Focus Denmark Nr. 22007

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Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark The Trade Council FOCUS DENMARK www.eksportraadet.dk

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RANKINGS OF THE GLOBAL “THE SECOND CYCLE CLOSER THAN EVER Business and Investment News · Vol 2 · 2007 INFORMATION – WINNING THE WAR BEFORE TO CREATING TECHNOLOGY REPORT 6 ON BUREAUCRACY” 10 NORMAL HEARING 14

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FOCUS Denmark is published quarterly by the Trade Council, Ministry of Foreign CONTENTS Affairs of Denmark, Asiatisk Plads 2, DK-1448 Copenhagen K Telephone +45 33 92 00 00 Telefax +45 33 92 19 18 www.eksportraadet.dk Best ICT nation Editor-in-Chief in the world 6 Under-Secretary for Foreign Trade & Investment Denmark now tops the rankings of The Ambassador Jarl Frijs-Madsen Global Information Technology Report 2006 Executive Editor Jørgen E. Christensen [email protected] Editorial text Drop the power Jacob Benthien [email protected] and let 10 + 45 48 24 85 35 creativity grow English Editor Nigel Mander Interview with Lars Kolind – author of “The Second Cycle – Winning the War on Photography Bureaucracy” Sisse Jarner [email protected] + 45 38 80 08 27

Design Revolutionary Niels Bøving hearing aid [email protected] 14 + 45 33 24 01 30 With the hearing aid Epoq, Oticon comes Advertising closer than ever before to creating nor- DG Media mal hearing Studiestræde 5-7 DK-1455 Copenhagen K + 45 7027 1156 Distribution FOCUS: Architecture Pernille Rude 30 [email protected] Henning Larsen Architects has created Print the master plan for the King Abdullah SaloGruppen Financial District in the Saudi Arabian capital Riyadh Material contained in FOCUS Denmark does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the Danish Trade Council or A new student residence in Copenhagen the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of is hailed as world class architecture Denmark.

Reproduction is authorised, pro- A large, new commercial building project vided the source is acknowledged, except where otherwise stated. adjacent to Copenhagen Airport will Citations may be made without change the Copenhagen skyline prior permission, provided the source is acknowledged.

June 2007 ISSN 1601-9776

Cover: Henning Larsen Architects’ vision for King Abdullah Financial District

FOCUS DENMARK · VOL. 2 · 2007 3 Central location only 5 minutes from Copenhagen town hall

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Sjælsø Gruppen also developed headquarters for SAP/Tiscali, Bankinvest/Arator, and DFDS which are next-door neighbours. The location is magnificent – close to the water basin, only 200 m distance to the city train, and very close to the city centre. Good visibility for passers-by .

SAP/Tiscali Bankinvest/Arator DFDS

Photos of headquarters of future neighbours at Kalkbrænderihavnen Tlf. +45 4810 0000 www.sjaelsoe.dk Central location only 5 minutes from Copenhagen town hall

10.000 sq.m. new headquarters located with great visibility at Kalkbrænderihavnen – tenancies from 1,500 sq.m

SAP/Tiscali Bankinvest/Arator DFDS

Photos of headquarters of future neighbours at Kalkbrænderihavnen Tlf. +45 4810 0000 www.sjaelsoe.dk in brief

BEST ICT NATION IN THE WORLD

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY: “Leveraging ICT is increasingly becoming Denmark now tops the rankings an essential instrument for countries and national stakeholders to ensure contin- of The Global Information ued prosperity for their people. Nordic Technology Report 2006- countries have shown how an early focus 2007’s “Networked Readiness on education, innovation and promotion of ICT penetration and diffusion is a win- Index”, as a culmination of an ning strategy for increased networked upward trend since 2003. readiness and competitiveness. Denmark in particular has benefited from very effective government e-leadership, re- With record coverage of 122 economies flected in early liberalization of the tel- worldwide and published for the sixth ecommunications sector, a first-rate regu- consecutive year, The Global Information latory framework and large availability of Technology Report (GITR) has become e-government services,” said Irene Mia, the world’s most respected assessment Senior Economist of the Global Competi- of the impact of information and commu- tiveness Network at the World Economic tion and research and development and nication technology (ICT) on the devel- Forum and co-editor of the Report. a talent for pioneering applications and opment process and the competitiveness technologies, have laid the foundation of nations. The Networked Readiness Clear ICT vision for the development of a first-league Index (NRI) measures the propensity of Denmark is N0.1, moving up 2 positions high-tech industry. countries to leverage the opportunities from last year and reflecting an upward The United States loses its top position offered by ICT for development and in- trend dating back to 2003. Denmark has and drops 6 places to 7th, mainly due to creased competitiveness. It also estab- benefited from a clear government ICT relative deterioration of the political and lishes a broad international framework vision and early focus on ICT penetration regulatory environment. However, the mapping out the enabling factors of such and usage, which has resulted in impres- country maintains its primacy in innova- capacity. sive levels of Internet and PC usage as tion, driven by one of the world’s best The World Economic Forum in coop- well as that of e-government and in a tertiary education systems and its high eration with INSEAD, the leading interna- very dynamic e-business environment. A degree of cooperation with the industry tional business school in Paris, produces well-developed internal market, together as well as by the extremely efficient mar- the Report. with a continuous emphasis on educa- ket environment displayed.

DANISH buildings and IT in 2007. According to the Confederation of Danish Industries, it is the CORPORATE highest sum ever, and corresponds to 20% SECTOR MAKES of all value created in the corporate sector being used for new investments. RECORD The figure excludes the substantial in- INVESTMENTS vestments in new ships being made by the Danish shipping industry, which has previ- The Danish corporate sector is making ously announced that it will invest more substantial investments in new produc- than EUR 10 bn in the coming years. tion equipment to benefit competitive- The large investments are especially be- ness. More than EUR 30 bn will be in- ing used for labour-saving production vested in new machines, robots, factory equipment in the industrial sector.

6 FOCUS DENMARK · VOL. 2 · 2007 in brief

COPENHAGENERS AMONG EUROPE’S WEALTHIEST The average income in the Danish capital is equivalent to almost EUR 58,000 annually. “Affluence is boosted by the fact that there are so many jobs with a high educational level concentrated in Copenha- gen,” says Henrik Christoffersen, head of research at the Danish Institute of Gov- ernmental Research, and adds: “The gap between the educational level in Copenhagen and the rest of the country has increased significantly. Edu- cation is the source of income creation and greater wealth.” The majority of jobs in Copenhagen are knowledge-based with a high degree of value creation. “Copenhagen is changing a lot these days. The city has become a dynamic centre in northern Europe for knowledge intensive professions. This is a major factor behind the income and affluence that Copenhageners are creating,” says Henrik Christoffersen. Among the reasons why Copenhagen is attracting so many highly educated people is its well functioning infrastruc- ture, good educational opportunities, rich cultural life and metropolitan atmos- phere, which is lively without being too stressful. Good quality housing and a low crime rate also contribute to the ex- A HUB FOR CRUISES cellent life quality. Copenhagen has become a north European hub for cruises. In 2007, more than 300 ships carrying 460,000 tourists will call at the Port of Copenha- gen. Not only is the number of ships increasing year by year, the ships themselves are also becoming larger. The Visit Copenhagen tourist organisation has calculated that the size of the cruisers has more than doubled in five years. The number of cruisers which use Copenhagen as a turnaround point, i.e. starting and ending their journey in Copenhagen, has also increased significantly. The cruises primarily go to ports in Norway, Sweden, the Baltic States and St. Petersburg in Russia. 60% of the tourists on the cruisers are from the US and UK.

FOCUS DENMARK · VOL. 2 · 2007 7 economy

SIGNS OF THE BOOM COMING TO AN END

ness in consumption. Car sales are still nically drop, but we are rapidly ap- quite high but trends are pointing down- proaching the floor. wards, retail sales have proven surpris- As previously mentioned, growth in ingly weak, and consumer confidence is the Danish economy appears to have sliding. The slowing trends in consumer peaked, causing a slight decline in de- By Department spending are following in the wake of mand for labour. In fact, we forecast Director Steen Bocian, rising interest rates and a housing mar- such a large slump in growth that unem- Danske Bank ket that has come to an abrupt halt. ployment is expected to rise during However, we are not necessarily witness- 2008. The slightly less favourable eco- ECONOMY: The sturdy Danish ing the beginning of a hangover. Instead, nomic trends will lead to a more severe demographic impact on the labour force. economic upswing appears to consumer spending seems to be entering a phase of more moderate growth. Accordingly, the outlook is for a shrink- be slowly but surely petering ing labour force. As a result of this di- out. Possible decline in unemployment minished labour force, the curbed growth Consumption is underpinned by the will only trigger a moderate rise in un- prospect of a decent increase in real employment. This also means that the wages over the next few years, and it slowing growth is not expected to be felt should be kept in mind that the overall as a crisis. Signs of slowing growth have become wealth situation of Danish households is more evident over the past few quarters. still quite healthy. In addition, interest Housing market remains unscathed National accounts figures point to a rela- expenses after tax relative to develop- In the present situation, it appears that tively weak second half of 2006 with ments in disposable incomes are still the Danish economy will avoid a hard consumer spending, investments and relatively low – although the trend has landing. The housing market is expected exports slowing down. been pointing upwards since interest to remain unscathed, wage develop- Consumer spending actually stepped rates started to rise. We forecast a ments do not look as if they will be go- hard on the brakes during the second growth in consumer spending of approxi- ing through the roof, and the slower eco- half of 2006. In real terms, consumer mately 2% this year and of about 1.5% nomic growth will only to a moderate spending actually fell by 0.2%, following in 2008. extent result in rising unemployment in a three-year period during which the in- Despite the lower growth rates we are 2008, as a shrinking labour force pulls in dicator had consistently climbed by an still witnessing a very healthy develop- the opposite direction. We expect that average of more than 1.5% per six- ment on the labour market. With 106,600 the economy is slowly starting to shift month period. persons registered as unemployed in gear down towards a growth rate of There is much to indicate that the de- March 2007, unemployment has plum- 2.1% this year, dropping to 1.6% in celerating consumer spending marks an meted to the lowest level since 1974. 2008. Given the current structures in the actual turn away from the consumption Since unemployment started to decline Danish economy involving full employ- boom in recent years and therefore in the winter of 2003-2004, nearly ment and demographic changes that are should not be interpreted as if consum- 80,000 people have left the dole queue. starting to bite into the economic ers are merely taking a breather in the According to Statistics Denmark, employ- growth, we should start getting used to wake of a number of years of hectic ment rose by 107,000 persons during the sub-2% growth rates. In other words, we spending. Supporting this view, indica- same period. It is very difficult to say for do not foresee any dramatic economic tors for 2007 point to continuing weak- certain how low unemployment can tech- trends for Denmark in this forecast.

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MANAGEMENT THE DANISH WAY: A short distance between top and bottom, trust between management and staff, inter- disciplinary collaboration – these are some of the characteristics of the Danish corporate sector which, according to the author, businessman and entrepreneur Lars Kolind, make Denmark the world’s most advanced country in terms of conditions for running a business.

10 FOCUS DENMARK · VOL. 2 · 2007 It is when the company is doing well that the organisation needs to look “ critically at itself ”

Drop the hunt for quick profits and give size, age, and success itself,” says Lars the way the company worked. That re- meaning to what your company does. A Kolind. “It is when the company is do- sulted in changes which echoed around meaning that creates value for the coming well that the organisation needs to the world, and which today form the ba- pany management, the staff and society look critically at itself. Success has a sis of the management principles that as a whole. Start seeing your staff, your habit of laying the roots of failure, if have made Lars Kolind a guru in the in- suppliers and your customers as collabo- you are not awake to it.” ternational business world. ration partners in your company’s development, and not as potential adversaries Redefining self-understanding “From being a highly rule-based, to be defeated. Give your staff responsi- Lars Kolind became managing director sharply department-divided hierarchical bility and strengthen creativity by provid- of Oticon at a time when the company engineering culture, Oticon became a ing collaboration opportunities across was dangerously close to collapse. De- customer-oriented, flexible and innova- the organisation and across disciplines. spite being able to offer the market’s tive business culture in a short space of And last but not least, give up the idea best sound quality, Oticon hearing aids time,” says Kolind. that leadership is about power and in- were large and clumsy. They were also The cultural shift was based on a stead cultivate the idea that good man- expensive, and the company’s market- number of initiatives: agement is value-based. ing strategy was ineffective. The com- This handful of axioms summarizes pany culture was distinctly hierarchical • Apart from a few staff functions, Lars Kolind’s philosophy of good man- and conservative, with a built-in resist- the department structure was discontin- agement of a knowledge-based com- ance to change. It was only a matter of ued and became project-oriented pany. His topical book “The Second Cy- time before Oticon would go under. • Conventional titles were discon- cle – Winning the War on Bureaucracy”, tinued, and everyone in the company published by The Wharton School at the “During my first few months at could join a project group University of Pennsylvania has become a Oticon, while I was acquiring an over- • All walls were pulled down and bestseller in management literature over view of how bad things really were, the no one had permanent offices, but were the last year. first thing I introduced was tight cost in a project group control, creating a cost consciousness in • Paper was discontinued, and Saving Oticon all staff which was previously non-exist- Oticon became the world’s first company But Lars Kolind is much more than an ent. Then we changed the marketing to be 95% computer-based author. He was the architect of one of strategy. From targeting patients with • A salary system was introduced the more spectacular company turna- reduced hearing, we now approached which was based on the value the indi- rounds in recent years. As managing di- audiologists, who in most cases were vidual employee added to the company rector of the Danish hearing aid com- actually the ones who decided which pany Oticon, he pulled it out of a death hearing aids patients should have. Then Give up old-fashioned power spiral and gave it a platform for new we redefined our self-understanding Lars Kolind coined the phrase ‘Think the growth, which has made Oticon the from being a manufacturer of hearing unthinkable’ for the new and revolution- world’s leading manufacturer of ad- aids to being a company which helps ary transformation of Oticon. The un- vanced hearing aids. Lars Kolind himself people to live in the best possible way thinkable was thought, and it worked. In applied one of his other axioms – when with the hearing they have.” the 10 years Kolind headed Oticon, rev- the company’s success was ensured, he enues increased threefold. Creativity stepped down and handed over control New business culture flourished, and new products set com- to others. Although the various initiatives helped pletely new standards for digital hearing “There are three factors which make to dramatically improve the liquidity aids. Enthusiasm and teamwork made mature organisations easy prey for the situation, Lars Kolind quickly realised Oticon one of Denmark’s best virus that changes success into failure: that Oticon’s fundamental problem was workplaces.

FOCUS DENMARK · VOL. 2 · 2007 11 The leader’s principal task is to give meaning to what the company does and to formulate the “ framework for where it is heading ” “In Danish companies there is a basic sations kill creativity Ensure sustainability, trust between top and bottom,” says in the individual, col- which becomes a matter Lars Kolind. “The social and the labour laboration across de- of course if one accepts market structures we have achieved marcations helps cre- that the company prima- through negotiations over the last 100 ate added value. En- rily benefits the world years, and which form the basis for what gineers are inspired around it. Sustainability is called the Danish model regarding so- by designers, design- must be embedded in all cial security and labour market flexibility, ers by sales people future work. When that makes Denmark one of the most ad- and sales people by happens, growth and vanced countries in the world. We do not engineers. It very profits come by them- need old-fashioned management based quickly becomes a win-win situation.” selves. Simply because value-based on power. I would go as far as to say management has an in-built innovation that the principles and tools for good Partnership creates value power which is necessary to create the management which I have described in According to Lars Kolind, managers must winners of the future.” “The Second Cycle – Winning the War on give up their power positions in order to Bureaucracy” can be used by all knowl- create the framework for a looser com- edge based companies across the entire pany structure. industrialised world.” “Management by fear and rigid styles LARS KOLIND Kolind does acknowledge however of management can create good prod- that the basic conditions for success are ucts and good sales figures some of the Born 1947, MSc in mathematics, greater in Denmark than in most other time. But not all of the time. The organi- B.Com in organisation. Manage- countries: “Denmark has a tradition for sation stiffens, and products that previ- ment consultant. Deputy director flat structures. Less distance between ously were good are overrun by new and of Risø National Laboratory. Fi- power and people. More direct connec- innovative ones, which are shaped nance director in medico company tions between managers and staff. And a through dialogue and creativity by en- Radiometer. External lecturer in distinct tendency for staff to take on re- thusiastic staff. In the old days when a business economics and planning sponsibility themselves, and openly ex- company’s capital was based on the theory. press their opinions to managers.” physical presence of money, labour mat- 1988-1998 group chief executive tered less. It just needed to be present. of hearing aid company Oticon. Collaboration across Today it is the partner- Today, deputy chairman of the demarcations ship between manage- board of Grundfos, chairman of the The Danish mentality, ment and good staff board of Poul Due Jensens Fond, which forms the basis which constitutes a com- member of the board of Unimerco, of company culture, pany’s value.” deputy chairman of the board of has its historical roots To Lars Kolind, a Zealand Pharmaceuticals, member embedded in geogra- good leader can be com- of the board of holding company phy: the country is pared with a captain of K.J. Jacobs AG, Switzerland, and on small and sandwiched a ship. Today, it is not the board of representatives of the between large indus- the captain’s role to ac- newspaper Kristeligt Dagblad. trial nations, and so tually run the ship; that Associate professor at the has had to survive by is the task of the officers Aarhus School of Business. developing values in and crew. The captain Member of the management of ways other than mass needs to concentrate on The Governing Board of The World production. Through ensuring that the ship Scout Foundation. their education, Danes functions and that it ar- In 2000, published have developed skills in learning quickly. rives at its destination. “Vidensamfundet – Dagsorden for “There is a sizeable element of equal- “The leader’s principal task is to give Danmark i det 21. Århundrede” ity-thinking in the Danish teaching sys- meaning to what the company does and [The Knowledge Society - Den- tem, which is also part of democratizing to formulate the framework for where it mark’s agenda for the 21st century] our behaviour. It is natural for Danes to is heading,” says Kolind. “The leader and in 2007, “The Second Cycle – seek responsibility and work independ- must define the company values in rela- Winning the war on Bureaucracy.” ently. While conventional pyramid organi- tion to society and motivate the staff.

12 FOCUS DENMARK · VOL. 2 · 2007 www.ramboll.com

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210x297 fokus denmark 2006.indd 1 2006-11-30 10:16:15 A REVOLUTION IN HEARING AIDS

STEREOPHONIC: Hearing loss cannot be cured, but Denmark’s Oticon, a manufacturer of hearing aids, is closer than ever before to recreating normal hearing with the development of Oticon Epoq

One of the world’s largest and most in- A completely new level Doubled frequency range novative manufacturers of hearing aids, Epoq is based on a new and powerful In addition to the improvements Denmark’s Oticon, has developed a new system architecture – the most advanced achieved through wireless interplay be- product – Oticon Epoq – which could in the world so far. Its development has tween the two hearing devices and the revolutionise everyday life for people involved more than 200 people, has further development of intelligent sound with hearing impairment. Epoq is the lasted more than five years and has cost filters, there is another explanation as to world’s first hearing aid with built-in almost USD 100 million. why the sound quality in Epoq is so wireless broadband, which makes it pos- “We have raised the capacity of hear- unique. Traditional hearing aids operate sible to give users very realistic, stere- ing aids to a completely new level,” says within a frequency range of 100-5,000 ophonic sound perception. Epoq also Jes Olsen. “We cannot cure hearing loss, Hz. The frequency range in Epoq has offers wireless connection to other elec- but we have never before been so close been extended to 10,000 Hz, which tronic devices like mobile phones, music to recreating normal hearing for the user. makes it possible to vary the sound players and PCs. We also give the user perfect sound in quality dramatically. The two small hear- “Until now, hearing aids have sys- both ears for mobile telephone use and ing devices, hidden behind the ears, tematically focused on compensating listening to music.” send the sound through an ultra-thin hearing loss by amplifying sound and wire into the auditory canal, and via the deadening noise,” says development di- built-in broadband connection, the syn- rector Jes Olsen at Oticon. “With our new chronisation creates stereophonic sound hearing aid – Epoq – we have created a reproduction that exceeds all other hear- concept that focuses on the actual role ing aids on the market. of the hearing aid, which is to function as an interface between the user and the Wireless transmission direct to the ear near and distant surroundings in all “Bluetooth cannot be built directly into a those situations encountered in everyday hearing aid because of its size and life.” power consumption. We have built our own wireless technology – EarStream –

14 FOCUS DENMARK · VOL. 2 · 2007 into the devices. Although our radio transmitter is only about a square milli- metre in size, it can transmit at broadband speed and communicate with the small “streamer” which comes with Epoq. Via the streamer – an elegant iPod-like companion – Bluetooth units like mobile phones and MP3 players can be connected directly to the hearing aids. So you get the sound sent wirelessly directly into both ears,” says Jes Olsen. Audiology research in Denmark is among the most advanced in the world, covering not only sound technology of the kind developed by companies like Bang & Olufsen, but also the development and production of hearing aids. Three Danish companies, Oticon, GN Re- sound and Widex, are among the six leading manufacturers of hearing aids worldwide. They jointly have a 50% share of the world market. www.oticon.com

FOCUS DENMARK · VOL. 2 · 2007 15 DENMARK DESIGNS TOMORROW’S WIRELESS WORLD

WIRELESS TECHNOLOGY: The city of Aalborg in northern Denmark is a beacon of research and development in wireless technology. State-of-the-art research involving the university and a cluster of innovative companies is pioneering technology that will be used in 10-15 years’ time

16 FOCUS DENMARK · VOL. 2 · 2007 What started as the development of a relatively simple ship’s radio in the middle of the last century has now evolved into a research and development environment for wireless technology on a global scale. In Aalborg today, one development project after another is being started, which will evolve into the latest thing in the mobile and wireless world.

Designing the future The wireless cluster around Aalborg, which comprises around 25 companies providing more than 3,000 high-tech jobs, has been developed in a close partnership between Aalborg University and the local public authorities. Aalborg University is today recognised in the glo- www.motorola.com bal wireless industry as a beacon of re- MOTOROLA search and development. It was here the ACQUIRES foundations for the first mobile phones were laid, and where second generation UNIQUE mobile technology began. And it is here KNOWLEDGE that the fourth generation is on the drawing board, in preparation for everyday life in 10-15 years’ time. MOBILE PHONES: Having acquired a development department employing 300 highly trained engineers from a brief Taiwanese Unique combination electronics venture in Aalborg, Motorola is now surging ahead “The combination of state-of-the-art research at university level and an innova- with Danish-developed mobile phones tive and competent business world, where global companies like Texas In- When Motorola had the opportunity in the summer of 2006 to acquire Danish devel- struments, Nokia, Motorola, Thrane & opment competences in mobile phones, it took full advantage and gained the serv- Thrane, RTX Telecom and a number of ices of 300 highly trained engineers in software, hardware, systems, and electronics. smaller Danish companies have placed This became possible when Taiwanese electronic entertainment giant BenQ, which had development centres, is simply unique,” acquired Siemens’ development department for mobile phones the previous year, says Jørgen Hedevang, secretariat direc- withdrew from the mobile phone market. Located in the unique R&D wireless technol- tor of the umbrella organisation NorCOM, ogy environment in the northern city of Aalborg, the department had all the the Association of mobile and wireless competences Motorola could wish for. industry located in Northern Denmark. “There is an interplay and cross-fertili- Bought and sold five times over sation of ideas and experience across “Actually, we have really been acquired five times in the last 18 years,” says disciplines and interests, which is hard Motorola’s Danish director Flemming Eriksen. “From Dancall to Amstrad, from Amstrad to find elsewhere in the world.” to Bosch, from Bosch to Siemens, and from Siemens to BenQ. And now Motorola. The small group, which started making some of the world’s first mobile phones at Dancall, The environment also reflects the in- has today become more than 300 people. And having been acquired by Motorola, tense and often turbulent development things are going faster and faster.” that has taken place in the industry. “The reason why we have been so sought after is the knowledge we have accumu- Small entrepreneurial companies have lated through our close association with the wireless network that has evolved in this grown into big ones in a few years, have region,” says Flemming Eriksen. “We can do it all, from systems, software and hard- been acquired and sold on, and mergers ware to electronics, and production processes. There are few who can do that, all un- or closedowns and reestablishments der the same roof.” have been the order of the day. “There is a dynamism in the area Blurring the borders between mobile phones and the Internet which attracts the best minds from the “We focus exclusively on product development,” says Flemming Eriksen. “Sometimes whole world,” says Jørgen Hedevang. with proposals from Motorola in Chicago, but often with ideas and input from us.” “For example, the development depart- In August 2007, after only 14 months’ ownership of the development group in ment at Texas Instruments has people Aalborg, Motorola will market the group’s first product, after which new products will from the US, Japan, Germany, France, In- be marketed at intervals of a few months. dia and China. You can’t get more inter- “They are telephones with completely new applications, which blur the borders be- national than that.” tween the mobile phone, PC and access to the Internet,” says Flemming Eriksen. “They are highly complex challenges which our system know-how is perfectly suited www.norcom.com to solve.”

FOCUS DENMARK · VOL. 2 · 2007 17 PLANT-DERIVED DAIRY PRODUCTS GAIN POPULARITY

SOYA-BASED FOOD: Mini- mal content of saturated fatty acids and cholesterol-free – that is one of the reasons why increasing numbers of people are choosing dairy products based on soya beans

“Replacing animal-derived protein with they were originally intended for people product ranges, sales and distribution. plant-derived protein can reduce the cul- allergic to dairy products, people with “This will help us meet the increasing tivation area by a factor of 10, water cholesterol problems and vegetarians. demand,” says Poul Agger. “There is consumption by a factor of 100 and fuel But today we see a clear consumer trend enormous potential, especially in the consumption by a factor of 11,” says towards organic foods and healthy alter- Nordic region where consumption still Poul Agger, director of natives to animal-derived products.” lags behind UK, Benelux and Germany. Naturli’ Foods, whose pro- Consumption in Britain is 10 times duction of plant-derived Great market greater than in Denmark. Experience dairy products is growing potential shows however that what the US and by 30% annually in Den- In the near fu- Britain do, the Nordic countries adopt a mark, and 100% in Nor- ture, Poul Agger few years later.” way. will assess the “What we are actu- opportunities for Expanding the product range ally doing at Naturli’ starting Danish pro- Product development is also being Foods is to replace duction of organic accelerated. In addition to plant-derived the cow’s digestive soya beans. Today milk products, one of the most success- process, but in a far the soya beans are ful products is a cooking alternative to more effective and imported from USA, cream. Naturli’ Foods aims to expand its healthy way,” says Canada and Europe, range with low-fat desserts and ice Poul Agger. “Our and the production is cream products, as well as cream soya-based milk carried out at Europe’s cheeses. products are largest plant, Alpro in “This is just the beginning. Consum- cholesterol-free Belgium. Poul Agger, a ers have recognised that our plant-de- and have a trained engineer in the rived alternatives are not only replace- minimal con- dairy sector, develops pro- ment products, but also have independ- tent of satu- duction recipes in collabo- ent value,” says Poul Agger. rated fatty ration with Alpro. This year, acids. When the collaboration between www.naturli-foods.dk we intro- Naturli’ Foods and Alpro is duced our being strengthened through a products 18 years ago, strategic partnership to share

18 FOCUS DENMARK · VOL. 2 · 2007 Your short-cut to expert suppliers within key industries ANNONCE DANISH EX- Place of contact ■ Danish Airport Group ■ Danish Cruise & Ferry Group The Danish Export Association provides immediate access to PORTleading Danish ASS.■ Danish Energy Group suppliers within key industries, with over 500 members specialising in such ■ Danish Fishing Equipment Group Danish skills areas as wind power, district heating, the marine and fishing indu ■ Danish Food Processing Group stries, technology and interior design for airports, cruise ships and railways. The ■ Danish Marine Group Danish Export Association. Your shortcut to experienced and internationally ■ Danish Mining & Quarry Group recognised suppliers. Call us at 0045 8681 3888 or visit www.dk-export.com. ■ Danish Postal & Logistics Group ■ Danish Railway Group Danish Export Association ■ Danish Waste Technology Group Tvaergade 15 A ■ Danish Wind Energy Group DK 8600 Silkeborg Tel. +45 8681 3888 export@dkexport.dk www.dk-export.com www.dkexport.com

ANNONCE FDE SERVICE PARTNER

FOCUS DENMARK · VOL. 2 · 2007 1 9 THE PERFECT EGG

There is nothing like a soft-boiled egg FOOD TECHNOLOGY: Is it ferent proteins which influence the egg’s for getting cooks steamed up about how possible to improve one of na- functional properties,” says Ivan Noes best to prepare it. The latest theory of Jørgensen. “We are experimenting with perfection is 40 minutes at precisely ture’s most perfect creations, the various processes to adjust these proper- 67°C, but it is one theory among many. egg? That is what they are trying ties so that we can offer optimised eggs Some advocate placing the egg in cold to do at Hedegaard Foods, one of with added value for our customers. We water and then heating to boiling point, do this by homogenising, pasteurising or which is then maintained for 3 1/2 min- Scandinavia’s largest egg produc- preserving the eggs in different ways utes. Others place the egg in boiling wa- ers, to add value for customers which, depending on the method, give ter for 4 minutes. Others again insist different results. that the egg must be at room tempera- “If an egg can be processed to ture to start with, while yet others achieve a 15% increase in baking vol- equally insist that it must be taken di- ume, that would be of great interest to rectly from the fridge. And there are the food industry, from both a quantita- many more variations on the theme. The tive and qualitative perspective. That perfect soft-boiled egg is a much dis- could help make the perfect layer cake puted affair! base, which can resist the pressure from “I am a traditionalist myself,” says all the delicious fillings in between.” Executive Director Ivan Noes Jørgensen of Hedegaard Foods. “I put the egg in cold Customised water, bring it quickly to the boil, then Hedegaard Foods has formed an alliance let it simmer for 4 minutes. But I ac- with the Danish Technological Institute, knowledge that it can be done in count- which has the expertise and equipment less other ways.” to test the physical properties of baked goods. The institute has already carried Eggs for all purposes out test measurements on layer cake Hedegaard Foods is among the Nordic bases to examine rigidity and elasticity. region’s leading egg producers of both “We are going to start carrying out a the organic and non-organic varieties, as lot more tests,” says Ivan Noes well as pasteurised eggs and boiled and Jørgensen. “Our long-term objective is to shelled egg products. The company sells develop further egg products which can to both consumers and the food indus- be customised to end user needs. For try. Hedegaard Foods takes a very scien- example, eggs for frozen bakery products tific approach to processing and product are still a major challenge, just as the development. In collaboration with the One of Hedegaard Food’s latest egg stability of foamed egg whites can be Danish Technological Institute in Kolding, products is whipped egg in an aerosol. In- improved.” the company is trying to produce eggs stead of painting egg on baked goods to with perfect properties for all purposes. achieve a golden surface, it can now be www.hedegaard-foods.dk “Egg white contains more than 10 dif- sprayed on. www.teknologisk.dk

20 FOCUS DENMARK · VOL. 2 · 2007 Know-how, general view and detailed insight ANNONCE • Fine Cleaners & Pre Cleaners • Gravity Tables, Cylinders & Treaters • Dryers, Coolers and Toasters CAMBRIA • Conveyors & Shiploaders • Piping systems, Valves & Fans HERNING • Outloading, Bellows & Tubes • Oil Presses & De-hullers • Silos, Port Terminals & Special Applications • Process Control and Automation • Temperature Monitoring Systems

A/S CIMBRIA Cimbria House · Box 40 · DK-7700 Thisted Tel.: +45 9617 9000 · Fax +45 9617 9019 www.cimbria.com [email protected]

Subsidiaries and Branch Offices in Denmark, Norway, England, Germany, Poland, Holland, Austria, Czech Republic, Italy, Kenya, Russia, Ukraine, India, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore and China.

World wide services and maintenance

FOCUS DENMARK · VOL. 2 · 2007 2 1 ERADICATING BACTERIA WITH STEAM AND ULTRASOUND

FOOD SAFETY: Each “It sounds simple, but the they did lead to a discovery. versely affecting the prod- year millions of people combination of steam and “Many different types of uct,” says Niels Krebs. ultrasound really is a stroke foods are steam treated to suffer food poisoning of genius,” says vice presi- eradicate surface microorgan- Full-scale testing caused by Salmonella dent Niels Krebs of consulting isms. But while the method is Force Technology has pat- or Campylobacter in engineers Force Technology. reasonably efficient, it is not ented the new method of The company has researched wholly effective,” says Krebs. killing Salmonella and poultry. A new Danish into ultrasound for many “If the steam is used for as Campylobacter under the invention solves the years and has found ways of long as is necessary on for name SonoSteam. problem exploiting it especially for the example a chicken, the result The method has now medico industry. Force Tech- would be closer to a cooked been further refined, and the nology’s extensive knowledge chicken than a fresh one. first full-scale tests will com- of ultrasound was the back- That is because a laminar mence in mid-2007 in col- In as little as one second, a ground to its involvement in boundary layer forms be- laboration with a Danish chicken can be made free of a number of experiments to tween the steam and the sur- poultry abattoir. Linco Food Salmonella and decontaminate liquids using face, which to some extent Systems, a world-leading Campylobacter through the ultrasound. protects the microorganisms manufacturer of processing use of steam and ultrasound. present in the skin. But we equipment for poultry abat- The method is based on a Dramatic improvement discovered by simultaneously toirs, is building the module Danish invention which could “Those experiments were not exposing the chicken to ultra- which will be installed in the dramatically improve food that successful,” says Krebs. But sound, that the excitation of processing line. Niels Krebs safety. the air molecules disrupted reckons that the first the boundary layer. The steam SonoSteam processing mod- could now penetrate properly ules for poultry abattoirs will and eradicate the bacteria. A be ready for marketing early treatment time of just one in 2008. second can dramatically reduce the bacterial population on the surface without ad- www.sonosteam.com

The Danish Veterinary and Food Administration has calculated that a 100-fold reduction of Campylobacter in poultry will result in a 25-fold reduction in the number of food poisoning cases. In tests on Campylobacter infected poultry, SonoSteam reduced the bacterial population by 99.9%, corresponding to a factor of 1,000 At a European level, the EU estimates that food poisoning caused by Salmonella and Campylobacter costs society EUR 2.9 billion in treatment and lost production. In 2006, 18 people in Denmark died after eating poultry infected with Campylobacter. More than 3,500 cases were officially registered by the Danish health authority. But that is only the tip of the iceberg. It is estimated that a total of over 90,000 people have been affected without seeking treatment. This costs society a fortune in treatment and lost working hours. .

22 FOCUS DENMARK · VOL. 2 · 2007 Join us at NOVI Science Park

ANNONCE NOVI FORSKERPARK

Attractively located in North Denmark, NOVI In the Centre of Innovation integrates an innovative environment with NOVI provides the optimal surroundings leading science and business park activities. for our it-company. In the NOVI Science Park we are in the centre of development We are proud to offer everything that is of new ideas and technologies.www.novi.dk You can al- needed to create dynamic settings for ways knock on your neighbour’s door to talk knowledge-based growth, the link between about a new idea. NOVI provides a large po- the innovative idea, the world of research, tential for networking and is very active in the universities, and the established trade catalyzing networks by arranging business and industry. seminars. We couldn’t ask for a better location of our company. NOVI rates among the best incubators in the world and North Denmark ranks as a top Tina Kristensen, TK Validate choice when relating the quality of the technological competencies to effective operat- ing costs.

SCIENCE PARK www.novi.dk

FOCUS DENMARK · VOL. 2 · 2007 2 3 MAKING LUCKY WINNERS

PRINTING TECHNOLOGY: Danish manufacturer of printing machines, Tresu Produc- tion, has developed the world’s largest and most complex machine for printing lottery tickets and scratchcards

For some it means the squeal of joy. For Fulfilling exacting requirements latex. Additional layers make it impossi- more it’s the indifference of disappoint- “With its 19 printing units, the machine ble to shine a light through the cards, ment. But either way there are very few is one of the world’s largest and most and they are also made anti-magnetic. who ever take a closer look at the complex printing machines,” says Allan The printing of the number and symbol scratchcard after the hidden panels have Sander. “It is able to print paper on both combinations is carried out via computer been revealed. sides at the rate of 300 metres per controlled inkjet printer units. “In terms of printing technology and se- minute, with several variations including curity, most scratchcards are like gold and glitter.” Supplying packaging for foods banknotes,” says Allan Sander, senior The reason why the machine “only” “We attach importance to productivity, sales manager of Tresu Production in prints at 300 metres per minute, while flexibility and a good working environ- Denmark. And he knows what he is talk- still being the fastest and most effective ment around the machine,” says Allan ing about. Tresu Production has recently of its kind, is due to the extremely high Sander. “This involves fast changeovers supplied one of the world’s largest of security requirements for scratchcards. and minimizing waste of material and these special printing machines to an Immediately after printing the winning resources. We have also developed very American customer who makes scratch numbers and symbols, the scratch fields powerful drying machines, which can be cards for gambling providers worldwide. are coated with four layers of a special individually adjusted on each printing unit. This naturally helps to optimise production.” The development of large printing machines for scratchcards is because of Tresu Production’s many years of experience in developing flexible printing machines for the packaging industry. The world’s largest manufacturer of packaging for liquid food products, Sweden’s Tetra Pak, is a major purchaser of Tresu’s machines. A printing machine has recently been shipped to Tetra Pak’s new printer in China, and twenty-eight 40- foot containers containing a complete scratchcard printing machine were shipped to the USA.

www.tresu.com

24 FOCUS DENMARK · VOL. 2 · 2007 MAKING MODERN LIVING POSSIBLE

ANNONCE DANFOSS

Solutions for your environment

With more than 50 factories in Danfoss technology improves look to the future, where there will 20 countries and sales companies quality of life for people all over be increasing focus on environ- and agents in over 85 countries, the world. Clean water, heating mental considerations and the the Danfoss Group is a global and cooling are key to our sense scarce resources of nature. industry. Danfoss employs more of well-being. With a broad range than 21,000 people around the of products and high-technology The Vision world and about one-third of solutions within Refrigeration & Danfoss will be a global leader them work in Denmark. Air Conditioning, Heating & Water within our core businesses, as a and Motion Controls, Danfoss is highly respected company, which The products indispensable in our modern lives, improves quality of life by master- At Danfoss, respect for the both at home and at work. ing advanced technologies in cus- company’s basic values is united The products meet the needs tomer applications while creating with ongoing innovation and of the customers, within areas as value for all stakeholders. a future-orientated approach. diverse as food preservation, pro- These qualities have created a ductivity, energy efficiency, the global company with committed environment and climate control. employees. Our resource-saving products

Danfoss A/S • DK-6430 Nordborg, Denmark • Tel.: +45 74 88 22 22 • [email protected] • www.danfoss.com

Danfoss ad 180x265.indd 1 2007-06-08 14:50:41

FOCUS DENMARK · VOL. 2 · 2007 2 5 PROFITING FROM DESIGN

INDUSTRIAL DESIGN: It is one of those products that nobody takes much interest in – as long as it works. But Cimbria Herning has created significantly more sales by redesigning its loading chute

Bulk goods from silo to ship, truck or railway – a transportation process that takes places thousands of times every day all over the world without anyone giving it a single thought. It just needs to be done, and how difficult can it be? Not very, if you know how and have the right tools for it. So does Cimbria Herning, a Danish company, which for many years has manufactured the special coupling that connects a silo with the hold. A loading chute that helps ensure the transportation process takes place in a reliable and environmentally sound way. Cimbria’s knowledge in the area has made it into the world’s largest manufacturer of loading chutes, which are marketed under the Moduflex name.

100% sales increase a number of the company’s engineers Lower production costs But even the world’s biggest and best in and industrial designers from 3Part sat “We succeeded in simplifying a lot of the its field can improve. Cimbria Herning’s down together to hatch new ideas. The components a loading chute consists director Lars Nørgaard realised that after result was a range of products, which of,” says designer and director Simon have boosted sales significantly. Skafdrup of 3Part. “A large number of “In recent years, Cimbria Herning has variants were standardised, which re- generated revenue growth of 10-15%, but sulted in lower production costs and a the collaboration with the designers re- more flexible production process. sulted in a revenue increase last year of Since we consider design a part of the more than 100%. Profits likewise in- totality, it was also implemented in the creased, which is important,” says Lars sales material, which now to a much Nørgaard. According to Lars Nørgaard, greater extent appeals to those who this is due not only to the design com- handle purchasing of Cimbria’s loading pany’s involvement in the visual expres- chutes.” sion of the loading chute, but also to the choice of materials and the produc- Designer Simon Skafdrup of 3Part with a tion process itself. 3Part subsequently www.cimbria.com model of the loading chute. helped prepare the sales material. www.3part.com

26 FOCUS DENMARK · VOL. 2 · 2007 00366-07DKC_Fokus_juli2007(eng) 13/06/07 15:02 Side 1

Fredericia Kommune for two years in a row named top-selling Danish municipality in regard to commercial land sales

Fredericia

ATTRACTIVE SITES IN CENTRAL DENMARK

New commercial areas available in Fredericia. DanmarkC is We have already come a long way. Arla Foods, Post Danmark, Denmark’s new dynamic commercial district, enjoying a central PricewaterhouseCoopers, ALD Bilsalg and Zederkof have already location along the motorway grid at the town of Fredericia, settled in central locations in DanmarkC, with many more compa- Jutland. In DanmarkC we give companies that demand high stan- nies set to follow suit, including Fuglsang Export-Maltfabrik, SMC, dards in terms of logistics, visibility and expansion potential the Energinet.dk, Transport Gruppen, Sanistål, KM Telecom and CMP opportunity of securing the most ideal Danish business location Furniture. For further details about Fredericia’s new commercial – literally in the centre of Denmark. We offer six million square development scheme we invite you to order our presentation fol- metres of land for sale – strategically designated for specific com- der concerning DanmarkC. Please contact Carsten Gørtz Petersen, mercial uses – e.g. for companies within the knowledge-based Director of Sadolin & Albæk, tel: +45 70 11 66 55, or visit our web- industries, large-space retail outlets and leisure facilities, distri- site www.danmarkc.dk bution, light industry and food refinery. benzin Gothersgade 20 DK-7000 Fredericia Tel: +45 72 10 70 00 Nikolaj Plads 26 DK-1067 Copenhagen K Tel: +45 70 11 66 55 E-mail: [email protected] Rosensgade 22 DK-8000 Aarhus C Tel: +45 70 11 66 55 Web: www.fredericiakommune.dk E-mail: [email protected] Web: www.sadolin-albaek.dk > Your partner in Cross-national Communication <

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For further information please visit www.lingtech.com or contact Annika Mortensen on tel. +45 3325 7171

FLOOR HEATING FOR THE TOP END OF THE MARKET

A new system for installing floor heating cables has been developed by Danish manufacturer DEVI. The integrated system, called Devicell, can be installed on an existing subfloor without embedding the cables. A wooden floor can then be laid directly on top of the cables.

The system consists of an aluminium and adjusted with a standard electric saw. wooden floor is heated and not the con- plate formed in a patented shape that “Devicell is a luxury product aimed at crete subfloor, which other floor heating holds the cables in place. The plate, building contractors seeking the very systems lose heat into. The insulating which carries an insulating layer of best in heating convenience,” says me- foam also cuts down on noise.” foamed polystyrene on the underside, chanical engineer Rasmus Hovgaard, DEVI sells electric floor heating sys- heats up quickly and radiates upwards. who developed the system for DEVI. tems to dealers worldwide. The company The new system also saves significant “The heat distribution is brilliant, the is part of the global Danfoss group. installation time The interlocking plates response time is short, and the system are a square metre in size and can be cut is economically viable since only the www.devi.com

28 FOCUS DENMARK · VOL. 2 · 2007 Planning a Head Quarter in Copenhagen?

Keops Development provides total solutions in the area of new buildings and modernization of ofﬁ ces and residences

One of our recent projects is the Danish Head Quarter of Sparekassen Sjælland

We create space for your ambitions

Talk to Keops if you’re planning a new corporate domicile. We can offer a lot of attractive locations in and around Copenhagen. PARAMEDIA 1154/05B PARAMEDIA

Keops Development · +45 3341 0000 · www.keops.dk · [email protected] KING ABDULLAH FINANCIAL Over the next 7-10 years, Saudi Arabia’s lic Pension Authority and Capital Market DISTRICT: World-renowned capital Riyadh will acquire a new land- Agency. mark. A completely new part of the city, Henning Larsen Architects has the King Abdullah Financial District, will A symbol of development created the master plan for the emerge right in the middle of a gigantic The new financial district will cover an largest building project on the motorway intersection north of the city. area of 1.6 km2 and provide 75,000 The new district will create a distinctive workplaces. In a number of ways, the Arabian Peninsula – Riyadh’s feature on the skyline, while still main- King Abdullah Financial District will serve new financial centre. It will taining a number of traditional character- as a symbol for modern development in unite old and new Arabian istics from the desert landscape. The Saudi Arabia. King Abdullah Financial District is the “Our master plan not only involves urban traditions and become a largest building project so far on the Ara- the largest building project so far in landmark for Saudi Arabia’s bian Peninsula. Riyadh, but also touches on the develop- modern development. Denmark’s world renowned Henning ment of society itself in the country,” Larsen Architects has created the vision- says Louis Becker, director and partner of ary master plan for the construction. The Henning Larsen Architects. “We are plan- firm, which has also created the legen- ning a number of new initiatives which dary Saudi Arabian Ministry of Foreign will significantly change the way people Affairs building, won the competition for live, work and travel. But at the same the financial centre, and functions as time we are ensuring that they are appro- building consultants to the owners, Pub- priate to the country and the climate.”

ANAN ARABIANARABIAN VISIONVISION

30 FOCUS DENMARK · VOL. 2 · 2007 Until now, Riyadh has developed Abdullah Financial District is built, busi- mosque will be built on one of the city’s mainly by the outspread of relatively nessmen will be able to travel to their largest publicly accessible squares. And low-rise buildings. The King Abdullah meetings on foot. in the winding streets, there will be Financial District will give the city a “Covered footbridges above street shops, cafés and restaurants which will whole new profile with high-rise build- level will connect the buildings, making help keep the district a vibrant place ings, of which the highest will be 365 it possible to walk easily from one to around the clock.” meters. A consistent feature of the mas- another,” says Louis Becker. “It will help “One of the biggest problems in ter plan is to exploit an existing wadi – a to create a new business environment Riyadh is the traffic,” says Louis Becker. low-lying area in the desert where green- and serve as a model for new ways of “There are very few public means of ery springs up after rain. The wadi will working in Saudi Arabia.” transport, so cars dominate the scene. be a green and shaded area, which To reduce their number in the streets of traverses the entire financial district. Integrated monorail the financial centre, an overhead mono- Banks, insurance companies and “The master plan is inspired by the old rail – one of the first in Saudi Arabia – other financial institutions have already quarter of Al-Dirriyah with its squares will be built. This will be integrated with reserved around 50% of the building and winding streets,” says Louis Becker. a future city monorail and will bring in lots. Louis Becker expects that site “The height of the houses is determined commuters from a number of car parks preparation will begin in 2007. by the length of the shadows they cast outside the district, where the water and on the promenades and squares, where power utilities will also be located.” New ways of transport cultural institutions, museums, confer- Today, a car is essential for getting ence centres and sports facilities will be round Riyadh. But when the King placed. The financial district’s grand www.hlt-architects.com

FOCUS DENMARK · VOL. 2 · 2007 31 THE PLANS BEHIND THE VISION

The green wadi will wind through the entire King Abdullah Financial District and connect the traditional desert city with the modern metropolis.

FROM VISION TO REALITY: In collaboration with Henning Larsen Architects, the Danish city planning and architect firm Møller og Grønborg has implemented the vision for the King Abdullah Financial District in Riyadh. For the last 12 months, city planners that glides through the district. The en- Johannes Vindum and Mads Jordan have tire site is completed with a ring of ad- worked day and night on the local plans joining buildings that front onto the mo- for construction on each lot. torway. “Detailed plans for the 100 lots, includ- “Urban quality will be exceptional,” ing traffic access, air conditioning, water, says Johannes Vindum. “The adjoining sewers and electricity, have been pushed buildings are reminiscent of the old city ahead so that they are now ready for walls around traditional Arabian desert official approval,” says Johannes Vindum. towns, while at the same time signalling “Site preparation has just begun, and a modern metropolis like the financial construction of the district’s highest and centres in London and New York.” central building which will be occupied Building owners can choose their own by the owners, Public Pension Authori- architect for each lot. But the local plans ties and Capital Market Agency, will start regulate the character of the buildings The architects Johannes Vindum (right) later this year.” with minimum and maximum heights and and Mads Jordan plan in detail the The central building will be 365 me- usage of the area. building of every lot in Riyadh’s new fi- ters high, making it one of the tallest in “When the King Abdullah Financial nancial district. Saudi Arabia. The entire financial district District is completed, it will form a spreads out from this point, which is en- unique totality which one would not find circled by medium-rise buildings along elsewhere in the world,” says Johannes the avenues and the reconstructed wadi Vindum. www.mgarkitekter.dk

32 FOCUS DENMARK · VOL. 2 · 2007 Construction of the Great Belt Bridge, » The secret behind 1988-1998 The Danish Broadcasting Corporation’s new concert hall

We know how to build feasible, so the project went back to We have built everything from the impossible the drawing board. bridges, airports and motorways to private residences, pharmaceutical Right now we are busy building a MT Højgaard had previously mounted manufacturing plants and hotels. piece of world class architecture: The the heavy superstructure of the Great And as you would expect, it’s Danish Broadcasting Corporation’s Belt Bridge. And it was experience not only when we are building spectacular concert hall. Originally gained from this task which enabled a state-of-the-art concert hall that the plan was to erect a 37 metre us to build the concert hall. Instead our knowledge and experience high steel framework and then clad of a large steel framework, we built comes in useful. To ﬁ nd out more it with trapezoidal sheets and shot- a 25 metre high, 250 ton ”bridge” about Denmark’s strongest concrete. But at a height of 37 metres, – as a foundation for the gigantic tractor, visit mthojgaard.com, mail gusting winds would have trans- walls encircling the concert hall. us at [email protected] or formed the framework into a giant phone +45 3954 4000. We are happy sail, making it highly unstable MT Højgaard is Denmark’s leading to help – whatever you are building. under construction. It was simply not building and construction company. And that’s no secret.

mthojgaard.com

18383_DR_UKannA4.indd 1 12/06/07 14:23:13 OUR OFFICE IS FILLED WITH SCULPTURES THAT MAKE MICHELANGELO SEEM PATHETIC.

SHIPPING WITH PRIDE

11841_Focus_denmark.indd 1 14/03/07 17:02:58 OUR OFFICE IS FILLED WITH SCULPTURES THAT MAKE MICHELANGELO SEEM PATHETIC.

SHIPPING WITH PRIDE

11841_Focus_denmark.indd 1 14/03/07 17:02:58 STUDENTS LIVING IN WORLD

CAMPUS: Tietgenkollegiet in circular building in that location. But we Copenhagen is no ordinary had a strong feeling that our solution was the right one.” student residence. It is an architectural study in commu- Democratic form nal living space – striking, It was just as much the project’s concept of interplay between shared and private unconventional and nominated living as its aesthetics and functionality for the Mies van der Rohe which gave Lundgaard & Tranberg the Award 2007. prize. In contrast to conventional apart- ment block design, the round form brings the residents together around a communal area containing kitchens, TV rooms, eating areas etc. “When we started the development When the Foundation behind Denmark’s process, we began by asking ourselves – new student residence, Tietgenkollegiet and the Foundation’s board of manage- in Copenhagen’s new urban district ment, who all have their own student Ørestaden, invited architects to submit past – a number of questions. What is a competitive design proposals for the modern student residence all about? And building, ambitions were sky high. World class architecture was what the Founda- tion wanted, and what it got. The student residence, which was completed in 2006, is already one of the most prize- winning buildings in Denmark, and has become an attraction for architects visit- ing Denmark to study building and design. The striking and unorthodox building, designed by Lundgaard & Tranberg Arkitekter, has already become a landmark in Ørestaden. The circular building with its 360 student rooms is an eye catcher among the otherwise largely angular buildings in the surrounding area.

Inspiration from dinner plates “Actually, the proposal that we submitted came about by serendipity,” says architect and partner in Lundgaard & Tranberg, Peter Thorsen. “While we were sitting discussing the generally angular architecture that characterises Ørestaden, someone placed a stack of dinner plates in the middle of the table. That brought our pencils rapidly to life, and the round shape set our thoughts going around the living space that a student residence represents – the interplay between the shared and the individual in modern college life. When we submitted our design, we took a bit of a risk because the local plans didn’t anticipate a

36 FOCUS DENMARK · VOL. 2 · 2007 CLASS ARCHITECTURE

we all agreed that it’s about social inter- ter Thorsen. “The concrete is raw and the construction. “Seen from the outside action, with everything that involves of rustic, and the facade elements have the the building seems to defy gravity,” says give-and-take. And this is where the cir- natural quality of American oak. For wall Peter Thorsen. “But I can promise you cular form helps to emphasise the sense coverings, we have made the unusual that it will still be standing in 100 years of democratic community. Everyone lives choice of plywood, decorated with a spe- time.” equally close and equally distant from cial printing technique to make each everything and everybody.” panel unique. The external copper clad- ding has a jigsaw effect which helps to Gravity-defying emphasise the building’s individual char- Tietgenkollegiet is unusual both in its acter.” form and component materials. An ad- Tietgenkollegiet in Copenhagen 2 vanced construction has been used for Like a bridge Site area: 13,190 m 2 the dramatic out-projections, which seem When you see the building for the first Floor area: 26,828 m to defy gravity. time, one is struck by how the individual Number of apartments: 330 1-room “Our philosophy is to use materials modules are suspended like spokes in a apartments of 26-33 m2 and 30 2- 2 which have their own intrinsic qualities wheel. The effect is astonishing and is room apartments of 45 m and can pass the test of time. We also based on bridge building principles de- Tietgenkollegiet has been nomi- emphasise that the connection between veloped for the building by consulting nated for the international Mies the constructional form and the materi- engineers COWI. Pre-stressed steel ca- van der Rohe Award 2007 als used is easy to appreciate,” says Pe- bles are cast into the walls to reinforce

FOCUS DENMARK · VOL. 2 · 2007 37 NEW SKYLINE WELCOMES TRAVELLERS

SCANPORT: A large, new Over the next few years, striking new impression air travellers to Copenhagen commercial building project commercial buildings will start taking will experience. The project, Scanport, is shape at the centre of the Øresund re- being implemented by Skanska, one of adjacent to Copenhagen Air- gion close to Copenhagen Airport. The the world’s largest construction compa- port will change the Copenha- buildings, which will comprise approxi- nies. gen skyline mately 95,000 m2 floor area and create “Scanport is a bit like a mini-version space for 3,000 jobs, will be the first city of Wall Street, New York’s financial dis-

38 FOCUS DENMARK · VOL. 2 · 2007 Skanska’s market manager in Copenhagen, Peter Nymann

trict on Manhattan, whose southern end you see when you fly into New York along the East River,” says Skanska’s market manager in Copenhagen, Peter high buildings, creating a condensed ar- Nymann. “A new local plan of the area chitectural skyline, which is otherwise a has just been approved, and it gives us rare sight in Copenhagen.” the opportunity to construct relatively Ideal commercial location Scanport will boast high profile commercial buildings for international companies looking to establish their businesses with Nordic or north European headquarters. The location is ideal, with close access to the motorway leading to the nearby Øresund Bridge to Sweden, and Copenhagen Airport, the largest and busiest in the Nordic Region, just a few hundred metres away. A new metro station, which will open during 2007, is also close by. With the many new residential buildings in the South Harbour, on Amager and in Copenhagen’s new urban district Ørestad, and the increasing number of commuters from Sweden to Copenhagen, Scanport will be well posi- tioned to attract well qualified labour.

Bridging commercial and residential “Scanport has a very central location in the expansive Øresund region,” says Pe- ter Nymann. “It will offer high quality buildings, with lots of car parks, views over recreational areas and an exclusive marina which helps to create a connection between land and water.” In addition to the commercial buildings, Scanport will include Bryggergården, a listed building that Skanska is currently renovating. “Bryggergården will be converted into 30 strikingly unconventional homes, which together with a low building for creative businesses, will create the tran- sition to Copenhagen’s largest recreational area, Amager Strandpark, and the adjoining site, The Blue Planet, to which Denmark’s Aquarium plans to relocate,” says Peter Nymann. Construction of the first commercial buildings is expected to commence in 2007/2008.

www.skanska.com/oresund

FOCUS DENMARK · VOL. 2 · 2007 39 LARGE-SCALE USE OF RENEWABLE ENERGY

RENEWABLE ENERGY: 25,000 inhabitants will be going on an energy diet when the Danish city of Frederikshavn goes over to 100% renewable energy, the first in the world to do so

40 FOCUS DENMARK · VOL. 2 · 2007 Frederikshavn in northern Denmark will ergy needs on renewables in an inte- ing people to ride a bicycle when they be the first medium-sized city in the grated system covering electricity, heat mostly need a car. Nor are they ex- world to be exclusively supplied with and cooling, and power for transport, will pected to economise on heating and electricity, heat and power for transpor- make Frederikshavn a shop window to lighting. We want to show how energy tation from renewable energy sources. In inspire the world. At present, although can be used optimally, and in that way 2015 the city’s 25,000 inhabitants will Danish energy technology is world-class encourage citizens to perhaps change enjoy the fact that they are not contrib- and is exported worldwide, it tends to be some habits. We want to show the uting to global warming, because elec- sold for individual applications rather world that renewable energy can be tricity will be supplied from wind tur- than for entire systems like cities. implemented on the large scale, and bines, heat from heat pumps, solar pan- “Danish energy technology is a prior- that this can be done without adversely els and biogas plants, while cars will be ity focus area, so it is vital to demon- affecting life quality or compromising powered by electricity or biofuel. strate that it can work on the large effectiveness.” The Danish government has set the scale,” says Mayor Erik Sørensen of objective that by 2025, renewable en- Frederikshavn Municipality. “The chal- Six new wind turbines ergy will account for 30% of total energy lenge is to find the best combination of One of the first tasks will be to install consumption in Denmark. This is far the various forms of renewable energy.” six new, 4 MW wind turbines, which more ambitious than the EU’s energy together with the existing wind tur- plans and is based on the fact that Den- Using energy optimally bines will cover the city’s electricity mark today is a world leader in renew- Frederikshavn city council’s agreement to needs. able energy technologies such as wind act as a showcase for Danish renewable “Today renewable energy from wind energy, solar heating, wave energy and energy technology was conditional on turbines and the city’s waste-fuelled research into production of fuels from making the project a purely commercial combined heat and power station ac- biomass. Denmark also has the world’s enterprise. counts for around 17% of Frederiks- most well developed district heating sys- “This means that implementation of havn’s total energy needs,” says Erik tem, which is largely based on the project will not put extra cost bur- Sørensen. “So the changeover to 100% combusting waste. dens on the citizens of Frederikshavn,” renewable energy will require massive says Erik Sørensen. “We don’t see this investments in both public and private A shop window to inspire the world as an energy saving project where our sector power plants. Although we have The vision of basing a whole city’s en- citizens make sacrifices. We are not ask- an extensive district heating system, oil

FOCUS DENMARK · VOL. 2 · 2007 41 and natural gas still ac- making Frederikshavn an international sense of pride around doing something count for 20% of citizens’ showcase for renewable energy technol- to tackle climate change, and share our private heating needs. To get them to ogy will attract knowledge-based compa- experience to the benefit of all. It will change to renewable energy, we need to nies and new population groups to the also create a lot of jobs. Although it will develop solutions that will make it at- city. “There is an amazing amount of require major investment, I am con- tractive both environmentally and finan- support for this plan to put the city vinced that it will ultimately result in cially.” Mayor Sørensen believes that firmly on the world map. There is a economic success for the city.”

Conversions and new constructions that supplies heat and electricity from Frederikshavn is the main city in Denmark’s waste combustion. most northerly municipality. Its port is A 50 MW solar heating plant and the home to a number of maritime businesses, conversion of existing heating plants and is also Denmark’s main naval base. from using natural gas to combusting The city has shipping routes to several straw and wood are among the planned destinations in Sweden and Norway. investments. Connected to this will be a Frederikshavn was chosen as a show- new bioethanol plant for the production of case for renewable energy because of its energy for the transport sector. Energy existing plants for production of elec- optimising renovation will be offered for the tricity and heat. The city has four wind city’s existing housing stock, and new build- turbines supplying electricity, as well ing constructions will be of the low energy as a combined heat and power station type.

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