Development rather than dismantling for the benefit of the Bornholm community
There is a lot of talk, writing and debate these days about Energy Island Bornholm, Power-to-X and the associated commercial potentials – and rightly so. The subject is too big for it to pass by slowly, and we must embrace the dialogue. Which opportunities do we as a society want to seize, and how do we seize them?
We are far from having the answers to all questions, but we are curious, gather knowledge and form important relationships so that we have the best conditions for forming opinions and making decisions. We must dare to articulate what we want and how we want it, but also make space and show understanding that changes may occur. This is no time to ”wait and see”, as opportunities will pass us by, and I would be afraid that we would be left with a limited impact from the energy island.
I was born myself in 1980 on Bornholm in the middle of the fishing industry's heyday, when there was life, hustle and bustle, and money to provide good welfare for the citizens of Bornholm. Following the collapse of the fishing industry, Bornholm has, for many years and for many reasons, been in decline rather than development. We have fewer citizens, there is less business, and the basis for Bornholm's welfare has shrunk. It is disheartening when, year after year, we face major cuts in the municipal budget as a consequence of an island in decline rather than development. We all feel it, and it affects the island that we all hold so dear and care about.
My dream is that with the energy island and the related industries that can enter into a symbiosis with onshore facilities and Power-to-X and make use of waste products from the process, we will help to develop our society rather than phase it down. The business community plays an important role here, as a strong business community is a prerequisite for Bornholm's welfare. Jobs and welfare go hand in hand. A Bornholm business community that creates jobs and attracts investments – and thus tax revenues in the municipal treasury – is an important piece of the puzzle for Bornholm Regional Municipality to be able to offer citizens the best service.
Transition and development are certainly not things that just happen by themselves, and therefore it is also important that we, as the local business promotion actor, initiate business-oriented measures that encourage transition and development, whether it is a matter of green transition, customer relations, more robust processes, or something else entirely. We must meet the business community with offerings within recognised needs, but I also largely see it as our role to challenge businesses and inspire them to work with subjects that are not yet recognised. We must stay updated on developments to be ahead of the game and thereby help make Bornholm-based businesses future-proof, as well as attract the right companies to become part of the Bornholm business mix.
We have many talented business people on Bornholm, and when I have guests from ”across the water”, they are always surprised by our diverse business composition on Bornholm, and especially that we have so much industry and professional companies within industry that are competitive and many even leading within their particular field. In my view, industry is somewhat understated on Bornholm, given its important contribution to an island in development.
The Energy Island is a major focus in Business Center Bornholm's work, and for a number of years we have helped support existing businesses in seizing opportunities through transition and development. Bornholm's business community is certainly delivering when it comes to services and tasks related to the load-out of offshore wind. For a number of years, our business community has worked to increase its insight into the offshore industry, build relationships and partnerships, and generally position itself so that when the opportunity arose, it was ready, even if initially it did not know precisely what the opportunity would be.
Opinion piece in Bornholms Tidende by Christa Lodahl, Head of Business at Business Center Bornholm, 29 April 2023