In the shadow of the Ozempic factories, little blooms

- Pharmaceutical giant Novo Nordisk has invested billions in Kalundborg in recent years to scale up production of its slimming injections.
- Although this looks good for the Danish municipality in terms of jobs and tax revenues, the local community does not benefit.
- Residents hope for more cultural activities and facilities, but are rejected by Novo Nordisk and the municipality.
The epicentre of Ozempic's success is not in Copenhagen, but in Kalundborg, a sleepy port town in a Danish fjord. Pharmaceutical giant Novo Nordisk is investing €8bn in a campus with factories, but that growth is not filtering down to the village. While residents struggle with 'Novo traffic jams' and high house prices, many shops are empty and there is little to do. 'We, booming? Only Novo.'
fd.nl