International
From the 24th to the 26th of November 2015, the Chamber of Commerce of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg organized a multi-sectoral economic mission to Denmark, in collaboration with the Luxembourg Embassy in Copenhagen. The goal of this mission was to strengthen bilateral economic ties between both countries in the fields of logistics, maritime business, eco-technologies and ICT.
Sectoral programs in these areas were organised in collaboration with the respective Cluster Managers in Luxembourg to present Luxembourg’s know-how and technologies, but also to stimulate an exchange and knowledge-sharing with the Danish counterparts. 40 representatives of Luxembourg companies and different business organisations participated in this mission.
Denmark, with its highly sophisticated economy and thriving industries in the fields of clean technologies, ICT, maritime and shipping, has succeeded in positioning itself as a world leading laboratory for green technologies. The country holds a long tradition for building smart cities, where the concern for the environment, people and businesses go hand in hand.
Copenhagen has set ambitious goals to become CO2 neutral by 2025. In order to achieve this, the city is determined to implement new and innovative solutions within construction, water, heating, transportation, waste management and alternative energy sources. Copenhagen was already awarded the prestigious European Green Capital Award in 2014 for its achievements.
Moreover, the Danish government has set the ambitious goal of having the national energy supply entirely powered by renewable sources by 2050. It is especially within the offshore industry within wind power and wave energy, that Denmark is positioned at the forefront of technological development. With its sustainable development efforts and innovative solutions and technologies, Denmark holds great potential for collaboration in the fields of circular economy, smart cities, e-governance, green logistics and environmentally-friendly technologies for the maritime industry.
As in many other countries, grasping the opportunities offered by markets abroad is essential for Luxembourg companies to grow and prosper. As was demonstrated by the large number of participants present during this mission, it is clear that Luxembourg companies are increasingly turning to Denmark as a market of high interest.
During the first day of the economic mission, participating companies took part in a seminar organised in collaboration with the Confederation of Danish Industry (DI), where they had the opportunity to present their innovative solutions and technologies and exchange with local companies and institutions. As DI does not cover the financial sector in Denmark, another seminar took place at the premises of CFIR focusing on Fintech and Disruptive technologies and underlying business models on the way to digital banking.
Four sectoral programs took place in the afternoon:
- Eco-Innovation
The program of the participants in the Eco-Innovation visits started with a meeting at the municipality of Copenhagen focusing on the Circular Economy, Urban Farming and the Eco City Strategy. In 2007, Copenhagen had already defined itself as the environmental capital of Europe. With this environmental initiative, Copenhagen wanted to show global leadership in the environmental field.
- Maritime
Denmark is one of the world’s leading maritime nations. The maritime program consisted of a visit at the Maritime Development Centre of Europe and Blue Denmark. Foreign trade is expected to increase significantly after the economic crisis, and as an environmentally friendly and energy efficient form of transport, transport by sea plays a decisive role in the global value chain. In addition, there is increased demand for, new solutions for ballast water management, reduction of sulphur emissions into the air and the construction of ships in lightweight materials.
- Logistics
The program of the Logistics group started with a meeting on Smart Logistics Solutions used in Copenhagen as well as the use of smart building and city logistics focusing on how transport and buildings can contribute to making a greener, smarter and healthier city. This can be achieved notably via de-centralized generation of energy through vertical windmills and solar panels combination on the roof of a private company.
In addition, the participants in both the maritime and logistics groups received a presentation by Maersk, one of the biggest container ship and bulk carriers, who in 2014, introduced a new sustainability strategy aimed at addressing significant sustainability challenges in a way that creates value for society and for Maersk.
- ICT
The ICT program focused on Nets, a specialist in connecting businesses, the public sector and consumers by facilitating the exchange of digital payments, identities and information in Scandinavia. Specifically, the participants received presentations from both NEM ID and eHEALTH offering self-service solutions and facilitating online banking, finding out information from the public authorities. A solution is guaranteed that is well protected against burglars and hackers. These online services also allow availability to the general public, and support the national goals of the Danish Healthcare Service and communicate current activities of the Danish Healthcare Service.
In the evening, the participants had the opportunity of networking and getting to know the members of the Luxembourg delegation and to develop potential synergies at the magnificent premises of the Carlsberg Glyptotek.
The following day participants could choose between a visit to Ideon Science Park and Visits organized by State of Green.
IDEON
A dozen Luxembourg companies participated in the visit to Ideon Science Park, adjacent to Lund University. As Sweden’s first incubator, it is one of the most successful meeting places for visionaries, entrepreneurs and venture capital in Europe. It is the birthplace of the first portable telephone as well as of Bluetooth among many other inventions.
Luxembourg participants had the opportunity of meeting eight tailor-selected companies presenting their impressive technologies. These companies were selected specifically in relation to needs of the Luxembourg delegation such as Qlucore, Apptimate and Orbital Systems.
STATE OF GREEN
The State of Green visits consisted of a visit at Rebrick, a company which upcycles bricks to create more beautiful buildings and to reduce the CO2 emissions caused by the production of new bricks. Through a patented technology, Rebrick ensures that demolition waste can be cleaned and the bricks reused. Another visit took place at 3XN, a modern architecture firm which includes a green innovation unit, GXN, focusing on developing sustainable building materials, technologies and practices.
Among many other buildings they designed the building of UN City in Copenhagen which provides office facilities for the UN organisations in Copenhagen under one roof. It is a state-of-the-art building in the field of energy efficiency and climate friendliness. During the visit the Luxembourg delegation could witness that UN City functions as an energy-efficient building.
Industries in Luxembourg and Denmark share common ground in their efforts to further implement sustainable solutions into their business models. Both countries are not solely striving to lead in the sectors of ICT, logistics, maritime business and eco-technologies, but endeavour to achieve this goal through new partnerships as well as without neglecting their social responsibilities.
