Central Denmark Region

Central Denmark Region represents the alternative pole in Danish spatial development—the region that might have challenged Copenhagen's dominance but instead demonstrates how even well-resourced secondary centers struggle against primate city gravity. Aarhus, Denmark's second city, hosts the country's largest university, a growing tech sector, and the cultural institutions that serve Jutland. Yet the Capital Region still captures the highest-value functions.

The region exhibits niche differentiation within Denmark's settlement hierarchy. Where Copenhagen concentrates pharmaceutical headquarters and shipping giants, Central Denmark has developed manufacturing, logistics, and agricultural processing. Herning's textile industry, Silkeborg's tourism, and the region's distributed network of mid-sized towns create economic diversity that Copenhagen's service dominance lacks. This pattern mirrors biological community structure: multiple species occupying different niches rather than one apex predator.

Central Denmark's position will intensify after the 2027 regional reorganization merges Capital and Zealand into 'Eastern Denmark.' The newly enlarged eastern region will concentrate even more political weight, potentially accelerating the brain drain that already pulls young workers from Aarhus toward Copenhagen. Whether Central Denmark can maintain its secondary city role or becomes merely provincial hinterland depends on infrastructure investment and the region's ability to develop functions Copenhagen cannot absorb.