WORLD-CLASS FASHION, BRIDGES AND ARCHITECTURE

Editor in Chief

Ole Frijs-Madsen
Director of Invest in Denmark, Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Photo: Peter Clausen

Denmark’s textile and fashion industry has its origins in sheep-breeding and wool spinning on the windswept heaths of mid-Jutland. From the 1870s, wool spinning developed into a vibrant textile industry around the principal town in the area, Herning, which remains the spindle of the Danish textile and fashion industry for both companies and centres of training. Today production largely takes place abroad, while in Denmark the focus has shifted to design and development. Scandinavia’s largest design and business school TEKO is located in Herning, and trains tomorrow’s clothing technologists in close collaboration with industry.

Danish expertise in bridge building also derives from the country’s topography. Denmark consists of many islands that need to be conjoined. Today all the main parts of Denmark are connected by bridges, and in 2000 the country was further linked by a bridge to neighbouring Sweden. The next addition will be a bridge between Denmark and Germany, which is expected to be complete in 2018. And around the world Danish engineers are involved in major bridge projects, such as the world’s longest suspension bridge with a span of 3,300 metres over the Messina Strait in Italy.

Likewise, Danish architecture has found its way onto the world map. Environmental sustainability is a key principle for many Danish architect firms, both in city planning and building design. Long before climate change hit the headlines, Denmark had carved
out a leading position in energy-efficient buildings. The international boom in Danish architecture can be read directly in the export figures from the architect firms. For two years in succession, their international revenues have risen by about 40 per cent annually. Last year – evidencing the effects of the financial crisis – the increase was a more modest 2 per cent.

All this you can read more about in this issue, where we also take a close look at The Danish Airport Group and its development project The Airport of the Future, whose key areas are low environmental impact, sustainable use of resources, optimal exploitation of space and maximum flexibility. We also feature a portrait of the Danish company LEGO, which despite the financial crisis and a shrinking market for toys has presented its best financial results for a long time.

Enjoy the read.