FOCUS DENMARK 01/2009

Colophon

Title:
FOCUS DENMARK 01/2009

Publisher:
Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark

Responsible institution:
The Trade Council, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark

Author:
Under-Secretary for Foreign Trade & Investment Ambassador Jarl Frijs-Madsen (Editor in chief), Poul Kjar (Executive editor), Annemarie Zinck (Editor), Nigel Mander (English Editor)

Other contributors:
Schultz Grafisk (Digital edition and Print), Kristin Utne, Umano (Design and layout), Bjarke Ingels Group (Cover photo)

Language:
English

URL:
http://www.netpublikationer.dk/um/9311/index.htm

ISSN:
1601-9776

Version:
1.0

Version/edition:
15-04-2009

Publication standard nr.:
2.0

Data formats:
html,htm,jpg,gif,pdf,css,js

Publisher category:
statslig

Copyright:
Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark

Notes and other information:
Material contained in FOCUS Denmark does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the Danish Trade Council or the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark.

Reproduction is authorised, provided the source is acknowledged, except where otherwise stated. Citations may be made without prior permission, provided the source is acknowledged.

Focus Denmark is printed on Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified paper from Arctic Paper, Denmark. The wood that is used for making the paper comes from sustainable forestry, which meets all environmental, social and economic standards. The forest is independently inspected and assessed according to the principles and criteria approved by the Forest Stewardship Council.

Table Of Contents

Farming for the future

IN BRIEF

• New year, new political party
• Danes who made a difference
• Worth knowing about
• YouTube for documents
• Electrifying Danish design at 2009 Detroit Auto Show
• A new feature in the landscape
• Sweltering summers in the office?
• Among Europe’s finest universities
• Partners sought to develop solar cell
• Bin-Picking robot picks up an award
• Bookmark Denmark

• 2009 - the year when the world comes to Denmark
• World Business Summit on Climate Change
• Bright Green Exhibition
• Guide to Danish solutions
• Working behind the scenes
• Climate attachés in key countries
• Universities hold summits
• Security under control
• Hotels are fully booked
• Other events worth noting

• Robots for the future
• Robots to weed
• Small Robot - big perspective

• Fruitful times for Danish organic food

• Agricultural research – benefits farmers and climate
• Research focused on climate
• Monitoring cattle from the office
• From slurry to gas

• Matchmaking across borders
• Denmark test country for electric car technology

• Ensuring fish in the future
• The Fishing nation that doesn't eat fish
• Fish-prize to Danish chef
• The high-flying fishery

• Swimming off to Shanghai

• Government set to lower income tax

• ICT LOGISTIC A/S
• MOVER TECHNOLOGY
• DANISH EXPORTERS
• P, Ernie & Enzo

• What to expect…

Farming for the future

Editor in Chief
Ambassador Jarl Frijs-Madsen
Under-Secretary for Foreign Trade & Investment

Can you imagine a world where there is plenty of food for everyone? Where food is healthy and to a large extent organic? Where agriculture is seen as part of the solution to climate change – not as part of the problem? A world where robots running on renewable energy handle the strenuous work of weeding or fruit-picking? In Denmark we can. We are working hard on creating the agricultural solutions of tomorrow.

In this issue of Focus Denmark you can read about one of the world’s largest agricultural research centres, located in Foulum in Denmark, where progress is being made every day in solving the big challenges in agriculture. Research includes the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and optimising the use of biomass as a renewable energy resource.

At the University of Southern Denmark and at the research centre RoboCluster, progress is being made in creating robots for agricultural purposes.

Furthermore, a lot of the research at Foulum, RoboCluster and the University of Southern Denmark concentrates on further development and optimisation of organic farming, a fertile area of activity in Denmark for many years. So perhaps it’s no surprise that Denmark was named ’Organic Country of the Year 2009’ at BioFach in Germany in February this year.

Focus Denmark magazine is also developing: you can now find links to video clips on Denmark’s national portal denmark.dk after some articles, and the magazine has gained a brand new design.

Enjoy the read.

IN BRIEF

New year, new political party

January saw the founding by Simon Emil Ammitzbøll (MP) of a new Danish centre right party, Borgerligt Centrum. Its political agenda contains three main points:

• More funding for healthcare and education, raised by increasing total annual working hours, abolishing early retirement benefits and shortening the eligibility period for unemployment benefits.
• More skilled immigrants. The party wants to abolish a Danish law designed to cut down on forced-marriage and family-reunification immigration, thus making it easier to come to Denmark.
• Fewer prohibitions and regulations. The party contends that Denmark is becoming a “Big Mother” society and wants to “return moral responsibility to the citizens”.

Ammitzbøll was previously with Radikale Venstre (Social-Liberal Party) but left following disagreements with its leadership. For the new party to be able to contest the next general election, it needs to obtain around 20,000 supporting signatures from eligible voters.

Danes who made a difference

Worth knowing about

… either as a point of contact for business activity, or to add to your knowledge of what goes on in Denmark.

The Copenhagen Post

Who are they?
Founded in 1997, The Copenhagen Post is a weekly newspaper providing Danish news in English. It is available from news stands in the capital. An online edition covering daily news can be seen at the website http://www.cphpost.dk

How can they be useful to you?
In addition to its printed and online versions, The Copenhagen Post publishes a daily e-mail newsletter that can be subscribed to free of charge via the website. A PDF version of the weekly newspaper can be downloaded from the website by paying subscribers.

In addition to its news services, The Copenhagen Post provides other products and services including corporate subscriptions, an RSS newsfeed service and recruitment advertising especially targeted at foreigners living and working in the Danish capital.

Want to contact them?
Internet: http://www.cphpost.dk
E-mail: info@cphpost.dk
Tel: +45 3336 3300

YouTube for documents

Danish online publication portal Issuu, which anyone can use free of charge to upload a document and convert it into an instant online magazine format, has recently attracted both investment capital and media attention, reports Invest in Denmark.

While existing investor Sunstone Capital has injected a further DKK 25m (USD 4.3m), the fledgling firm has also caught the attention of renowned techniblog TechCrunch, which pithily describes Issuu as “one of the first services of its kind that doesn’t suck”. Praise indeed.

Following the latest product update from Issuu, TechCrunch maintains its positive impression, noting that the Danish portal now has an extra fistful dollars to fight it out with other competitors like Scribd and Docstoc for the title of “You-Tube for documents”, and opining on its website that “the released updates already make it a serious contender”.

http://www.issuu.com

Electrifying Danish design at 2009 Detroit Auto Show

Photos: Fisker Automotive

Danish automobile designer Henrik Fisker knows a thing or two about designing luxury cars, the Aston Martin DB9 and BMW Z8 providing ample proof. Now Mr Fisker’s own firm Fisker Automotive has showcased its first production vehicle at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit – a plug-in hybrid sports car called the Fisker Karma.

The company writes on its website that the luxury 4-seater is ready to go into production at the tail end of 2009, and will be assembled by the Finnish company Valmet Automotive, which already does assembly work for Porsche.

The sleek, low-slung Fisker Karma has two electric motors connected to the drive wheels, providing all-electric power for the first 80 km (50 miles). Thereafter a gasoline engine drives a generator to charge the lithium-ion battery, and the car functions as a normal hybrid vehicle.

The 408 hp Fisker Karma is said by the manufacturer to have a top speed of 200 kph (125 mph) and a 0-100 kph (0-60 mph) of 5.8 seconds. Not bad for a car that is nearly 5 metres long and weighs over 2 tons.

http://www.fiskerautomotive.com

A new feature in the landscape

Opening fanfare for Copenhagen Concert Hall

Photo: Scanpix

17 January 2009 saw the official opening of Danish broadcasting corporation DR’s new concert hall in the Ørestad district of the Danish capital. Designed by celebrated French architect Jean Nouvel, Copenhagen Concert Hall is daringly clad in a blue screen, on which live images from the auditoria can be projected at night.

The building’s vital statistics make impressive reading: Studio 1, the main auditorium, is constructed in 15 terraced sections with a ceiling height of 28 metres and can seat 1,800 people around a central stage; Studio 2 has walls fashioned from beech and can accommodate an audience of 500; Studio 3 has a piano-key colour scheme and seats 200; Studio 4 features striking red decor and also has a seating capacity of 200.

An immensely complex construction packed with cutting-edge acoustic technology, Copenhagen Concert Hall has also reached new heights, albeit unintentionally, in terms of budget overspend. Danish newspaper Berlingske Tidende has written that in relation to seating capacity, it is one of the costliest concert halls ever built.

Did you know…
… that pigs outnumber people in Denmark by almost 3 to 1? Danish farms are home to 14 million pigs, while the nation’s population totals 5.4 million.
Statistics Denmark

Sweltering summers in the office?

Photo: Scanpix

Large glass facades are very much the norm for office buildings these days. This can be both a blessing and a curse in summer, since lots of natural light is inescapably accompanied by lots of natural heat, not to mention sizeable indoor climate control costs.

Now the Danish firm PhotoSolar has developed an ingenious solution to the problem: self-shading glass. Explained in simple terms, the pane contains foil slats like a Venetian blind, only miniaturized so that the glass appears transparent to the eye. Without impeding the outlook, the pane reflects away solar heat, making the interior more comfortable as well as helping reduce climate control costs.

PhotoSolar is developing the concept a stage further with a glass pane which also contains transparent photovoltaics that can convert shaded-off solar radiation into solar power that can be used to generate electricity for the building.

http://www.photosolar.dk

Among Europe’s finest universities

Photo: Scanpix

The Technical University of Denmark (DTU) has been ranked 5th out of Europe’s top 100 universities on the highly respected Leiden Ranking 2008, reports Newsmarket. Cambridge and Oxford universities in the UK top the list which is based on a size-independent bibliometric indicator applied to Web of Science publications in the period 2003-2007.

The bibliometric indicator applied in the Leiden Ranking to give a size-independent, field-normalized average impact is the so-called crown indicator, which prevents non-generalist universities such as technical universities like DTU, from being penalised by the usual citations-per-publication calculation.

The Leiden Ranking’s acknowledged scientific rigour gives DTU solid reasons to be well pleased with its position, rubbing shoulders with the likes of Oxford, Cambridge, Lausanne and Zurich in the top scientific echelon of the European university league. The photo above shows a DTU developed and built DiMethylEther car at the Shell Eco Marathon in France in 2008.

http://www.dtu.dk

Partners sought to develop solar cell

Denmark’s National Laboratory for Sustainable Energy, Risø DTU, has developed a solar cell material made of plastic which can be produced in rolls like plastic film, reports financial daily newspaper Børsen. It is cheaper to manufacture than silicon-based solar cells, but investment is needed to develop performance and durability to a commercially competitive level.

Risø DTU is taking a stepwise approach, and is seeking business partners who can see smaller-scale application opportunities for the current material, while the technology is further developed for larger-scale applications and ultimately full-scale green energy production.

Business development scientist Torben Damgaard Nielsen told Børsen: “We reckon it will require an investment of USD 27-36 million to set up a production facility. This is a necessary step in order to drive the technology forward.”

http://www.risoe.dk

If there’s an event in your interest area, why not bookmark it to attend? Denmark is a great place to visit!

Bin-Picking robot picks up an award

Scape Technologies, a Danish company which specialises in bin-picking robots, has scooped the 2008 “Kuka Application Award” from the world-leading German robot producer, reports professional journal Ingeniøren (The Engineer).

“Getting such an award opens a lot of doors for us,” says Scape Technologies’ director Rune Larsen. “It is mainly suppliers in the metal industry who are interested but we have also talked to representatives from the European automotive industry.”

Bin-picking is a production task that occurs when products or components are taken from a bin or pallet to be processed. Scape Technologies’ patented vision technology enables the robot to “see” and pick individual parts from a jumble of haphazardly piled parts in a container, and move them to the required position on the production line.

http://www.scapetechnologies.com

Bookmark Denmark

Health Sciences
ORPHEUS 2009
23-25 April 2009
Fourth European Conference on PhD Education in Health Sciences University of Aarhus

Setting Standards for PhD Education in Biomedicine and Health Sciences. A conference for all those interested in developing the PhD degree as a cornerstone of European biomedical and health science research.

For more information on programme, venue, registration and contact visit: http://www.orpheus2009.org

Climate Change
LOCAL GOVERNMENT CLIMATE CHANGE LEADERSHIP SUMMIT
2-4 June 2009
Bella Center
Copenhagen

In the run-up to COP15, local governments from over 160 countries around the world will meet to discuss local greenhouse gas reduction measures and potentials, and set out the framework conditions needed from national governments in order to be effective.

Host: Local Government Denmark
http://www.lgdk.dk
Tel. + 45 3370 3370

Computational Systems Biology
SIXTH INTERNATIONAL WORKSHOP ON COMPUTATIONAL SYSTEMS BIOLOGY WCSB 2009
10-12 June 2009
The University of Aarhus

WCSB aims to bring together all those involved in the different aspects of computational systems biology research, e.g. experimental biology, machine learning, signal processing, mathematics, statistics, and theoretical physics.

For more information on programme, venue, registration and contact visit: http://www.cs.tut.fi/wcsb09/index.html

Food and Chemistry
EURO FOOD CHEM XV - FOOD FOR THE FUTURE
5-8 July 2009
Faculty of Life Sciences,
University of Copenhagen

Organised by the Food Chemistry Division of the European Association for Chemical and Molecular Sciences, this conference focuses on how chemistry can help improve food quality, from the nutrition, enjoyment, and health protection perspectives.

For more information on programme, venue, registration and contact visit: http://www.eurofoodchemxv.life.ku.dk/

CLIMATE CHANGE CONFERENCE

Photos: Scanpix

2009 - the year when the world comes to Denmark

If the world has a navel, it is Copenhagen. At least for two weeks in December, when heads of government, journalists, civil servants and interest groups from around the globe descend on the Danish capital. One issue is on the agenda: the planet’s climate problems MUST be solved.

By Christian Blomgreen

It is the last chance. Climate change is already in evidence worldwide, and it will only get worse in the future. Unless the climate summit in Copenhagen in December reaches a successful conclusion. Heads of government from all over the world will meet to hammer out an agreement to succeed the Kyoto Protocol, which was initially adopted in 1997 in Japan.

At the meeting, officially designated COP15 – the 15th conference of signatories to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) – attempts will to be made to get the world to collaborate on preserving the thin layer of atmosphere, land and sea which cloaks our planet and enables us to survive – at the same time as temperatures are rising and threatening to make the planet uninhabitable.

The world’s major governments have formally acknowledged that temperature rises have already begun, that – if not kept in check – can be catastrophic for human civilisation, and that they are caused by emissions of greenhouse gases such as CO2 from our power stations, factories and cars.

Obama is coming - maybe

Up to 15,000 representatives from around 200 countries are expected to convene in the Danish capital for one of the most important meetings in history. Around half will be from NGOs, a quarter will be journalists and the other quarter negotiators and civil servants. Hopefully many heads of state and government will also attend, with the USA’s President Barack Obama a possible front figure.

To arrange a summit of this magnitude makes huge demands on Denmark, and ministries, interest groups, the business community, universities, lobbyists and many others have worked for years towards making COP15 a success. Svend Olling is head of department in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark and responsible for the logistic planning of COP15.

“It is a huge undertaking. The last time Denmark hosted a major international summit was the European Council meeting in 2002. COP15 could be 20 times bigger. One of the challenges is that we do not yet know who is coming or the political seniority of the delegates. It gives us challenges in planning the security level,” says Svend Olling. To send the right signal, COP15 must be a green summit. So the delegates should as far as possible use public transport, but the organisers are looking for green solutions to everything.

“A good example is water for the delegates. The easiest thing would be to transport lots of bottles to the summit, but that is bad for the environment. In Denmark we have clean tap water and we must utilise it. But how do we communicate this to everybody, how should the water be served, who should do it, and how do we find the most environmentally-friendly disposable cups and so on. It quickly becomes highly complex,” says Svend Olling.

Public-private sector collaboration

One of the central players in the run-up to the summit is Climate Consortium Denmark, which is the official focal point for all Danish business-related activities in the period leading up to the UN Climate Change Conference. It is a public-private sector partnership between a range of business organisations and the Ministry of Economic and Business Affairs.

Finn Mortensen, the director of Climate Consortium Denmark, sees COP15 as a historic opportunity to brand Denmark as a climate-conscious nation.

“The eyes of the world are focused on Denmark, and we have every opportunity to demonstrate the technologies and solutions we have, so that the world around us can discover that with the right technologies, the climate challenge can be tackled. The solutions are here, we just need to communicate that they are also effective.”

Finn Mortensen points to cleantech in particular as a strong element for Danish climate-conscious branding.

“Denmark as a climate-conscious nation will have considerable power to attract foreign investments and workers specialised in climate-friendly technologies, and that can turn out to be a gold-mine for Danish research in the cleantech area and ultimately for Danish exports,” he says.

There are currently 500 companies involved in climate and energy technology. The sector employs a workforce of 32,000 of whom 21,000 are in the wind technology industry. Exports have more than doubled in 10 years, and today account for 9 per cent of total exports. With COP15 as a launch pad, Denmark hopes to increase its exports fourfold in the coming years.

Read on the next pages how various players are working to make COP15 a success.

Read more about the summit on http://www.cop15.com

World Business Summit on Climate Change

The Danish think tank Monday Morning is hosting a major international summit in Copenhagen for several hundred business leaders from around the world on 24-26 May. It is an exclusive event where only specially invited participants can attend and take part in discussions aimed at providing recommendations and intelligent solutions to the climate problem. 30 global leaders in the categories of science, business and politics will speak at the summit, among others Al Gore and Richard Branson.

Read more on http://www.copenhagenclimatecouncil.com

Bright Green Exhibition

The Confederation of Danish Industry (DI) is a lobbying organisation for 11,000 Danish companies. During COP15, DI is holding a large-scale exhibition ’Bright Green’ at Denmark’s national stadium Parken in Copenhagen, where up to 150 Danish and international companies will present their green technologies.

“There are already many technologies that can overcome some of the greatest climate challenges. Companies would like to show this to prepare the ground for the political negotiations,” says Jens Holst-Nielsen of DI.

The exhibition takes place on 12-13 December during the break between the two weeks of the COP15 conference.

Read more on http://www.brightgreen.dk

Guide to Danish solutions

One of Climate Consortium Denmark’s most important projects is the internet portal EnergyMap.dk, launched in March as Denmark’s international portal for climate and energy technologies. Interested parties from all over the world can see on the portal what Denmark offers in the climate and energy area. Up to 200 Danish companies, educational centres and research institutions will present their solutions and knowledge on the portal.

In parallel with EnergyMap.dk, another major project has been launched – Energy Tours. It aims to ensure that the many business-related and political delegations expected to visit Denmark in the months leading up to COP15 are offered the best and most relevant visit programmes with the opportunity to meet Danish players in the relevant sectors.

Read more on http://www.energymap.dk and http://www.energytours.dk

Working behind the scenes

JKL Group is one of the Nordic region’s leading lobbying companies which is working behind the scenes to handle the political interests of a range of companies. Among its customers are several energy and transport companies, all of which are very interested in COP15.

“There is a hive of activity at the moment. COP15 will lay down tracks into the future, which provide opportunities for our customers to make some enormous forward leaps. We are working on introducing the right ideas for politicians and on ensuring that our customers will be heard. The summit occupies Denmark’s consciousness a great deal because it is a nationally prestigious project, but we can also feel great interest at our offices in the other Nordic countries and Brussels,” says Nikolaj Bøgh, manager of JKL Group.

Climate attachés in key countries

To keep track of how the climate debate is developing around the world in the run-up to the COP15 conference in December 2009, the Ministry of Climate and Energy has posted climate attachés in five key countries: USA, Brazil, South Africa, India and Russia.

The attachés form part of the local embassy team, but are exclusively engaged with climate and energy issues and cover the whole region in which they are stationed. Their tasks include identifying the most important players, gathering knowledge and establishing collaborations with relevant local players.

Universities hold summits

The Danish educational sector is also joining the climate wave.

At the beginning of March, the University of Aarhus hosted the “Beyond Kyoto” conference, which was attended by US energy secretary Steven Chu, the former Norwegian Prime Minister, Gro Harlem Brundtland, the current UN special envoy on climate issues and many other prominent decision-makers. The following week, the University of Copenhagen held the “Scientific Congress on Climate”, where several Danish ministers and internationally acknowledged scientists were on the platform.

Security under control

Bullet-proof limousines, surveillance, room security and a lot more besides will be needed for COP15. So the police and the Danish Security and Intelligence Service are hard at work to ensure that security will be optimal before, during and after the summit.

“It is clear that an event like the climate summit is associated with major security challenges. In that connection, it is the Danish Security and Intelligence Service’s task continuously to assess the threat in relation to the event. Based on this threat assessment, the relevant security measures are initiated. This is carried out in close collaboration with Copenhagen Police,” says the head of the Danish Security and Intelligence Service, Jakob Scharf.

As a point of principle, the Danish Security and Intelligence Service does not comment on specific security issues or on how it handles specific security tasks.

“In general however, PET is responsible for bodyguard protection in relation to a number of the delegates as well as securing certain localities that are used in connection with the summit,” says Jakob Scharf.

Hotels are fully booked

It would not be a good idea to go on an impulsive visit to Copenhagen in December, because the COP15 organisers have booked every hotel room within a 60 kilometre radius of Copenhagen. A quarter of the rooms are in Malmø and Southern Sweden. In addition, all hotels from Skåne in southern Sweden to Odense on the island of Funen are fully booked for the whole of November.

Other events worth noting

April 28-30: Cleantech Forum XXII, Radisson SAS Scandinavia, Copenhagen http://www.cleantech.com/cleantechforum/ copenhagen09

May 26-28: Nordic Bioenergy, Aalborg Congress and Culture Centre, Aalborg (northern Jutland)
http://www.nordicbioenergy2009.com

September 8-9: Nordic Climate Solutions, Copenhagen
http://www.nordicclimatesolutions.com

September 14–16: Risø International Energy Conference, Copenhagen http://www.risoe.dk (calendar and news)

October 12–14: Copenmind, Copenhagen Forum of Research, Innovation and Technology
http://www.copenmind.com

THEME | ROBOTS

Robots for the future

Environmental consciousness has been the big motivator in the Danish development of innovative robots for agriculture

By Nadia Louise Kristensen

Illustration Lars Chrois

In the future, it won’t be human beings who will bend their backs again and again to pull out weeds from between the crops on organic farms and outdoor nurseries. In most places robots will have replaced the strenuous work that does not require the special human quality of empathy. And the robots will run on renewable energy. More conventional farms will follow in the footsteps of organic farms and replace sprays with weeding robots, because it is better for the environment and the crops. This is how the future can look. And it is worth it because consumers in the western world continue to demand products which have been produced under sustainable conditions. The technology is under development, and Danish research scientists and companies are among the leaders in this field.

“Denmark has comprehensive agricultural experience, and research is well advanced in this area. We concentrated on organic farming at an early stage and have focused on reducing the environmental impact of agriculture, both to minimize the farmer’s costs and protect the environment,” says Niels Jul Jacobsen, a project manager at RoboCluster, an innovation network and one of the places in Denmark where work is constantly under way to develop robots – including robots for agriculture.

Sensing like a human being

Denmark has a long tradition for sustainability – in the energy sector, the development and sales of wind turbines is perhaps one of the most successful export stories in Danish history.

Since the late 1990s, a number of Danish research scientists have been working on making agricultural robots that can assist or replace human beings in weeding, sowing or spraying tasks.

“It is the environmental perspective which has provided the momentum for many of the research projects. At the end of the 1990s, researchers started getting these ideas about robots. They could see that we had both the computer technology and the camera technology – the trick was to combine them in something that could be used in agriculture,” says Michael Nørremark, a researcher at the Department of Agricultural Engineering at the University of Aarhus.

Michael Nørremark has been part of developing an agricultural robot intended for use out on the fields, namely the Hortibot, which was judged Best Invention Of The Year in 2007 in America’s Times Magazine. The 1.2 metre high Hortibot weighs 200 kilos and is a driverless weed fighter.

It has been and still is a challenging process to develop Hortibot and other types of agricultural robots to weed, sow or spray in the fields, which are filled with countless obstacles of every conceivable kind.

“The machine needs to be able to run by itself for many hours without human interference. The big challenge is to get the robots to sense what we humans do when we are out in the fields. We look, listen and sense, all at the same time,” says Michael Nørremark.

Despite their similarities, plants can also have many different forms and colours. The research scientists have thus put a lot of work into developing camera technology and software so advanced that the robots can match human vision and intelligence.

“The factory robots we know today typically work in highly structured surroundings. They are often enclosed in a limited area and programmed to stop if they encounter an unknown situation. A farmer’s field is different. The robots will often encounter things that they have no knowledge of in advance. So they have to be able to handle the unknown. It is a major challenge,” says Niels Jul Jacobsen.

Several research teams have now developed camera technology and software which to some extent can distinguish between different types of plants and weeds. How this has been done at RoboCluster is still a secret because the method is in the process of being patented.

Aiming for internationalisation

One of the things that the RoboCluster innovation network does is to involve all the parties needed to develop and commercialise the robots. The network builds a bridge between suppliers, users and research and educational institutions specialising in robot and automation technology.

“We create synergy between research, industry and society and pave the way for innovation through development projects and professional networks. Our experience shows that it is important to include users in the development process, while companies have the commercial knowledge and the researchers provide the latest scientific knowledge,” says Lasse Mogensen, director of RoboCluster.

The network is very focused on international perspectives and hopes to become a natural international collaboration partner for the development of robot technology.

“We hope that robot developers in Japan, France and the USA will contact us regarding research, development or collaboration on robot technology. We are working on that objective by developing and expanding our international collaboration through international conferences and international projects, where we bring the competences and opportunities of the RoboCluster network into the arena,” says Lasse Mogensen.

Interaction between man and robot

RoboCluster is also working on different kinds of agricultural robot. The network has for example developed Agrobot, which is based on the same mobile platform as Hortibot, but has different tools. Two versions have been studied – one which like Hortibot can remove weeds mechanically, and another that kills weeds with sprays. Keld Bertelsen, an industrial designer at RoboCluster, has been working on Agrobot and has created the design concept for the fully automatic field robot Roboss, which is based on the same technology as Agrobot. In the development process, Keld Bertelsen considers both the user’s needs and the function of the robot.

“It is an interplay between what is going on in the field and the robot and the human being. I need to find out about how farmers can use this robot. One of the greatest challenges in the design process is to understand their way of thinking and their way of thinking about robots,” says Keld Bertelsen.

Having interviewed a number of farmers, Keld Bertelsen realised that organic farmers and conventional farmers might differ in the type of robot they need.

“The organic and biodynamic farmers have chosen the farming sector because they like being in contact with plants and nature. So it seemed wrong to me to base my concept on robots exclusively being controlled from a computer in the farm office. Instead I developed a concept where the farmer carries out the task in collaboration with the field robot – where the robot becomes an agricultural worker that is accompanied out into the field on the first occasion and shown where to work. In that way the farmer also gets out to see how the plants are faring,” says Keld Bertelsen.

Agrobot and Roboss can find their way around the field by themselves, identify weed species and give unwanted plants carefully dosed sprays without contaminating the crop that is being cultivated. According to Niels Jul Jacobsen, the usage of sprays can be reduced by 90 per cent with the new method.

One of the advantages of the robots is that they can be exploited better than a large tractor. For example, they are better at manoeuvring in corners and on bumpy ground. And they do not churn up the soil like big machines do.

“When you are driving a tractor, the soil is displaced along the line in which you are driving. And the bigger the tractor is, the broader the tyres and the greater the area you cannot cultivate,” says Niels Jul Jacobsen.

Top: Hortibot was judged Best Invention of the Year in 2007 by Time Magazine
Bottom: Agrobot is being developed by RoboCluster in Denmark.

Ahead of its time

In a way, the development of robots for agriculture is slightly ahead of its time. Although there will be buyers among organic farms it is not certain, when the costs are reckoned up, that it is worth it for conventional farms to replace chemistry with remote-controlled weed fighters – yet.

“There is no market for it now, because sprays are so cheap. But we know that environmental requirements will come which will create a market in the future,” says Niels Jul Jacobsen.

The target group for field robots is thus initially organic farms and outdoor nurseries, where the crop has a higher value per hectare than in conventional agriculture.

“New technology is always like this – expensive to produce at the beginning. There is no hope of Hortibot outcompeting large spraying machines on price, but we have created an alternative,” says Michael Nørremark.

Hortibot has reached a stage where it can handle simple tasks such as weeding rows, and where the crops are visible. But Michael Nørremark and the rest of the research team are continuing their work to develop the machine’s artificial intelligence.

“In the long term, the aim is that the robot can find the way to the field by itself and make a plan for sowing a field which has just been ploughed, but there is some way to go yet,” says Michael Nørremark.

Hortibot is equipped at present with an internal combustion engine, but the Hortibot of the future will be more environmentally friendly.

“In the future vehicles will not run on fossil fuels but on electricity, renewable energy or biofuel,” concludes Michael Nørremark.

Live-reportage on fd.denmark.dk

Robots to weed

No more is needed than a small Danish company and a good idea to create technology which can lead to growth and a better agricultural environment

By Nadia Louise Kristensen

Top right: The mechanical pincer robot from FP Engineering is ready to go on sale in 2009
Bottom left:The non-toxic flame-weeder from FP Engineering has been ten years in the making. Hopefully it will be ready for sale in 2010.

Switch on, switch off, switch on, switch off. Small plasma gas flames are switching on and off at a furious pace. The flames measure just 10 millimetres in diameter and are only 100 millimetres long. They switch off when they pass an onion and switch on again when they encounter a weed. The gas burner is part of a brand new agricultural robot which can remove weeds. The method is non-toxic and has taken Danish company FP Engineering nearly ten years to develop. Thermal precision weeding is the official term for this method. The company just lacks the last adjustments to make the burner stable, but in about a year it should be ready for sale.

One of Denmark’s leading outdoor nurseries has tested the robot on its onion fields, and has great expectations of what it can achieve.

“We can use robots to rationalise our working procedures in production, so that fewer man hours are needed and we will be less dependent on labour. We can produce the bulk of our production organically, and at a lower price,” says Axel Månsson, who owns the outdoor nursery Månssons.

The target group is primarily countries where labour is so expensive that it is worth it to replace human beings with robots.

The two biggest challenges have been to get the burner to switch on and off at high speed, and to get the robot to distinguish between weeds and onions.

“We cannot get the robot to recognise all types of weeds. That is virtually impossible. But we can get the robot to recognise the special features of onions. There was no camera on the market that we could use, so we had to develop a special plant camera ourselves,” says Frank Poulsen, who is an entrepreneur and the owner of FP Engineering.

The challenge is that you cannot control sunlight. Colours change depending on whether the sun is rising, high in the sky, or setting. The solution was a camera with a special lens which will only look for chlorophyll and not be distracted by soil or stones or other things such as straw or dead plant remains which often lie on the fields.

Robots replace pesticides

The obvious target group is organic farms, but Frank Poulsen believes that robots which can remove weeds mechanically
or with a burner can outcompete sprays.

“When you are spraying, you are in principle just applying a substance that the utility plant can tolerate and which destroys weeds. But it is a modified truth that the utility plant can tolerate it. The situation is similar to giving a cancer patient chemotherapy. It kills the cancer, but it also weakens the patient significantly.

It is a question of price. If it is worth it for growers to use robots instead of sprays, they will do it. They cannot afford to lag behind,” says Frank Poulsen.

He has also developed an agricultural robot which can remove weeds with a pincer that moves in and out of the rows. It uses the same method as the flame robot, to localise what is a weed and what is a crop plant. But instead of burning the weed, it removes it mechanically with the pincer. Again the method is non-toxic.

“The disadvantage of removing weeds mechanically instead of burning it away, is that it disturbs the soil and alters the environment of the seeds produced by the weeds. Some seeds are triggered to germinate because they are moved closer to the surface or dug deeper so that the new moisture and light conditions suit the seed. By weeding without touching the soil, you can make do with less weeding. On the other hand, the burning method is more expensive,” says Frank Poulsen.

The pincer robot is ready to go on sale this year, and Frank Poulsen’s German dealer, Kress, has recently shown a film of the robot at the Dutch agricultural fair BioVak.

“My German dealer has a strong demand for these robots. I also have requests from Australia and New Zealand,” says Frank Poulsen.

Small Robot - big perspective

It was a Danish fruit grower who sowed the seeds for a fruit-picking robot which can overcome the problem of getting seasonal workers in the sector

By Nadia Louise Kristensen

There was a time when fruit pickers streamed from Eastern Europe to plantations in Western Europe each autumn to pick the ripened fruit. But now, fewer and fewer come in search of this tough and tedious work.

“We have started having problems getting seasonal workers. And in the long term, we can see that there are problems of both getting labour and competing on equal terms with those countries which have cheaper labour,” says Jan Jæger, who owns the Danish fruit plantation Kærsbo Frugtplantage.

The plantation has an annual production of between 200 and 300 tons of fruit – mostly apples and pears. And it is not the only the plantation that has that difficulty. Despite the financial crisis, problems getting labour in the future are still likely to be felt in several western countries.

“We are facing a general demographic challenge in the western world, with more and more elderly in the population. Labour will be in great demand, and the work needed to be done goes in the direction of job types that require human understanding. So it will be necessary to use robots for work that is dull, dirty and dangerous. That is where we must release human labour from, initially,” opines Christian Klit Johansen, project manager for the apple-picking robot at RoboCluster, a Danish innovation network which is engaged in developing robots, automation and intelligent mechanical systems.

That is also the reason why Robo-Cluster seized on the idea when Jan Jæger contacted them three years ago
for assistance in developing a robot which could replace the declining labour pool in Denmark and other western countries.

But the challenges are considerable. To put it mildly, trees are not robot-friendly. Branches stick out in all directions from different places on the trunk. And then there is the problem of assessing whether the apple is ripe for picking.

“When you pick an apple manually, you make a picking movement where you can feel whether the stalk is ready to release the fruit. How do you replicate that feeling in a robot?” asks Christian Klit Johansen.

One also has to ensure that the robot does not pull so hard that it bruises the fruit.

The research team cannot yet disclose how they have solved the problem since they are in the process of filing for a patent on the special robot.

Robots must match people

The researchers have made the first tests, and the robot is picking as fast as a human being, but in contrast to human beings it does not need rest periods. So the harvest is likely to be gathered faster.

“Experience from industry shows that if you present robot solutions that do the job just as well as people, but slower, then industry does not accept it – even if it’s cheaper. So the robot must be at least as quick as a human being if fruit growers worldwide are to accept the apple-picking robot,” says Christian Klit Johansen.

The robot has no limitations linguistically and can in principle function in any country, but China for example is however still excluded as a potential buyer.

“The target group is countries with wages on a level with Denmark, for example Germany, France, Italy and USA. China is not so interesting as long as it has such inexpensive labour,” he says.

The earliest the robot will be completed is in three years. There are some adjustments to be made before it is ready to go into plantations around the world.

“We have reached a point where we have all the building blocks, but there are always some surprises that will surface, which take time to handle,” says Christian Klit Johansen.

In the long term, the aim is to develop the robot so that it can help to thin out the fruit trees in spring and prune branches in winter.

At Kærsbo Frugtplantage, they are looking forward to the completion of the robot.

“We will be able to compete better because we do not need to use expensive labour, and we will also eliminate the uncertainty of whether we can get enough seasonal workers for the harvest. But it is also a major incentive that we will eliminate monotonous work for human beings” says Jan Jæger.

THEME | ORGANIC SUCCESS

Fruitful times for Danish organic food

Denmark was named organic Country of the Year at the world’s largest organic food fair, BioFach, which was held in Germany in February this year

By Inge Kjærgaard

The Danish Minister for Food, Agriculture and Fisheries, Eva Kjer Hansen, at the world’s largest organic food fair, Biofach, where Denmark was named Country of the Year.
Photo: Økologisk Landsforening

’Danish’ and ’organic’. Two words that go commendably well together. Denmark was named Country of the Year at the world’s largest organic food fair, BioFach, which was held in February in Nuremberg, Germany. With purchasers, wholesalers, producers of convenience goods and chefs flocking there from all over the world, the accolade bestowed on Denmark means bundles of attention before, during and after the fair.

“As Country of the Year, there is extra focus on Denmark and Danish organic food. At the fair, Denmark naturally gets more contacts, which then should result in increased exports,” explains Mette Gammicchia of the Agricultural Council of Denmark.

Sales of Danish organic food are flourishing; exports in 2007 reached almost DKK 500 million (EUR 67 million), a twofold increase compared to 2006. Exports for 2008 have not yet been totalled, but the figure will be somewhat larger than for 2007 although not the same increase, opines Organic Denmark, an association for farmers, companies and consumers.

Denmark has become an attractive collaboration partner in organic food for many foreign companies and retail chains.

“On the product side, Denmark is perhaps one or two generations ahead
of the demand in a number of the other European countries. Danish producers are especially good at developing products for all price levels and consumer segments,” says Klaus Bentzen of Organic Denmark.

Danish organic products also have strong credibility among Danish and foreign consumers alike, due in part to the very thorough product control.

“It is important that Denmark maintains the same strict product control. Danish organic food is wholly dependent on a continued high level of credibility,” says Klaus Bentzen.

A trend that has come to stay

The Danish organic food industry can especially thank the domestic market for its flourishing growth. Denmark’s per capita consumption of organic food is among the highest in the world – 5.8% of total food consumption in 2007.

“It has helped create a good foundation for Danish production that the domestic market is so big. And there is a unique collaboration between consumers, producers, the retail trade and the state,” explains Mette Gammicchia.

The collaboration comprises joint campaigns to promote increased consumption, and thereby production, of organic food in Denmark. The collaboration also ensures that production is driven by demand, thereby avoiding excesses of supply.

The financial crisis is on many people’s lips at the moment, but Organic Denmark remains optimistic about growth in organic food. Consumers have taken to it – and there is much to indicate that they are not altering their behaviour.

“The German market reacts quickly to changing conditions, so we have monitored Germany closely. But German buyers say that things are going well for organic food, a lot better than they had expected. Consumer behaviour seems to be stronger than financial crisis,” says Klaus Bentzen.

The financial crisis does not seem to be affecting sales that much on the domestic market either. No one knows what the future will bring, but the Agricultural Council of Denmark thinks that many markets will probably see a decline.

“The drop does not however appear to be so big in Denmark. Consumers who want organic food have made their decision regardless of what it costs. And with the big focus on sustainability, environment and health in the rest of the world, there will also be increasing demand there in the future. It is a trend that has come to stay,” thinks Mette Gammicchia.

After Germany, Denmark’s largest export markets are Sweden and the UK – countries to which Denmark already has significant agricultural exports.

“Danish producers can exploit the good position they already have in those countries. That is a great benefit.

Companies have solid market knowledge and know how to target the products to consumers there,” says Mette Gammicchia.

It is part of Denmark’s export strategy to concentrate on neighbouring markets, because consumers do not only think
of organic food – they also think of the environment.

“Consumers in the respective markets think it important that a product has not been transported from the other side of the globe. They want to take the environment into consideration. So Denmark’s export strategy focuses on nearby markets in Europe,” explains Klaus Bentzen.

Looking ahead, Denmark is set to plough its organic furrow in the same fruitful style.

“Danish producers will try even harder to satisfy consumer needs, both by following overall food trends, and by putting fresh development into old agricultural varieties, so they provide unique taste experiences,” he concludes.

THEME | AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH

Agricultural research – benefits farmers and climate

Focus Denmark has visited Denmark’s leading research centre for organic food, livestock and plants. Some of the world’s most outstanding research in agriculture and food production is being conducted there.

By Inge Kjærgaard
Photos: Poul Madsen

Clean and orderly stable at Research Centre Foulum.

It lies in western Denmark, far from the capital where the major political decisions are made. But Research Centre Foulum is very much influenced by what is on the political agenda – and exerts some influence in return. There are currently about 3,000 ongoing projects, representing Denmark’s most outstanding research in agriculture – research which is being spread to the whole world.

Foulum has existed in its current form for nearly 25 years. A couple of years ago, it became part of the University of Aarhus, which now runs courses at the centre. On the 550 hectares that Foulum occupies, research is conducted in livestock, plants, biogas and much more besides. Walking between the various departments quickly racks up the kilometres, so some of our transportation was by car. Even if you walked at a brisk pace across the area that Foulum lies on, it would still take almost an hour.

In the middle of the whole area lie the administration and the research departments. This is where the staff do their daily work – meetings, introductions and presentations for researchers, politicians, educators, agricultural consultants and students.

Around this large building are all the livestock buildings housing pigs, cows, poultry and sheep, and lots of green fields. More than 600 people work here every day – some in rubber boots and boiler suits, others in ordinary clothes. Some of the staff, mainly researchers from abroad and PhD students, even live at Foulum. It is rather like a micro-society within society at large. They have their own livestock buildings, feed storage facilities and abattoir.

Research from Foulum is published in numerous international journals, so the knowledge generated here is spread around the world.

Cows are a focal point

Climate is an important research subject at Foulum, and cows are one of the new focal points. Because when a cow burps, which it actually does quite frequently, it releases considerable quantities of the anthropogenic greenhouse gas methane from its rumen into the air. That is not good for the environment. The research centre is in the initial phase of testing methane release by cows, with some of the cows enclosed in a tent for a period of time. This enables methane release to be measured, and various types of feed tested to see whether feeds can be formulated that reduce methane emissions.

The cows involved in this research are Friesians of a rather unique kind. Inside a special cowshed lives a small herd, each with a small hole on their left side into the rumen – what is called a rumen fistula. It sounds severe but the cows do not look troubled.

These cows are used to test feed optimisation and feed composition – but otherwise they live an ordinary bovine life – they produce calves, eat, burp and sleep.

“A visitor once asked, ’Do the authorities know what is going on out here?’” says senior researcher Torben Hvelplund. The answer is yes, the authorities do know about it.

“The operation itself is perhaps a little unpleasant, but it is carried out by competent veterinary surgeons and under sedation. During the test, the cows are given a bit more care than the others. They get a good deal of attention,” he says, patting one of them.

Some of the cows in the test shed also have two cannulas on the right side of their stomachs, one at the beginning of the small intestine and one at the end. This enables the researchers to divide the digestive tract into three sections and examine what happens in them. They can study how the feed is digested and formulate feed that fits to what happens in the various parts of the digestive tract – and so improve the exploitation of the feed.

“We have been able to improve protein utilisation by doing this type of research. It is about combining feeds to produce the best possible result,” explains Torben Hvelplund.

Top: The cow looks calm and relaxed whilst a researcher checks its rumen fistula.
Bottom: The opening of the rumen fistula.

Foulum gets research award

Another research area which has importance worldwide – and for which Foulum has received an award – is modern cattle breeding.

The essence of cattle breeding is to find a good bull and mate it with a good cow – and hopefully produce even better cattle by enhancing the positive characteristics in the offspring. The problem is that it is quite difficult to find a the bull that is better than the others. After many years research at Foulum, they have developed a technique of extracting cells from a blood sample just after the bull calf has been born. By measuring a number of indicators, it can be determined whether the calf is a good one and thereby eliminate the 90 per cent which are not suitable as breeding bulls.

Up to now, bull calves have been selected for breeding from apparently good parents. When the bull is sexually mature, it is mated with a number of heifers and cows, its semen is also collected, frozen and stored for possible later use, and then the bull is slaughtered. Milk yield and health condition is then measured in the offspring; it is not until then that one can determine whether the bull actually was good. If it passes the test, its stored semen can be used. If it fails, that’s just hard luck in a process that takes four to five years.

“The new research will really make a difference. It will result in massive financial savings for cattle breeders around the world,” says head of communication Claus Bo Andreasen.

Live-reportage on fd.denmark.dk

Plant research is carried out both above and below ground.

Research focused on climate

Climate is at the top of the world’s agenda. This clearly shows in the research presently taking place at the agricultural research centre in Foulum

By Inge Kjærgaard

The flag is standing out horizontally from the flagpole at Research Centre Foulum. The air temperature is around 5ºC. Clouds are racing across the sky – from time to time snowflakes mingle with the squally showers. It is a very raw and chilly January day – a day when global warming is hardly front of mind. But it is very much front of mind at Foulum. There is a great demand for research into ways and means of curbing global warming. This type of research has entered a new era. Ten years ago, it was difficult to get financing, but now climate is at the top of the entire world’s agenda. Foulum’s research projects depend on the current political focus and what companies would like to develop.

Organic grazing

Organic farms in Denmark and abroad are growing – and so is the number of livestock. This necessitates larger pastures, but there are limits to how far a cow will walk between grazing and milking. On the other hand, the farmer cannot put cows out on the same pasture close to the farm year after year, because if the same crop (grass) is repeatedly planted, its nutritional value disappears. And using fertiliser to optimise pasture is not an option for an organic farmer. This is one of the challenges which Foulum has taken up.

Research is being conducted into how organic farmers can use fields close to their farms for grazing, and fields further away for crops, and how they can efficiently prepare fields for grazing. One of the research projects is seven-field crop rotation, where on each field a new crop is successively sown each year to avoid nitrogen leaching out of the soil. Nitrogen adds nutritional value to grass, and ultimately ensures good milk production from dairy cattle. It is also beneficial to the climate that nitrogen is taken up by the grass rather than remaining in the soil.

Subterranean plant research

Some of the plant research at Foulum is done indoors, and some outdoors. Roof sections mounted on tracks can run across large areas, so that the amount of rain and sun the plants receive can be controlled. Underground, there is a long tunnel, whose grey concrete walls are lit only by neon tubes. Down here, the researchers can take samples and examine the soil’s ability to reduce for example nitrate and pesticides.

Ingrid Thomsen conducts research into reducing leaching, so that nitrogen does not seep into the ground water. This can

be achieved by planting a pre-harvest catch crop such as fodder radish or rye grass. These crops grow very quickly and take up large amounts of nitrogen.

“We can feel an increased focus on climate. There is a lot of project work being carried out that has an environmental character,” says Ingrid Thomsen.

The research work at Foulum is being carried out both above and below ground – and when completed it could have considerable impact on legislation in Denmark – for example on how and what a farmer sows.

“It could have quite a lot of impact in terms of legislation. Right now there is enforced cultivation of post-harvest catch crops in Denmark to reduce nitrogen leaching, but the post-harvest catch crops have a longer growth period, which possibly could be replaced by more pre-harvest catch crops,” concludes Ingrid Thomsen.

Monitoring cattle from the office

When a cow becomes sick, the farmer must not supply milk from it. But with new systems where the milk is analysed at each milking, diseases can be discovered before they manifest themselves.

By Inge Kjærgaard

About eight years ago, a group of researchers at Research Centre Foulum applied for funding for a project to be run in parallel together with two companies. The objective was to find methods to continuously analyse cow’s milk. Torben Larsen, senior researcher at the Department of Animal Health, Welfare and Nutrition, Research Centre Foulum, procured the analytical equipment and robots that would assist him during the tests.

The project is still ongoing and when the senior researcher talks about it, the corners of his mouth slip into hiding in his moustache. He has worked together with the robots since the start of the project and has got to know them very well over time. They don’t chatter – but on the other hand they provide 600 milk tests per day.

“We really get a lot out of the robots. We have made hundreds of thousands of analyses in this project, and we have progressed far,” says Torben Larsen with a contented smile.

The research race

In Torben Larsen’s laboratory, systems
are being developed to analyse milk and thereby provide a health picture of the cow. In that way various diseases such as udder infection and metabolic disorders can be revealed. The milk is analysed while the cow is being milked. The system is controlled from the farmer’s office and immediately gives a warning if a cow is sick or is becoming sick. The milk analysis can catch some diseases as much as four days before the symptoms can be physically observed. The cow does not need to be taken out of production, because the disease can be prevented in time.

“When we started, similar tests were initiated in a couple of other places in the world, but they are no longer running,” says Torben Larsen.

Tests are often introduced in several places at the same time. To the researchers, it is about ’getting there first’, because the research project which is first to be patented or receives the best financial support, ’wins’. And the research group at Foulum won. It does not necessarily mean however that the research is wasted if you do not get there first. There is still an opportunity to publish the material, which can then be used by others.

System in use in the Netherlands

Based on the group’s research, an apparatus has been developed and put into use in livestock buildings in the Netherlands. It is important to the farmer, because as the herds increase in size, it is more difficult to get around them all and check how each animal is faring. By analysing the milk continuously, an eye is being kept on the cow, and the farmer can in many cases avoid the need to call out a vet.

“It takes many years to develop such a system. It has to be reliable so that the farmer is only alerted if there really is something wrong. Otherwise there can be too many false warnings. The system must know exactly what it must react to, and the farmer must know how to respond to a milk test,” says Torben Larsen.

From slurry to gas

Biogas production is an old technology, but it is on its way to a renaissance. With a new test plant, the world’s biggest, Denmark can once again get back in the driving seat of research

By Inge Kjærgaard

Research at the full-scale biogas plant at Foulum.

In the mid-1980s Denmark was a pioneer in the biogas area. But it was difficult to reap financial rewards, and the research lost its momentum. Now Danish biogas research is entering the arena again in the fight against climate change.

In 2007, a new biogas research plant was taken into use at Research Centre Foulum which represents a milestone in the development of new biogas technologies.

It is a full-scale plant that enables researchers to test new methods and technologies at a well-documented scientific level. Testing is still in its initial phase, but there is already considerable optimism.

The research being conducted in the new plant will have importance for the development of biogas in several areas. The aim is both to make biogas plants more efficient and to reduce the amount of liquid in slurry so it becomes more suitable as a fuel in biogas plants.

“The objective is to develop a new generation of more efficient plants, where we are able to get 10 to 20 per cent more energy out of the slurry,” says Henrik Møller, a senior researcher at the plant.

The research centre is also developing better equipment for process control of the biogas. It is important that the researchers can document the effect of the plant in order for biogas to seriously gain ground.

“We have to be able to determine how much less methane is discharged from slurry that has been through a biogas process in order to be able to document the ’climate effect’ of biogas plants,” he explains.

By looking at the entire process, it can be determined how much it costs to reduce CO2 with this technology. Up to now, no reliable figures on costs have been available, and the effect of reduced methane discharge from the slurry has not been factored in. Only a small part of the process has been looked at and so there is no complete picture of what biogas means in terms of benefits for the climate.

The tests at Foulum will make it possible to provide an accurate and qualified calculation of the effects of converting slurry into biogas. The government can then use the results in the overall climate accounts.

Today five per cent of livestock manure in Denmark is used for biogas production. That figure can increase significantly. It will not only be beneficial because energy and heat can be produced from biogas, but it will also benefit the climate because by converting slurry to biogas, less methane is released into the atmosphere. Degasification thus has a double role in relation to the climate.

INVEST IN DENMARK

Matchmaking across borders

Invest in Denmark brings new business partners together and gives international investors rapid courses on how to establish a company in Denmark.

By Solveig Willum

In times of intense global competition, companies are in constant search of countries and regions with the best labour and the best manufacturing and research environment. Before choosing where to expand or relocate a company, it is essential to know about tax rules, labour market, infrastructure, potential partners, competitors and a lot more besides. But in a global market economy, it is not possible to gain a total overview in one go.

All too many investors and research-based companies miss out on a good match because they do not know the opportunities. Invest in Denmark functions as a matchmaker and advisor for companies seeking to strengthen their business with a presence in Denmark.

“When you are not present in a region, it is practically impossible to know the advantages and disadvantages of choosing to invest in one country rather than another,” says director of Invest in Denmark, Ole Frijs-Madsen.

Invest in Denmark, which is part of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, provides investors with the necessary information to make qualified decisions. It could be to point up a financial benefit such as tax exemption on electric cars, core competences in wireless technology or finding the perfect match for a company that needs an innovation partner.

“The staff at Invest in Denmark have backgrounds in business and research. So they are able both to advise on Danish business conditions and create contacts with relevant projects and innovation environments,” explains Ole Frijs-Madsen.

Invest in Denmark’s principal role is to attract investors to the country, and primarily focuses on four clusters: renewable energy, IT and telecommunication, life science and the maritime sector.

In these sectors, Invest in Denmark makes contact with foreign companies to provide offers, as well as providing calculations for other investors who make approaches. All consultancy work is confidential.

From 13 of the world’s global hotspots the organisation is on the lookout for companies and venture firms that can bring new knowledge and innovative jobs to Denmark. It can be companies seeking to move or expand, venture companies looking for promising research to invest in, or established companies that lack the necessary partners to move into new business areas.

If they match the Danish innovation environments, Invest in Denmark offers and provides – free of charge – a review of the company’s opportunities and barriers in Denmark.

Free consultancy on the Danish market

Invest in Denmark aims to show investors that despite the financial crisis there is still a future in making investments in Denmark. So far the investment flow in 2009 seems to confirm this.

Invest in Denmark explores the market for the individual company and creates an overview of the information that is relevant to the company. It could be information on how to set up a company, what labour is available and under which terms, tax conditions, or how the market looks as a whole.

Invest in Denmark has staff with both commercial and research backgrounds located regionally throughout the country.

They know their local area and are thus able to find the best matches between foreign investors and Danish companies, researchers, projects or areas.

“We identify specific projects or companies which can help the investor’s international development and business,” explains Ole Frijs-Madsen.

Subsequently, Invest in Denmark arranges fact-finding tours to Denmark, where investors are shown around and introduced to potential collaboration partners and research institutions.

Invest in Denmark has among others helped is Zhejiang New Jialian Electronics, one of China’s largest microelectronics companies, which has established a collaboration with Danish acoustics research and development centres.

International collaboration through innovation centers

Three innovation centers in Munich, Silicon Valley and Shanghai form the basis of Invest in Denmark’s activities to bring new knowledge and capital to Denmark. The centers also help Danish companies and researchers with their international aspirations.

“An increasing number of research institutions and companies are opening up their R&D activities and innovation to collaboration partners from abroad. It is thus important to find those collaboration partners that match the company’s or research institution’s need for new technology, knowledge and the like,” says Pia Starbæk Szczepanski, chief consultant at the Trade Council of Denmark, the Foreign Ministry, and adds:

“It is especially a challenge for small and medium-sized enterprises to establish international collaborations around research, development and innovation.”

The innovation centers help Danish companies and research institutions find foreign collaboration partners and innovation environments. They also help to develop business models and find venture capital. The staff at the innovation centers know both the Danish research and innovation environments, and what is going on in their region. The centers primarily focus on high-tech sectors such as environment and energy, ICT and life science.

Companies and research institutions from Denmark can also lease office space and facilities at the innovation centers. Small enterprises in particular make use of this offer.

“Physical presence is especially important if there is a desire to establish more long-term collaborations with foreign partners. In addition, it naturally gives a better idea of what is going on when you attend local conferences and events,” explains Pia Starbæk Szczepanski.

In addition to company consultancy, the innovation centers also initiate activities and projects that help create a good framework for establishment of new collaborations between Danish and foreign players.

In 2009, the innovation centers are carrying out a range of activities focused on green IT. The activities involve Danish and foreign partners in workshops, match-making and marketing of Danish key competences.

Invest in Denmark

Head Office
Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark, Copenhagen
+ 45 3392 1116

Europe
Ambassade Royale de Danemark, Paris
+ 33 144 312 193

North America
Royal Danish Consulate General, New York
+ 1 212 223 4545

Japan, Korea and Taiwan
Royal Danish Embassy, Tokyo +81 3 3496 3001

China and India
Royal Danish Consulate General, Shanghai
+86 21 6209 0500

For information on Invest in Denmark’s other office locations worldwide, visit investindk.com or e-mail info@investindk.com

Innovation Centers

Silicon Valley
+ 1 (650) 543 3180 http://www.siliconvalley.um.dk

Shanghai
+ 86 (21) 5497 2000 http://www.shanghai.um.dk

Munich
+ 49 (89) 545 8540 http://www.icdmuenchen.um.dk

Denmark test country for electric car technology

It started with a contact made between an Invest in Denmark employee and Better Place – a company involved in creating infrastructure for electric cars. That contact resulted in Better Place entering a DKK 770 million (EUR 103 million) collaboration with Denmark’s DONG Energy, northern Europe’s leading energy company, in 2008 to establish a network of battery exchange and recharging stations for electric cars in Denmark. In January 2009, former Microsoft corporate vice president Jens Moberg was enticed from USA to Denmark to become director of Better Place Denmark.

As the first country in Europe to introduce an electric car network, Denmark will also function as a prototype and advisor when Better Place expands into other countries at a later stage. Several other international automobile manufacturers are now looking at Denmark as a test and development country for electric cars, intelligent solutions for recharging stations (smart grids) and battery technology.

The UN Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen in December, where the successor to the Kyoto Protocol will be sought, is creating heightened attention around alternatives to combustion engine cars, including electric cars.

FISHERY

Ensuring fish in the future

Denmark is the world’s fourth largest exporter

Denmark is the world’s fourth largest exporter of fish, and plenty of effort is being put into meeting consumer demand for for sustainable fish

By Inge Kjærgaard

Bacon, yes. Design, yes. Fish? Denmark is surrounded by sea – but is not particularly known for its fish, either by the wider world or even by Danes themselves. Denmark is a small country of only 43,000 square kilometres, but when it comes to fishery and the future safeguarding of the industry, Denmark plays a major role.

Denmark is the world’s fourth largest exporter of fish and the largest exporter of the 27 countries comprising the EU. Each year, Denmark generates exports of DKK 19 billion (EUR 2.55 billion).

“Denmark has always been a major fishing nation. But the population is small and companies are forced to cultivate customer markets beyond its borders. So in export terms, Denmark has a leading position in fishery,” explains Christian Eskelund-Hansen, chief consultant at the confederation of Danish industries, DI.

Another reason why the fishing industry is doing so well is the constant awareness of what consumers round the world are demanding.

“Whereas the Danish fishing industry previously concentrated on what was caught in local waters, there is now increasing focus on global consumer demand for fish from distant markets. So the industry is also importing fish to process it and re-export it. In addition, Danish ships have increased in size and have optimised their efficiency,” says Christian Eskelund-Hansen.

Getting cod out of the net

But for the fishing industry, it is not just about importing and exporting and achieving the highest possible financial gain. It is also about ensuring that there is fish in the future. Sustainability. One of the places where intensive research is being conducted is DTU Aqua, an institute at the Technical University of Denmark whose activities include research, consultancy, training, innovation and communication in sustainable exploitation of living resources and marine ecosystems. Fish and fishing, all the way from sea to stomach – every aspect of fishery and marine research.

One of DTU Aqua’s key tasks is to advise the Danish Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Fisheries and the European Commission regarding exploitation of living resources and food quality.

DTU Aqua has a research vessel, RV DANA, which is an important platform for investigative and monitoring work. The vessel is part of an international collaboration between all the countries around the North Atlantic and Baltic Sea on monitoring the oceans and advising on fish stocks.

“We are a significant component of that collaboration. We supply data and provide input from our monitoring. We carry out laboratory work, process the data and formulate the biological advice,” says Eskild Kirkegaard, chief fishery advisor at DTU Aqua.

The research at DTU Aqua is geared to the development of more selective fishing tools, so that fishermen only catch the species that they want to catch and get as much as possible out of the stocks. It means more sustainable fishing.

In practice, when fishermen are for example catching cod, they get the right size fish in the net – and avoid netting fish which are too small. Cod is an important fish for both Denmark and the countries that fish the same waters as Denmark, but it has been overfished for some years. Now cod stocks are threatened, and fishermen have limited opportunities for catching them. One of the problems has been that undersize cod have been caught in the nets - with the result that stocks are not optimally exploited. Another problem is that cod has a tendency to become caught in nets used for fishing Norwegian lobsters. Since the fishermen have no right to catch these cod, they have no alternative but to throw them overboard, even though they do not survive. The solution to the problem is a selective trawl, from which cod can escape.

“The cod is a bit slow, so when it discovers that it has got into a net, it is usually too late. We have designed a new trawl where the cod can quickly escape, without the Norwegian lobsters also rolling out,” explains Niels Madsen, senior researcher on the project.

Another challenge for the fishermen is that what they are allowed to catch changes in different periods and different areas.

“We have invented a new concept, where the fishermen themselves can change the size of the mesh and control what they catch. And that benefits the fish stocks,” says Niels Madsen.

The tools are not only interesting to Danish fishermen. Other nations fishing the same seas or for the same types of catch, also have an interest in the research at DTU Aqua.

“Catching the wrong fish in the net is a problem all over the world, and Denmark has made considerable advances in developing selective fishing tools. Danish research will have an effect in this area in the future,” anticipates Niels Madsen.

From the 1970s until 2000, there was intense debate about overfishing of threatened species in the world’s oceans.

Many stocks were threatened by ever-increasing fishing intensity. According to Eskild Kirkegaard, DTU Aqua has helped turn that trend around.

“Our efforts together with our sister organisations have really made a difference in this respect. We have outlined how the problems can be solved, and we are now starting to see an improvement. Many fish stocks are recovering – and when we get the stocks rebuilt, it also benefits the fishing industry,” he says.

A label for sustainability

For many years, meat, fruit and vegetables have been eco-labelled so that consumers can see that they are buying an organic or sustainable product. Adding fish to this list is now a serious consideration. Denmark wants to focus on sustainable fish, and there are major development opportunities in this direction. The Danish fishing industry association, Dansk Fisk, has initiated a collaboration with the Danish division of World Wide Fund for Nature to create a codex for sustainability so that companies can obtain the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) label. This is an international certification which ensures consumers that they are buying sustainable fish products.

“Many Danish companies are already MSC labelled. So we are constructing a codex which all links in the supply chain from sea to table will support. The codex requires that the parties commit themselves to MSC labelling the bulk of the fish they catch, process and sell in the future,” says Christian Eskelund-Hansen and adds:

“Becoming certified is naturally not cost-free, but it will help ensure economic growth because consumers in trend-setting markets are increasingly demanding sustainable products.”

The Fishing nation that doesn't eat fish

Denmark is surrounded by sea, and from that sea comes thousands of fish. But despite health benefits and campaigns, Danes are not big fish eaters

By Inge Kjærgaard

Photos: Scanpix

About ten years ago, there was a regular commercial on Danish TV featuring a middle-aged, slightly daft couple. ’Fish is not so bad, after all’ was the message, as it urged the population to remember to include fish when planning meals. A couple of years ago another campaign, backed by a big budget, hit the nation’s screens. People were again reminded that fish is healthy and should be eaten twice a week – preferably 300 grams per person per week. Figures from the Danish Fish Retailers Association show that the average consumption of fish increased from 147 grams per week in 2004 to 166 grams in 2006 – i.e. little more than half of what experts recommend.

The Danish Fish Retailers Association believes that part of the explanation lies in Danish culinary capabilities – or the lack of them. The message that eating fish is healthy has been understood, but many think that fish is too much trouble to prepare. Kitchen skills and knowledge of fish and shellfish are simply not good enough to ensure that the population eats enough of all those fish swimming about in the waters around the country.

Lots of cookery books devoted to fish have been written, but they have not made much of an impression on Danes’ fish consumption.

Professor Karen Brunsø at MAPP – Centre for research on customer relations in the food sector, Aarhus School of Business, has conducted a major study on fish. She is also of the opinion that inadequate knowledge of how to prepare fish is one of the reasons why so little fish gets eaten. “Danes are not properly schooled in making fish dishes, and in busy everyday life, many choose the dishes they are more familiar with. Most decide what they want for supper when they are in the supermarket. And it isn’t a fish recipe that’s front of mind,” she says.

Another reason for the low consumption of fish is the availability of fish.

“If you look at the choice of fresh fish in Danish supermarkets, it is generally not so varied, and frozen fish has an undeserved reputation of not being very fresh,” says Karen Brunsø.

Fish shops are also becoming a rare sight in Denmark, so the opportunities to buy fresh fish are limited.

Neither Karen Brunsø nor the Danish Fish Retailers Association have any clear impression of whether Danes will become better at eating fish in the future. But they think they should be reminded about the good qualities of fish at regular intervals.

Fish-prize to Danish chef

A fourth place overall and a special prize for the best fish dish went to Denmark's Jasper Kure during this year’s international Bocuse d’Or contest.

By Annemarie Zinck

Danish chef Jasper Kure concentrates on his award-winning fish dish at the Bocuse d’Or contest. Right: Danish spectators cheering and drumming wooden spoons.
Photos: Claes Bech-Poulsen

Although Danes are generally not great fish chefs, there are exceptions. In January this year Danish chef Jasper Kure was ranked fourth in the prestigious world cuisine contest Bocuse d’Or in France. Not only that, he also won a special prize for the best meat dish, as well as for the best fish dish.

Among the panel of judges for the cuisine contest was the 82 year old French Chef de Cuisine himself, Paul Bocuse, after whom the contest is named. Also among the judges tasting the culinary masterpieces was René Redzepi, head chef at Noma – Denmark’s only two-star Michelin restaurant.

In the contest, each chef is given the same ingredients, from which they create a dish for 14 people. It was another Nordic country that won gold in this endeavour, namely Norway.

A cuisine contest like Bocuse d’Or is not a quiet event. There were 4,000 spectators gazing on while chefs from 24 countries conjured up their creations. The 100 Danish spectators cheered loudly, drumming wooden spoons and chanting battle songs for the Danish contestant. Indeed so vociferous were they, that it was necessary to call for hush on occasions.

Jasper Kure has been working with dedication towards the contest since he saw it for the first time in 2001 – the same year he qualified as a skilled chef from a fish restaurant in Copenhagen.

The Danish Minister for Food, Agriculture and Fisheries, Eva Kjer Hansen, was in France to watch the Danish contestant. Her impression of the event was that Danish gastronomy garners great respect, on which the minister would like to build. The minister´s objective is to attract the next European Bocuse d’Or to Denmark. Hosting the competition will enable Denmark to strengthen its position as a gastronomically strong nation.

The latest European Bocuse d’Or was held in summer 2008 in Norway, where Jasper Kure won silver, while Norway again took gold.

In October 2008, a group of Danish private individuals, mainly with connections to the culinary profession and the food industry, created the Bocuse d’Or Foundation, whose aim is to provide backing and financial support to chefs from Denmark competing in Bocuse d’Or cuisine contests. The objective is to give these chefs the opportunity to devote themselves fully to the contest preparations.

Eva Kjer Hansen also thinks it can have a broadly stimulating effect on Danes that a Danish chef does so well in an international contest. Perhaps there is not only gold in sight on the culinary front – but also hope for fish as a Danish national dish.

The high-flying fishery

When Jens Peter Klausen talked about sustainability 10 years ago he met with opposition, but today everybody nods in agreement

By Inge Kjærgaard

J.P. Klausen & Co. is a sales and distribution firm that trades in fish and shellfish, both for further processing and direct sale to the retail trade. The company has offices in countries including China, Russia, Germany and UK, and it imports fish from Chile to New Zealand. The head office is in Svendborg, a small harbour town in Denmark.

Jens Peter Klausen is also on the advisory board of the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC), whose worldwide certification programme rewards sustainable fishing. The MSC eco-label ensures consumers that the fish is caught with consideration for the environment.

Jens Peter Klausen has been involved with MSC from the outset, and his company has taken the lead in the battle to ensure fishery far into the future. There was opposition when he talked about MSC certification ten years ago in Denmark, but now heads are nodding in agreement.

“We were the first of the leading companies to be certified. We developed the New Zealand fishing industry to certification level, and we have helped to develop certification in many countries since then,” says Jens Peter Klausen.

Thus far, the 15-year-old company has seen soaring growth. In its first year, revenues were DKK 3 million (EUR 402,000) - today it is DKK 2 billion (EUR 268 million).

“We have always had a vision to be global. We import primary produce from the whole world, and we deliver to every continent. Our mission is to process our resources in a sensible way to ensure that the stock is still there in ten years. In that way we also safeguard our business,” he says.

The financial crisis is currently on many people’s lips, including Jens Peter Klausen’s – but his face is not fixed in a frown. He thinks the immediate future is slightly problematic, and that it is difficult to see how it will develop. But at the same time, there is growing demand for fish and opportunities to enter new markets.

“There are several countries such as China, where general incomes are increasing and the demand for fish products is rising, so we have a very optimistic view of the future. Many companies see crisis signs, while we see opportunities to expand even more,” concludes Jens Peter Klausen.

OFF TO SHANGHAI

Swimming off to Shanghai

Copenhagen City Council takes the plunge, and votes to send Copenhagen’s famous icon on her first trip out of the country.

By Nigel Mander

Photo: Scanpix

The Little Mermaid, iconic symbol of the Danish capital Copenhagen, is one of the best-known and most-photographed statues in the world. Every summer she patiently tolerates the droves of tourists who jostle to be photographed alongside her, some even clambering onto her rock to get close up and physical.

But visitors to Copenhagen from April to November next year will be in for a surprise. The Little Mermaid won’t be there. Because Copenhagen City Council has voted to ship her off to Shanghai for World Expo 2010, where she will form the centrepiece of the Danish pavilion.

Controversial concept

The idea to temporarily export the capital’s diminutive icon to the other side of the world was hatched by architects firm Bjarke Ingels Group and the 2+1 Ideas Agency, whose ambitious proposal for the Danish pavilion at World Expo 2010 was judged the winner of an architectural competition in September last year. No sooner had the winning entry been unveiled however, than it whipped up a whirlpool of controversy around the fairy-tale figure, with councillors at City Hall equally divided over whether to send the original or a copy.

Those in favour of Copenhagen’s symbolic statue taking a trip out east pointed to the importance of sending “the real thing” to Shanghai as a gesture of cultural generosity and an invitation to cultural dialogue between Denmark and China. Opponents of the plan argued that the Little Mermaid’s absence would be a huge disappointment to tourists who flock to Copenhagen from far and wide to see her. They wanted the original to stay put and a replica sent to Shanghai. With both camps garnering sizeable chunks of party political support, the scene was set for vociferous debate.

Yet this is not the first time that the Little Mermaid has found herself embroiled in a sea of troubles. During her 96 year life on the waterfront, she has on several occasions become the target of vandalism and political sabotage. She has been daubed in various hues of paint, pushed off her rock into the harbour, had her right arm cut off, and has twice been beheaded. And each time she has been lovingly restored, including the casting of a new head following the first decapitation incident in 1964 – the original head was never recovered so today’s “real thing” is actually a combination of a 45 year old head on a 96 year old body.

Here’s one for the family album. No visit to Copenhagen is complete without seeing the Little Mermaid. Assuming she’s there, of course.
Photo: Scanpix

Pulling in the crowds

But to return to the debate at City Hall. As councillors made their final pleas and prepared to cast their votes, the results of a survey of tourists by official tourism agency Wonderful Copenhagen indicated that exporting the Little Mermaid would not significantly impact tourism to the capital, since she is not exclusively the reason that tourists visit the city (although almost half those interviewed thought the idea in itself a bit strange). When put to the vote, the motion to ship the mermaid to Shanghai was carried by a convincing majority, 36 in favour to 12 against.

Copenhagen City Council’s technology and environment mayor Klaus Bondam was clearly pleased with the outcome, commenting to news agency Ritzau: “Loaning out the Little Mermaid will generate a great deal of interest in the Danish pavilion at Shanghai. She will be a crowd-puller and will help us focus attention on Denmark and Copenhagen in particular. She can help us attract foreign companies and investments to our capital city.”

The council’s decision means that an estimated 70 million people will get the opportunity to see her at World Expo 2010, where the Danish pavilion will present a theme of Copenhagen lifestyle, complete with urban cycle paths, recreation areas, and a symbolic harbour pool with the Little Mermaid herself seated serenely in the centre. As a world-renowned icon of a city she is certain to provide an attraction that other cities like New York, Paris or London could hardly copy – imagine the cost of dismantling and shipping the Statue of Liberty, the Eiffel Tower or Nelson’s Column. Being small is sometimes an advantage.

You can ride a bike around the Danish pavilion at the World Expo 2010. The aim is to give visitors the experience of what life is like in Danish cities.
Photo: Bjarke Ingels Group.

Will she be missed?

But while the Little Mermaid is away on her 8 month sojourn in the Orient, how will Copenhageners themselves feel? Will they miss the familiar presence of their famous little icon who has steadfastly sat on her harbourside rock since 1913? Next year will tell. But there is truth in the observation that city dwellers, accustomed to wending their way through environments bedecked with monuments of national pride, tend only to notice them when they are suddenly covered in scaffolding or otherwise removed from view. And there is wisdom in the old saying that absence makes the heart grow fonder. After an absence of 8 long months it will probably be no surprise to see the harbour front thronging with Copenhageners gathered to welcome their treasured Little Mermaid back again, with more than a few tears of joyful relief shed as she once again resumes her perch on the rock, to gaze wistfully out over the gently lapping waters of the harbour that is her home.

DANISH ECONOMY

1) Excluding ships and aircraft
Source: Economic Survey December 2008, Ministry of Finance

Government set to lower income tax

By chief economist Steen Bocian, Danske Bank

Photo: Scanpix

Most people agree that Denmark has a problem with its marginal tax rate. Large sections of the nation’s workforce pay over 63 per cent in tax if their income rises, so for many there is no strong incentive to increase it. If you are asked to stay on an extra hour at work, you have to be fond of your job to say yes – because you don’t get much extra money out of it.

That gives Denmark a whole range of problems. Large groups are working less than they otherwise would. The gain from taking further education is small, after tax. It is tempting for the most capable people to leave the country, and not very tempting for foreigners to come here. Companies that want to employ highly qualified staff have to pay an extra-high salary in Denmark to compensate for the tax.

Not that money is the only reason to work and advance yourself – far from it. But it is one of the reasons, and if you ease the tax on the last earned krone, there is no doubt that it pulls in the right direction. It doesn’t take that much of a change in the working outlook of that many people, to make a difference to the big picture. Furthermore, the loss to the state of lowering the top tax rate is not so great because the top tax rate doesn’t rake in particularly large amounts of money. The vast majority of top tax rate payers pay only a small sum, but are nonetheless affected by the threat of paying a lot if their incomes increase.

It is gratifying therefore – and about time – that the government has now decided a noticeable lowering of marginal tax rate. The highest marginal tax rate will drop from just over 63 per cent to about 55 per cent, and the threshold for the top tax rate is to be increased to DKK 400,000 (EUR 53,688). It means that 70 per cent of full-time employees “only” have a marginal tax rate of just under 44 per cent. We thus still have a very significant marginal tax rate for both high and low incomes, but the improvement can be seen.

To finance the tax relief, the right to deduct interest costs will be cut, green taxes will be increased and the taxation
of companies will be raised by removing special schemes in the Danish tax system. So it is not a gift shop – but the tax reform is however strongly underfinanced for the first few years – which means that the tax reform will help stimulate economic activity – at a time when the economy is in very bad shape. In 2008, GDP decreased by 1.3 per cent and as it is looks right now, there is likely to be a fall in GDP of 2.5-3 per cent during 2009.

In addition to stimulating growth, there is no doubt that the government’s decision will be an overall benefit for the vast majority of the population, because it gives us a significantly more sensible tax system. Regardless of whether individuals get direct tax easing or not, it benefits everybody that the economy gets a boost when it pays to make an extra effort.

COMPANY PROFILES

ICT LOGISTIC A/S

http://www.ict-as.dk
ict@ict-as.dk

ICT Logistics is a transport and logistics company offering its services and competences to CIS, Russia, the Baltic region and Eastern Europe. ICT’s experience is based on knowledge of working in these regions for nearly 20 years. The company’s goal is to deliver a high level of quality and reliable service to all its customers. Our competences and expertise include documentation, dangerous cargo, customs procedures and border crossing issues, oversize and heavy cargo, tailor-made solutions, rail transportation within CIS. We have skilled staff stationed in 9 offices.

MOVER TECHNOLOGY

http://www.mover-technology.com
sales@mover-technology.com

Mover Technology is a young company, based in Hadsund Denmark. The company was started by the Danish innovator Knud Erik Westergaard, especially known for the creation of KEW Industry and the electric car Kewet. The Camper Trolley is a revolutionary new product making it easier to manoeuvre a caravan or trailer. With a push of a button you can control and drive it precisely to where you want it. Mover Technology is based on innovative solutions for the large and increasing number of people with caravans and trailers e.g. for moving horses and boats.

DANISH EXPORTERS

http://www.danishexporters.dk
chk@eniro.dk – Charlotte Kjærulff

Danish Exporters is the oldest and most comprehensive directory for creating contact worldwide with Danish export companies. It is now being published for the 81st time. Danish Exporters is available as a book, a Cd-rom and in an internet version, and it is the only publication that is sent out to all Danish embassies, Consulates General and Trade Commissions throughout the world. Danish Exporters helps to give Danish export companies broad exposure on the internet, and to generate enquiries through the Danish Consulates General and Trade Commissions worldwide. Danish Exporters lists more than 7,600 companies.

P, Ernie & Enzo

by Kit Kjølhede Laursen

http://www.kit-k.com

NEXT ISSUE

What to expect…

Photos: Scanpix

Your next Focus Denmark is out on June 30, 2009

Leading up to COP15, the UN Climate Change Conference 2009 taking place in Denmark in December, the Focus Denmark June issue is dedicated to climate and energy. Why and how has Denmark been able to achieve economic growth without an equivalent rise in energy consumption? How do citizens and government cooperate to meet the ambition of creating an energy-efficient society? What are the ambitions for the future? Focus Denmark maps out Danish competences in renewable energy with more than 400 clean-tech companies employing 60,000 people and 46 research centres working on energy production and the efficient use of energy. We take you on a tour of local energy projects and research facilities throughout Denmark, and look into the crystal ball to see a future based on green energy and intelligent energy management solutions.

We also preview the global climate agenda and expectations of the outcome of the conference in December.