Danish-based licensing agency Ink has been appointed to represent the Royal Copenhagen porcelain brand worldwide.

The Royal Copenhagen brand was founded in 1775 under the patronage of the Danish Royal Family and is known for its hand-painted porcelain items.

“In recent years, Royal Copenhagen has successfully restructured our range and focused on extending the classic dinnerware line,” says Mads Ryder, chief executive officer, Royal Copenhagen. “A part of the strategy has been to focus on ‘porcelain-only,’ which means that the core of the company, and our absolute competence, is and will always be in porcelain. However, the brand is strong and with significant potential so we believe that we can extend the brand into other relevant categories carefully respecting our fundamental values.”

The long-term deal will see Ink extend the Royal Copenhagen brand from porcelain dinnerware into three additional core categories–kitchen, table and home–as well as expand the brand’s presence across Europe and the Far East. Royal Copenhagen will continue to focus on maintaining its porcelain line.

“We are very privileged to be working with such a strong Danish heritage property as Royal Copenhagen,” says Morten Geschwendtner, chief executive officer, Ink. “Its incredible history is combined with a contemporary outlook and a cohesive vision for the future, so there is enormous long-term potential. We are currently analyzing the brand and identifying suitable opportunities so that strategic partner dialogues can take place in the next month, with a view to announcing initial deals before the end of the year.”