Business to politicians:
Bornholm could become a green beacon – but where is the plan?
Lars Nordahl, regional chairman for Confederation of Danish Industry and managing director of Rønne Harbour, is calling for a long-term business strategy for Bornholm. Photo: William Sonne Kaalø.
In many ways, Bornholm's business community is already doing well.
And the future looks especially bright with the energy island. But there is a need for a comprehensive and long-term business strategy for the island, according to the regional chairman of Confederation of Danish Industry.
The ship is loaded with fantastic new business opportunities for Bornholm if – as strongly indicates – the onshore energy island succeeds. That is the assessment of Lars Nordahl, regional chairman of Confederation of Danish Industry and CEO of Rønne Port.
– We are in a unique position. Especially when we look ahead to an Energy Island Bornholm, which I expect will become a reality. With it, completely new opportunities will arise for the island. Because with the energy island, we not only have the opportunity to become a national beacon and test laboratory for the green transition in Denmark, but also an opportunity to lead the way for Europe and further afield in the world.
With the energy island, there is therefore great potential for Bornholm, he emphasises.
– It will both provide the opportunity to test new solutions and scale them up, so we can get industry, nature, and the local community to function in balance with each other.
Politicians shouldn't just think ahead to the next election. We need to have a municipal and political understanding that we must have a strategy which reaches two to three local election periods ahead, so that we get a long-term goal for where we can move towards. Because then the future also looks bright. For there are opportunities enough, if one seizes them.
Calling for a business strategy
According to the regional chairman of Confederation of Danish Industry, the industry that is already a reality on the island is also doing well in many ways. However, there are challenges, particularly a lack of labour – not least as a result of the island's skewed demographics with an increasing number of elderly people and fewer in the working-age bracket, Lars Nordahl points out, adding:
– The depleted municipal treasury and trouble with building permits do not make it any easier to be in business on Bornholm either. But if we are to be able to attract new companies, investments and industries to Bornholm, we fundamentally need the municipality to remove all the obstacles in the way and make it administratively simple and attractive to set up here, he says, pointing to Business Center Bornholm (BCB) as an important player when it comes to securing local business promotion.
– BCB is doing well today, but could usefully play an even greater role when thinking and acting on new initiatives, for example investment promotion with a view to creating new jobs and attracting the necessary labour.
Basically, it should be simple and relatively low-risk to come to Bornholm and make your investments here, he believes.
Lars Nordahl also thinks that the upcoming municipal council should prioritise business-friendliness and, first and foremost, commit to a business strategy with a clear direction.
– That is why we from the business community are calling for a long-term and ambitious business strategy. If we have a long-term and ambitious business strategy with broad cross-political municipal backing, we also have a direction for the priorities and decisions that need to be made, says Lars Nordahl, who hopes that politicians will consult the business community when formulating such a strategy.
– Through close cooperation between politicians, civil servants and the business community, we can specify how and by what means we will achieve the goals we set, so that it becomes both appropriate and realisable.
Shortage of hands
If we are to promote the island's business community, it is all about seizing the opportunities that exist for Bornholm, believes Lars Nordahl, returning to the business dreams that can become reality with the energy island.
– If we bring in offshore wind and Power-to-X is introduced on Bornholm, it could become a powerhouse in the green transition. And I also see that Bornholm’s businesses and industry can contribute to everything from sustainability to the circular economy and digitalisation.
Lars Nordahl therefore sees plenty of opportunities for Bornholm's business community, but this requires politicians to make the right decisions. And this is once again about business-friendliness in the form of less red tape and more collaboration with the business community, he states.
– Next, it is about access to qualified labour. That is completely central to this issue. Both retaining young people on Bornholm, but also attracting new employees to Bornholm. And due to a lack of labour, we risk inhibiting the island's development and growth. Ultimately, that can weaken the tax base necessary to maintain the municipality's revenues. Without sufficient revenues, we will find it harder to secure children's welfare and create good conditions for the increasing number of elderly citizens.
Business park with great potential
What opportunities do you see for attracting or scaling industrial enterprises on Bornholm?
Apart from what I have mentioned, there is one thing in particular that I see as crucial. And that is the establishment of a business park for the industry of the future on Bornholm.
A business park should be completely central to a forward-looking business strategy, he points out.
– We have an energy island with great potential, and a business park could help to promote Bornholm as a test island – as a green beacon. If we bring together businesses within a value chain that can support one another, we’ll create a symbiotic environment for development, where companies will be able to test and trial new solutions on a smaller scale. That’s one of the things we’re good at on Bornholm: joining forces on projects and then scaling them up, says Lars Nordahl.
He believes that a business park could, in this way, play a vital role in attracting businesses to the island, where the size of our small community could suddenly become an advantage.
– Bornholm is a manageable place to trial new ideas in the fields of innovation and development. And through this, we can also attract knowledge, research and expertise to the island, he says, adding:
– It could also be study environments, for instance within the framework of DTU, which could act as a driver for innovation and new business opportunities if cleverly linked to Bornholm's existing business community, suggests Lars Nordahl, who believes that all of this should be brought together in the long-term business strategy he is calling for:
– We need to have a political environment that looks at the long-term horizon for investors and for the business community. If there are no long-term perspectives and ambitious targets, and if these are not maintained, no one will want to invest and come to the island, says Lars Nordahl, thus returning to his desire for a long-term business strategy.
– Politicians shouldn't just think ahead to the next election. We need to have a municipal and political understanding that we must have a strategy which stretches two to three municipal election periods ahead, so that we get a long-term goal for where we can move towards. Because then the future also looks bright. Because there are opportunities enough, if you seize them, he believes.
BY JOAN ØHRSTRØM