Around 70 participants from the business community, authorities and other stakeholders from Bornholm were gathered on Tuesday morning at the Green Solution House for an event aimed at providing an update on the project’s current status. The message was clear: Energiø Bornholm is moving closer to reality, and local businesses are ready to seize the tasks and business opportunities that come with it.
The end of a project
The event The Energy Island: From megaproject to local opportunities, Organized by Business Center Bornholm and Offshore Center Bornholm, the final phase of the EU-supported business promotion project was marked. Baltic Energy Island – Strengthened SMEs.
Over the past three years, the project has been working specifically on equipping small and medium-sized companies in Bornholm with the skills needed to take advantage of the opportunities that Energiø Bornholm and the growing offshore and offshore wind sector are expected to create.
The efforts have included, among other things, individual company programs, professional groups, networking activities, excursion trips, and the digital platform Roadmapping Bornholm, which provides companies with an overview of upcoming tasks, tenders and investment opportunities.
Although the project will be completed by the end of June, the work is far from complete. On the contrary, Tuesday’s presentation pointed out that the coming years will be crucial for how Bornholm and the Bornholm business community manage to translate the island’s potential into concrete jobs, investments, and local supplies.
– Energiø Bornholm is a project with the potential to create activity and development on Bornholm for many years to come. Therefore, it is crucial that the companies are proactive and continuously assess the opportunities that arise. Today’s high participation clearly shows that interest exists and that many companies want to position themselves for future tasks, says Christa Lodahl, business manager at Business Center Bornholm, adding that Business Center Bornholm is now, together with the companies, compiling an overview of the competencies of the Bornholm companies that can be brought into play in connection with the project.
Energy island Bornholm is a project with the potential to create activity and development on Bornholm for many years to come. Therefore, it is crucial that companies are proactive and continuously assess the opportunities that arise. Today’s high participation clearly shows that interest exists and that many companies want to position themselves for future tasks.
Status from several directions
The day featured presentations from a number of key actors with insights into both the project’s status and the derived activities on Bornholm.
Anne Thomas, chair of the Environment and Business Committee in the Bornholm Regional Council, began by describing the overall vision for Bornholm’s role in the development of Energiø Bornholm. Then Annsofie Gundlach, head of Planning in the Bornholm Regional Council, presented the work on local planning and the establishment of working housing in Aakirkeby.
The companies also gained insight into the expectations regarding future traffic and cargo volumes through Rønne Harbour, educational and competence initiatives through Campus Bornholm, and new funding opportunities presented by the Bornholm Business Fund.
After the break, Energinet, NKT and Siemens Energy provided an update on their respective parts of the project. The companies were given an up-to-date overview of current schedules and upcoming activities, as well as of some of the services, supplies and services for which a need is expected to arise during the project period.
Focus on local deliveries and upcoming tasks
Through the project Baltic Energy Island – Strengthened SMEs There has been ongoing work to create an overview of upcoming tenders, and what types of tasks can be expected to be in demand in connection with the establishment of the energy island’s land facilities and associated activities. This was also a central theme at Tuesday’s event.
– We do not yet know all the details about the upcoming tasks or their scope, but we know that preparation is crucial. The companies that are already getting involved and orienting themselves towards the market will automatically be stronger when the activities really take off. This has been a recurring theme throughout the Baltic Energy Island project, and that work continues," says Lone Reppien Thomsen, Director of the Offshore Center Bornholm and project partner in the Baltic Energy Island project. Baltic Energy Island – Strengthened SMEs.
We do not yet know all the details about the upcoming tasks or their scope, but we know that preparation is crucial. The companies that are already getting involved and orienting themselves towards the market will automatically be stronger when the activities really take off. This has been a recurring theme throughout the Baltic Energy Island project, and that work continues.
Facts about the strategic effort
The event was part of the strategic effort Baltic Energy Island – Strengthened SMEs, Since 2023, they have been working to strengthen Bornholm-based companies’ opportunities in the energy, offshore and offshore wind sectors. The project was implemented as part of Erhvervsfyrtårn Bornholm and funded by the European Union and the Danish Agency for Entrepreneurial Development.
As one of the final activities of the project, a supplier list has been established where companies can register. The list will be shared with relevant stakeholders, main suppliers and partners who in the coming years will need subcontractors, specialized competencies and local partners. Companies that wish to be included on the list can contact Business Centre Bornholm For more information.
For further information, please contact:
Jørn Pedersen
Senior Business Consultant, Business Center Bornholm
tel. 30 32 29 36,
Email: jp@bornholm.biz