"Just like a "Kinder Surpise", it is exciting in more than one way. It is interesting for both students, researchers and companies.”
This is how consultant Michael Svane describes the newly opened Fehmarn Innovation Link centre in Rødbyhavn, which is dedicated to building up knowledge and technological expertise based on experiences from the Fehmarn Belt Link that will make Denmark a world leader within the green mega-infrastructure sector.
With the initial focus on the construction industry, both students, researchers and companies can work in the centre for shorter or longer periods with an offset in experiences gained from the Fehmarn construction industry.
"And the knowledge that is built up within the centre will also go the other way, namely back to the Fehmarn project. Learning goes both ways, and knowledge is only meaningful when it is shared. Therefore, the centre will not only be a place where lectures are given, but a framework for knowledge sharing across sectors and as a catalyst to make everyone wiser: students, employees, builders, companies, research, etc.," says Michael Svane, who heads the Fehmarn Innovation Link Advisory Board.
What can Fehmarn Innovation Link offer students?
"The Fehmarn Innovation Link is an exciting place that creates the framework for combining the physically enormous tunnel project and a place of learning, where it is possible to work with the knowledge generated by the project and to test new technologies and ideas. With Fehmarn Innovation Link, we have created a safe framework where students quite simply become wiser through the interaction between education and the material world in the form of the mega-project that is now beginning to take physical form," says Michael Svane, who emphasizes, that Fehmarn Innovation Link is not only for university students.
"My heart also beats for vocational education, that will also be included in the large construction project. With Fehmarn Innovation Link, we want to help draw attention to craftmanship and ensure that all vocational education forms benefit from this new centre," says Michael Svane.
What can Fehmarn Innovation Link offer business?
The knowledge gathered in the Fehmarn Innovation Link is to be shared with and anchored in the construction industry.
In this way, Danish construction companies will have a strong competitive position and have a real chance to fulfill their vision of becoming world leaders in green mega-infrastructure. Furthermore, it is realistic to expect that this experience and knowledge will also be spread to other industries such as e.g. the service industries, for the benefit of general productivity and export.
"The large Danish construction companies and engineering groups already hold significant positions on the world market due to the large infrastructure projects in Denmark. They are – to use football jargon – strong on the home field, and because of this they have also been able to perform well away from home. So Denmark is already a strong player in this way. At Fehmarn Innovation Link, we are, however, also concerned with small and medium-sized companies, that we would like to place in a better and stronger framework by building up latest knowledge and applying it, so that these companies get a boost and new skills are put into play so that the companies’ can qualify for new tasks, also outside our country's borders," says Michael Svane.
What significance can Fehmarn Innovation Link have for research?
"Our vision is to make the Fehmarn Innovation Link a laboratory for research into sustainability within mega-infrastructure projects," says Michael Svane.
"Sustainability is a must, and therefore I see to a large extent that research is needed to help give us the position we want and to create frameworks with platforms where we can become even better on how we build and construct sustainably, whether it is millions of tons of steel or huge quantities of concrete. It has become a fixed task, and we must continually improve our knowledge about how to use our resources and how we can contribute to achieving the smallest possible CO2 footprint," says Michael Svane.
Does Fehmarn Innovation Link have a German perspective?
German vocational schools and universities have shown great interest in Fehmarn Innovation Link right from the beginning.
"Fehmarn Innovation Link is not just a Danish project. We want to open up to include the outside world, and not least Germany. It is in our clear interest and in extension of the Fehmarn traffic connection, that is currently being built between Denmark and Germany, which both during the construction phase and following the tunnel's commissioning in many ways brings the two countries together; even closer together than we already are at the border in Southern Jutland."
"I see the Fehmarn Innovation Link not only as an offer for Danish small and medium-sized companies, but to a large extent also for companies in Northern Germany," says Michael Svane.
What does the future look like for the Fehmarn Innovation Link?
Fehmarn Innovation Link was inaugurated on 1st September is already used by students from Zealand Business Academy, Roskilde University and Denmark’s Technical University, and the first business-oriented network meetings are also on the way.
Fehmarn Innovation Link is located in the Adapteo Office Hotel in Rødbyhavn, but the intention is to make the centre permanent with a location even closer to the Fehmarn construction site.
"We hope and believe that new funding will be awarded to enable the future operation of the centre," says Michael Svane.
"The centre's future is closely linked to the Fehmarn tunnel factory, which I hope the politicians decide to make permanent. Denmark's fourth largest port has been constructed in record time and now the world's largest tunnel factory is shooting up. It is a huge achievement that we should be happy about, and which opens up unimaginable perspectives and will be an important strategic part of the realization of the green energy production of the future. The factory will not only be able to produce large tunnel elements but will also be able to supply offshore wind turbine farm development, and this applies not only to the fixed-bottom farms, but also the future floating farms, which also involve steel and concrete.”
"That is why it is crucial that authorities, organisations, trade unions, companies and all others stand united and support the decision to make the tunnel factory permanent by recognising that it is place in the right spot," says Michael Svane.
Facts about Business Lighthouse Femern
The Fehmarn Innovation Link in Rødbyhavn is part of the Business Lighthouse Femern project.
The “Business lighthouse for sustainable construction and business development based on the Fehmarn Belt connection” is one of eight business lighthouses that have been awarded funds by the Danish Business Promotion Board
Behind “Business Lighthouse Femern for sustainable construction and business development based on the Fehmarn-Belt connection” is a broad consortium of knowledge institutions, business developers and vocational schools.
Business Lighthouse Femern is anchored in Business Hub Zealand and the other partners are Femern Belt Development, DTU, RUC, Zealand, We Build Denmark, Copenhagen Capacity, Business Lolland-Falster, Danish Technological Institute and CELF, as well as the other business schools in Region Zealand.
Business Lighthouse Femern is financed by REACT-EU funds.