With the overall objective to call for stronger action against the debilitating disease of diabetes in Region of Southern Denmark, Steno Diabetes Center Odense (SDCO) was established on January 1, 2018, with a 10-year grant from the Novo Nordisk Foundation (NNF). SDCO is run and owned by Region of Southern Denmark with Jan Erik Henriksen as CEO. One of the primary tasks of SDCO is to be a center of excellence for the development of new approaches to treating and preventing diabetes with focus on the following 4 core activities: 1. Treatment and prevention of late complications 2. Clinical research 3. Competency development of health professionals 4. Cross-sectorial collaboration