to convert the agreement into concrete investments and partnerships. The signing concluded the event, and attendees moved to convene the promised follow-up sessions.
