MARCH I 2010

FOCUS DENMARK THE REGULAR BUSINESS AND INVESTMENT REVIEW

CYCLING EMBASSY OF DENMARK A unique source of information for creating a cycling culture

OFFSHORE RENEWABLE ENERGY: Former Danish Prime Minister leads test and development centre for green energy. SUSTAINABLE CONFERENCES: Denmark offers both the content and the setting. DANISH CLEANTECH: The rapid rise of technologies for water purification, pollution control and intelligent energy.

THE FUTURE NEEDS US. NOW. The time for only talking about climate change is over. We need to increase our efforts to protect our planet for future generations. And we need to start now. At Grundfos, we take our responsibility for the environment seriously. As a world leader within pumps and pump systems, we’ve been committed to leading the way within the design and production of environmentally-conscious pump solutions for years. Our product portfolio already encompasses a number of solutions that do just that: A-labelled, low energy circulator pumps, dosing systems for treating diesel engine emissions, biological wastewater treatment systems, ammonia reduction systems for livestock breeding, and pumps that run on renewable energy. But we still need to do more. The future needs us now. Our founder Poul Due Jensen once said: “An individual human being can only do so much, but there are no limits to what we can achieve when we work together.” Join with us as we taking the necessary steps to combat climate change. We can positively affect the future, starting right now.

WWW.FUTURE-NOW.COM

BORNHOLM - Danish island in the Baltic Sea

T H E C H A R M A N D AT M O S P H E R E O F A V I B R A N T I S L A N D C O M M U N I T Y

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RØNNE HAVN A/S PORT OF RØNNE A/S Munch Petersens Vej 2 P. O. Box 47 · DK 3700 Rønne Tel.: +45 - 56 95 06 78 Fax: +45 - 56 95 06 31 A.o.: +45 - 51 36 37 47 E-mail: [email protected] Web site: www. roennehavn.dk

CONTENTS I EDITORIAL

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IN BRIEF

14 Danish-led excavation in Qatar

18 THEME CONFERENCE IN DENMARK

28 THEME RENEWABLE ENERGY Green energy from the deep blue sea Denmark’s leader in renewable energy The future’s supersize wind turbines

34 THEME DANISH CLEANTECH The rapid rise of Danish cleantech Water technology Reducing air pollution Intelligent lighting control 41 Old plasterboard is worth its weight in gold 44 The Danish sense of balance 46 Space for both family life and career 48 Denmark on home turf in South Africa 51 Cycling with the whole world 54 DANISH ECONOMY Danish exports are faring surprisingly well

Photo: Peter Clausen

Copenhagen passes the megacongress test Leading the way in sustainable meetings Direct to Denmark Editor in Chief Ole Frijs-Madsen Director of Invest in Denmark, Ministry of Foreign Affairs

For two years in a row, Denmark has been voted the World’s Best Country for Business by Forbes, and in 2009 Denmark showed its value as a conference country by hosting two of the year’s most talked-about conferences, the UN Climate Change Conference COP15 and the IOC Congress. Copenhagen has proved that the city is able to successfully hold very large international congresses and Denmark as a congress country has positioned itself on the world map. Denmark has an efficient infrastructure, a high level of security and is a hub for some of the hottest subjects of today, such as cleantech, life science and urban development. In other words, Denmark not only offers the setting for international conferences, but can also contribute to the content. Danish companies and research institutions have advanced far in sustainability. In the last 10 years, Danish cleantech companies have experienced tremendous growth. Wind technology and the use of biomass as an energy source have driven the development of Danish energy and environment technology, and industry observers are in no doubt that it is the advantageous political framework conditions which have given Danish companies their leading position. Also on the research side Denmark aims high. In 2009 an old shipyard was converted into what according to its founders is meant to become Europe’s leading innovation and research centre, Lindoe Offshore Renewables Center (LORC). The new centre has been founded by companies with a strong interest in renewable energy and offshore: Vestas Offshore, A.P.Møller-Mærsk, DONG Energy, Siemens Wind Power and Skykon are all represented on the board. A completely different type of research is taking place in Qatar. The University of Copenhagen has been commissioned to undertake the archaeological excavation of the hidden harbour town, Al Zubara, the largest project of its kind ever awarded to a Danish humanities faculty. All this you can read about in this issue of Focus Denmark, where we also take a closer look at the Danish company behind the green grass under the players’ feet at the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa and at work-life balance in Denmark seen from the point of view of an Australian family.

55 NEXT ISSUE Enjoy the read. 4

FOCUS DENMARK MARCH I 2010

ANNONCE KOMMER

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IN BRIEF

... as a point of contact for business or to add to your knowledge of what goes on in Denmark. Focus Denmark now on denmark.dk Articles from Focus Denmark magazine are now available on the official website of Denmark, denmark.dk. Simply move the mouse over Business Lounge on the main menu bar, and choose Focus Denmark from the drop-down menu. Published quarterly, Focus Denmark magazine keeps you posted on Danish key competences in industry and research, the Danish economy and opportunities for investment, as well as covering political and cultural themes with importance for the Danish business sector. What is the web address? www.denmark.dk

Flexible waste-to-energy technology Every day in Denmark, tons of domestic waste are used as fuel in combined heat and power stations. But the waste that goes into the furnace inevitably contains glass and metal, which cannot be practically sorted from the combustible material. Until now that is. Professional journal Ingeniøren reports that at Amager Forbrænding power station in Copenhagen, a new enzyme-based technology is being developed that can convert the organic material in domestic waste into an oil-like slurry, which then allows the glass and metal to be separated out and recycled instead of being lost as furnace slag. The new process also provides a flexible renewable energy resource, as project leader Erik Ravn Schmidt explains: “The slurry can be fed into a gasifier to produce synthesis gas that can be used in a gas turbine, when there is a need to produce electricity. And when there isn’t a need to produce electricity, it can be used to make synthetic petrol. And biogas can also be produced, which can be stored for use as required.”

Want to subscribe? www.amfor.dk Just mail your name and address to: [email protected]

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New minister for climate and energy

... that 52.6% of Denmark is arable land? The corresponding figures for the other Nordic countries are Finland 6.5%, Sweden 5.9%, Norway 2.7% and Iceland 0.1%.

Photo: Ministry of Climate and Energy

CIA World Fact Book

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FOCUS DENMARK MARCH I 2010

Lykke Friis, who holds a Ph.D. in international politics and was previously prorector at Copenhagen University, is now Denmark’s Minister for Climate and Energy, replacing Connie Hedegaard who has been appointed European Commissioner for Climate Action in the European Commission. Apart from her Ph.D. from Copenhagen University, Lykke Friis has an M.A. in Political Science, also from Copenhagen University, and an MSc. Econ. from the London School of Economics and Political Science. Lykke Friis is known for her excellent analytical abilities and for her ability to explain complicated EU matters to the Danish people. She is also known for her great passion for German Bundesliga football.

Photo: Amager Forbrænding

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