The 14th Baltic Development Forum Summit and the European Commission’s 3rd Annual Forum on the EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region, organised together with the Danish Presidency of the Council of the European Union, the Capital Region of Denmark and the Region of Zealand, will take place in Copenhagen on 17-19 June under the headline “Connecting Europe – Smart and Green Partnerships in the Baltic Sea Region”.
This large-scale event, bringing together more than 800 stakeholders, provides a unique platform for leaders from government, political parties, business, academia and civil society to discuss cooperation possibilities and growth initiatives in the Baltic Sea Region.
Programme
The agenda will focus on growth and competitiveness in the Baltic Sea Region, with the spotlight on infrastructure development and investment projects, not least public-private co-operation. To become smarter and greener, public-private partnerships are essential. By improving framework conditions, these partnerships’ can for instance help to focus and optimize sustainable infrastructure investment, which is key to kick-starting wider economic growth in the Region, benefitting the European economy at large.
The speakers at the Connecting Europe – Smart and Green Partnerships event will reflect the Baltic Sea Region’s long tradition for public-private cooperation, and anchor this tradition firmly within the Europe 2020 Strategy and the proposals for a Connecting Europe facility.
The State of the Region Report, sponsored by the European and Nordic Investment Banks, will also this year provide important input to the discussions on the challenges and opportunities facing the countries around the Baltic Sea. At the same time, the event is an opportunity to present the European Commission’s new Communication on the EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region and accompanying Council Conclusions, which set out the new framework for cooperating in the region.
Networking and Project Village & Baltic Business Arena
The Networking and Project Village is a key part of the Summit and the Annual Forum. Companies, Flagship Projects of the EUSBSR, NGOs and many others will display their work on improving the Baltic Sea Region. In line with the overall theme for the event, the Village will give special focus to infrastructure projects.
As a novelty this year, a Baltic Business Arena for small and medium enterprises will be organised as a matchmaking event in parallel to the Summit/Annual Forum in order to foster greater cross-border trade and investment. It is expected that this event will attract over 100 companies from all parts of the Baltic Sea Region.
A detailed programme for the event, including information on sessions, speakers, the Networking and Project Village and the Baltic Business Arena will follow shortly. Keep updated via the Summit and Annual Forum Website www.bsr2012.eu
Venue: The Academy of Fine Arts
The Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts, Schools of Architecture, Design and Conservation will host the event. The Academy is situated next to the new Opera house at Holmen island in downtown Copenhagen. Transport from the airport is convenient with metro to Christianshavn station. Public transport boats connect Holmen island with Nyhavn and other parts of downtown Copenhagen.
Contact Persons
Hans Brask, BDF
Tel: +45 70 20 93 94, Email: hb@bdforum.org
Catharina Sørensen, EU Commission
Tel: +32 2 29 57 136, Email: Catharina.SORENSEN@ec.europa.eu
Johan Friis, MFA of Denmark
Tel: +45 28 78 67 49, Email: johfri@um.dk
Jens Chr. Andersen, MFA of Denmark
Tel: +45 33 92 04 15, Email: jensan@um.dk
Links
Summit/Annual Forum Website: www.bsr2012.eu
Baltic Business Arena Website: www.b2match.eu/balticbusiness2012
