Territorial Review Copenhagen - Region Hovedstaden

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therefore be targeted at these groups, which may lack access to cultural and
financial capital and the networks available to Danes. Ethnic
entrepreneurship is a policy priority for the City of Copenhagen: from 2005
onwards, outreach counselling has taken place in the business centre
operated with the city of Frederiksberg. The Copenhagen Business service
centre has continued the effort and focuses on outreach counselling for
women from ethnic minorities.
Critical issues in regional governance of entrepreneurship
1) Co-ordination between levels of government
The current system demands co-ordination between Regional Centres of
Growth and a municipality. The split in the responsibility for high-growth
entrepreneurs (Regional Centres of Growth) and other entrepreneurs
(municipalities) makes co-ordination between Regional Centres of Growth
and municipalities essential if overlap is to be avoided. Referrals to the other
organisation if an entrepreneur does not fit the target group would suggest
consensus on the main point of entry for entrepreneurs. In practice, different
models are being applied in different regions, depending on local
circumstances. The Regional Centre of Growth of Mid-Jutland is strongly
aligned and co-ordinated, given its long history of strong local involvement
in business services, the service provision of municipalities.
Such co-ordination appears to be less developed in metropolitan
Copenhagen, even though some co-ordination meetings are organised. Both
the Business Link Greater Copenhagen Area and Copenhagen Business
Centre appear to aspire to be the main entry point for entrepreneurs. The
Business Link Greater Copenhagen Area currently seems to be the actual
entry point for most questions (through its hot line) and refers entrepreneurs
to the Copenhagen Business Centre if necessary; the Copenhagen Business
Centre refers growth entrepreneurs to the Business Link Greater
Copenhagen Area. The Copenhagen Centre is clearly building up expertise
in the areas it considers priorities for the city (ethnic and cultural
entrepreneurship) and would understandably be tempted to retain its clients
in these areas even if they have clear high-growth perspectives. As both the
Business Link Greater Copenhagen Area and the Copenhagen Business
Centre are new organisations, their relative functions have not yet become
clearly defined. They seem to some extent be competing for similar clients,
but their relatively limited capacity may give them an incentive to refer to
each other clients they consider less interesting or promising.