Baltic Development Forum is supported by a broad variety of members that contribute and enable the work and activities carried out by Baltic Development Forum. Members are both public and private actors with an profound interest in contributing to the Baltic Sea Regional Agenda.
Maersk Line
Maersk Line is the core liner shipping activity of the A.P. Moller – Maersk Group, and the leading container shipping company in the world. Maersk Line employs around 22,000 people and the Maersk Line fleet consists of more than 470 container vessels with a capacity of more than 1,800,000 TEU (Twenty foot Equivalent Unit – a container 20 feet long). This ensures a reliable and comprehensive coverage worldwide.
In Maersk Line we believe container shipping is about creating real and long lasting opportunities and we advocate a balanced, sustainable approach to our business. Container shipping plays a key role in facilitating global trade, economic development, and global prosperity.
Maersk Line has expanded its business presence in the Baltic Sea Region with its largest offices in this region in Scandinavia, Finland, the three Baltic countries and Russia. The Head Quarters for the Northern European Region are located in Gothenburg, Sweden.
DONG Energy
DONG Energy is one of Northern Europe ’s leading energy groups. We are headquartered in Denmark. Our business is based on procuring, producing, distributing, trading and selling energy and related products in Northern Europe.
The company delivered revenue of DKK 41.6 billion in 2007 (approx. EUR 5.6 billion or USD 8.3 billion). DONG Energy has more than 5,000 employees. For further information, see our website.
The NASDAQ OMX Group
The NASDAQ OMX Group, Inc. is the world’s largest exchange company. It delivers trading, exchange technology and public company services across six continents, with more than 3,600 listed companies.
NASDAQ OMX offers multiple capital raising solutions to companies around the globe, including its U.S. listings market, NASDAQ OMX Nordic, NASDAQ OMX Baltic, NASDAQ OMX First North.
The company offers trading across multiple asset classes including equities, derivatives, debt, commodities, structured products and exchange-traded funds. NASDAQ OMX Group technology supports the operations of over 70 exchanges, clearing organizations and central securities depositories in more than 50 countries. NASDAQ OMX Nordic and NASDAQ OMX Baltic are not legal entities but describe the common offering from NASDAQ OMX Group exchanges in Helsinki, Copenhagen, Stockholm, Iceland, Tallinn, Riga and Vilnius.
Nordic Investment Bank
The Nordic Investment Bank (NIB) is a multilateral financial institution owned by Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway and Sweden. NIB offers long-term loans and guarantees, on competitive market terms, for private and public projects both in and outside the Bank’s member countries.
NIB operates in about 40 countries. NIB has a significant environmental loan portfolio outside the member countries, including the Baltic Sea and Barents regions. Environmental investments in the private sector include energy efficiency and measures for cleaner production in different industries.
NIB acquires the funds to finance its lending by borrowing on the international capital markets. NIB enjoy the highest possible credit rating, AAA/Aaa, with the leading rating agencies Standard & Poor’s and Moody’s.
Copenhagen Airports
Copenhagen Airports A/S is the listed company that owns and operates the airports at Kastrup and Roskilde. We are 1350 committed employees entrusted with everything from planning the airports’ future and the services they offer to the daily cleaning and maintenance of the airport.
Copenhagen Airports makes its infrastructure, buildings and service facilities available to the many companies that have business operations at the airport. We share a common goal: to ensure that our passengers have a pleasant stay at the airport.
Grundfos
With its continuous development of trend-setting pumps and pump systems, Grundfos is one of the world’s leading pump manufacturers.
Grundfos has sales companies in 40 countries all around the world and supplies pumps for a wide variety of purposes such as building services, industry, dosing, water supply, and wastewater along with motors and electronics.
We offer a total approach that gives the optimal, most cost-effective system over the complete life cycle. We see the pump as a part of a complex hydraulic system – not just focusing on the pump alone but optimising the whole system. Well-defined and deeply rooted company values are the core of everything that Grundfos does. Expressed in their shortest form they amount to: Being responsible – Thinking ahead – Innovation.
Nordic Environment Finance Corporation (NEFCO)
The Nordic Environment Finance Corporation (NEFCO) is an international finance institution established in 1990 by the five Nordic countries: Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden.
To date, NEFCO has financed a wide range of environmental projects in Central and Eastern European countries, including Russia, Belarus and Ukraine.
Scandlines
Scandlines is one of Europe’s largest ferry companies. Our business is the rapid, reliable and comfortable transportation of both passengers and freight on international routes in Danish, German and Swedish coastal waters as well as to the Baltic countries and Finland.
Our core area is the triangle between Denmark, Germany and Sweden, where we have the densest route network of any ferry company. Furthermore Scandlines activities include catering service, retail sales of goods in restaurants and shops on board and in shore-based shops.
Scandlines operates 18 ferries on 8 routes between 11 ports in the Baltic Sea. The company transports more then 17 million passengers, 3.5 million cars, one million lorries, 90,000 railway wagons and 65,000 coaches every year.
Grontmij
Grontmij is one of the leading engineering consultancy companies in Europe.
We deliver solutions within water, energy, environment, transportation, building and industry. At the core of our business is the principle of sustainability by design which is a leading value proposition for our customers and society as a whole.
Grontmij has some 350 offices and employ nearly 11,000 professionals around the world. Our services stretch from major renewable water and energy infrastructure through designing efficient and environmentally-sensitive mobility and transportation networks to shaping our urban and green living spaces.
By applying sustainability considerations to all our consultancy services we create lasting solutions that plan for, connect and respect the future.
The Sanoma Group
Sanoma inspires, informs and connects. As a diversified media group, we bring information, experiences, education and entertainment to millions of people every day. We make sure that quality content and interesting products and services are easily available and meet the demands of our readers, viewers and listeners. We offer a challenging and interesting working environment for nearly 20,000 people in over 20 countries throughout Europe. In 2010, the Group’s net sales totalled EUR 2.8 billion.
Latvenergo
The public limited company Latvenergo AS is an energy power supply enterprise engaged in the generation of electricity and thermal energy, electricity trade, as well as the provision of IT and telecommunication services.
Latvenergo AS is one of the largest corporate entities in Latvia. From the total volume of electricity generated in Latvia, 90% are generated by Latvenergo AS.
Latvenergo AS is heading a corporate group that includes six subsidiaries: Augstsprieguma tīkls AS (TSO), Latvijas elektriskie tīkli AS (Latvian electrical network), Sadales tīkls AS (DSO), Latvenergo Kaubandus OÜ, Latvenergo Prekyba UAB and Liepājas enerģija SIA.
Latvenergo AS is one of environmentally most friendly energy companies in Europe. About 70% of the total Latvenergo AS electricity volume is generated from hydro resources.
In 2010, the consolidated revenue of Latvenergo Group reached EUR 818 million and net profit was EUR 63 million.
In 2010, the Group’s aggregate electricity sales amounted to 7,620 GWh and thermal energy sales 3,000 GWh.
Dansk Landbrugs Grovvareselskab (DLG)
Dansk Landbrugs Grovvareselskab (DLG) is Denmark ’s largest feedingstuff company and has today approx. 25,000 Danish farmers as members.
DLG supplies Danish farmers with feed, cereal seed, fertilizers, agricultural lime, crop protection and much more for the day-to-day operation. The products are sold via DLG’s stores. DLG currently has 22 main stores with 140 departments across the country.
Production and sale of feed compounds are some of the most important activities in the DLG Group.
The DLG Group has its own feed factories with an annual production of around DKK 2 million tonnes of feed compounds for pigs, cattle, poultry, horses and sheep.
The DLG Group is also one of Denmark’ s largest exporters of brewing barley, cereal seed, feed and bread cereal, rape seed and feed peas and is via the Group’s affiliated companies involved in, among other things, the further manufacturing of natural crop. The DLG Group has a market share on the Danish feedingstuffs market of 46 per cent.
Magnusson
Magnusson – The Baltic Sea Region Law Firm.
Magnusson is a full-service independent law firm with offices in Copenhagen, Gothenburg, Helsinki, Minsk, Moscow, Stockholm and Warsaw. Our ambition is to offer top-flight legal advice to clients operating in the Baltic Sea Region, including local and international companies, as well as public authorities. We believe that our detailed knowledge of local markets across the region , the extensive experience of the firm’s lawyers and a strong sense of a commercial “can do” approach to business helps us contribute effectively to our clients’ success. We provide seamless services cross the Baltic Sea Region.
The Capital Region of Denmark
The Capital Region of Denmark is one of five administrative units in Denmark. The region provides healthcare, mental healthcare, regional development and research for 1,6 mio. people – approx. 30% of the population. The region consists of 29 municipalities from the island of Bornholm in the east to Hundested in the west.
The administrative headquaters of The Capital Region of Denmark is situated in Hillerød, 40 kilometres north of Copenhagen. The region employs 36.000 people – mainly health care professionals – making it one of the largest employers in Denmark.
City of Helsinki
Helsinki is the capital of Finland. The Helsinki metropolitan area, with a population of about one million people, generates one third of the GDP of the country and is one of the most rapidly growing urban regions in Europe. Helsinki has been repeatedly placed at the spearhead of business criteria surveys.
According to the latest indicators of the EU, the Helsinki metropolitan area ranks among Europe’s top ten urban regions in terms of innovation creation. It is a centre for expertise of a very high standard, with its universities and research institutes providing cutting edge competence on an international scale.
There are six industrial clusters in the Helsinki metropolitan area with especially interesting areas of know-how: telecommunications and information technology, environmental technology and biotechnologies, food and processing technologies, the manufacture of electrical equipment and automation, and logistics. Helsinki is ideally placed to serve especially the Russian and Baltic markets.
Northern Netherlands Provinces
Since 1992, the three provinces of the Northern Netherlands (Fryslân, Groningen, Drenthe) have combined their administrative resources in the Northern Netherlands Provinces (in Dutch: Samenwerkingsverband Noord-Nederland–abbreviated to SNN). The core task is to strengthen the economic structure of the Northern Netherlands, within both a national and an international framework.
Within the international framework, the Northern Netherlands Provinces has earmarked Northeast Europe as a prime region for cooperation and partnership. This approach is called the Northeast Corridor, a Trans-European corridor linking the metropolitan Nordic and Baltic regions between Saint Petersburg and the Randstad region. Nordconnect is a project organisation set up and financed by the Northern Netherlands Provinces with the purpose to stimulate and improve collaboration between the Northern Netherlands and the Northern European regions.
Region Zealand
Region Zealand’s vision is to become a bridge builder which creates a healthcare system of the highest standard, great development potential for the users, as well as a good business environment.
Region Zealand plays a central role in a network of cooperating partners, who work for a dynamic and coordinated development throughout the region, i.a. for business, education, urban development, public transport and certain environmental areas.
Thus, Region Zealand must make an over all outline for all the services, as well as securing that they are of the highest quality.
City of Oslo
The Oslo region is a highly developed growth area in Scandinavia. Its young and well-educated population, forward-looking business community, and top-ranking universities and R&D institutions make it a popular place to invest and work. Over one million people live in Oslo, the capital of Norway, and the surrounding county of Akershus.
As the capital region, it is also the centre of one of the most robust economies in the world and at the top of international ratings for quality of life. The Norwegian economy is open and internationally oriented. Through the European Economic Area agreement, business access to the European Union internal market of 500 million people is assured. Access to the most highly educated workforce in Europe is one of the key advantages for innovative businesses operating in the Oslo region. T
he dynamic business community consists of more than 110,000 companies, and the region has a typical high-tech economy with 87 percent employment in the private and public service sector. Private services include financial services, ICT-related services, R&D, real estate and other business services. The region lays claim to unique expertise within art, design & architecture, biotechnology, medicine and health, information and communication technology, and the energy and maritime sectors.
As the capital of Norway, Oslo is also home to a strong financial community and is a preferred location for head offices and international companies.
The Swedish Institute (SI)
The Swedish Institute (SI) is a public agency that promotes interest in Sweden abroad. SI seeks to establish cooperation and lasting relations with other countries through active communication and cultural, educational and scientific exchanges.The SI’s operations are carried out in close cooperation with Swedish and foreign partners, as well as with Swedish embassies and consulates around the world.
Relationships depend on communication
The Swedish Institute’s work with Sweden’s image and its activities in international development cooperation go hand in hand. The institute’s overarching goal is to create mutual relationships with other countries around the world, whether the issue is culture, politics, trade, or development cooperation. However, in order to achieve this goal, awareness of and interest in Sweden must first increase.
Relationships and exchanges contribute to development
Both in Sweden and in our collaborative partners around the world. Through increased contacts and new networks, knowledge and innovative ideas can be shared and applied in the future to all areas, not least to trade, culture and politics. The SI’s collaboration with developing countries is an important part of this work. We can offer Swedish expertise and skills at the same time that incentives, networks and opportunities in our partner countries benefit Sweden.
Swedish Institute in the Baltic Sea Region
The Baltic region plays an important role for Sweden’s growth and our commitment is long-term in the region. At the moment we are running two major programs.
The Visby Program – Swedish Institute’s Baltic Sea Region Exchange Program – is a mobility program that comprises Sweden and its closest neighbors in the east: Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Russia, Ukraine and Belarus. The aim of the program is to create more extensive joint collaboration between Sweden and the other program countries on education and research.
The Swedish Institute Management Program exists in the same countries as the Visby Program and it aims at bringing together individuals of remarkable accomplishments in their mid-career to challenge their approaches, reinforce professional skills, deepen cross-cultural perspectives and unite them in a long lasting and active network. The training is designed to make the most of common strengths, future potential and the challenges that the participating countries are experiencing – with corporate social responsibility as the overall theme.
City of Malmo
Malmö is the commercial centre of southern Sweden and an international city. This is expressed, not least, by the fact that Malmö has nearly 300.000 residents who speak some 100 languages and belong to about 170 different nationalities.
Heavy investments in new technology and training programmes of high calibre have made Malmö a city of knowledge. Malmö University is Sweden’s latest venture in the field of higher education, accommodating some 20.000 students.
The strongest sectors in Malmö are logistics, retail and wholesale trade, construction, and property. There are also a number of well-known companies within biotechnology and medical technology, environmental technology, IT, and digital media fields. Co-operation between colleges, science parks, and companies provides a sound basis for entrepreneurs and creative development in Malmö. The City of Malmö is enhancing an attractive business environment and a dynamic business community in Malmö.
Malmö has during several years focused on creating an urban sustainable development. The Western harbour area in Malmö is an internationally leading example of environmental adaptation of a densely built urban environment. It is also a driving force in Malmö’s development towards environmental sustainability. A fundamental ecological approach to planning, building and construction is a key tool in the creation of the district. Innovative ideas and new techniques enhance the environmental standard of the area.
An exceptionally well developed infrastructure makes Malmö very easy to reach, whatever means of transport you use to get here: boat, plane, train or car. Malmö has an international harbour and Copenhagen Airport and Malmö Airport are only half an hour’s journey from the centre of Malmö.
City of Hamburg
Hamburg has grown beyond its role as Germany’s gateway to the world; today it forms the world’s gateway to mainland Europe, and above all to Central and Southeastern Europe, Scandinavia, and the Baltic region. Conversely, Hamburg is now a unique logistics crossroads serving two seas: the North Sea, and, via Lübeck, the Baltic.
The city is easy to reach by train, plane, car and ferry. Hamburg’s significance as an international center for trade, commerce and business is best expressed in one of the many records it holds: nowhere in the world is there a city with as many consulates as Hamburg. Currently some 97 nations are represented here. Hamburg is a haven for high-tech industries and young companies. Its high-flying aviation sector boasts global players, with medicine and biotechnology fast forming a new, future-oriented focus. The Free and Hanseatic City remains the market leader in the print media: 50% of all German newspapers and magazines hail from its publishing houses.
Germany’s top news programs are produced here. The new HafenCity port project brings new life to the riverfront of the Elbe River. A broad range of cultural highlights and recreational facilities in the city caters to residents and visitors alike. The city’s throbbing nightlife draws people out from homes and hotels at all hours. It’s this wonderful mix of business and atmosphere that makes Hamburg one of the most likable and exciting cities in the world.
Skåne Region
Region Skåne, or Skåne Regional Council, is the self-governing authority of Skåne, the southernmost county of Sweden. Region Skåne’s competences include health and medical services, regional growth and development, public transport, culture and cross-border and interregional cooperation. Region Skåne is governed by a Regional Assembly of 149 members. The Regional Assembly is directly elected by all inhabitants of Skåne every four years. The Regional Assembly appoints members to the committees, makes decisions on strategic issues regarding the areas of responsibility and decides on the level of regional income tax, which is currently 10.39%. Region Skåne employs 34,000 people and its turnover amounts to 33 billion Swedish kronor (2010).
The County Administrative Board
The County Administrative Board is a government body responsible for overseeing that the national goals, laid down by the Swedish parliament and government, are realized in the County of Stockholm.
Our work comprises everything from care of the elderly, equal opportunities, integration to emergency services, cultural heritage and protection of the environment.
- We supervise the observance of laws and regulations.
- We try appeals against local government decisions.
- We decide about licenses and economic support in many fields.
- We provide information and advice.
The County Administrative Board co-ordinates various interests in orderto promote the development of the Stockholm region. Our goals are growth, a goodenvironment, quality of life and equal opportunities for all.
The wide scope of our responsibilities demands competence and experience fromall fields of society. Among our 500 employees are lawyers, architects,agronomists, biologists, engineers, archeologists, veterinarians, sociologists,and economists to mention a few.
Hamburg Chamber of Commerce
As the representative organisation of Hamburg’s enterprises the Hamburg Chamber of Commerce is the political lobbyist, mediator and advocate for the local business community of 140.000 enterprises.
As a customer-focussed provider of services to the business community, we furnish pre-market services to new and established firms. Our goal is to help others to help themselves. As political lobbyist, we are strong advocates for a market-based legislative and regulatory environment that is conducive to small and medium-size enterprises. We are opposed to policies that favour a single industry and are committed to the common good of the business community. Though politically active, we are not affiliated with a political party.
As independent arbitrators, we support fair business practices by offering a range of alternative dispute resolution and prevention services. This reduces court caseloads and helps to ensure that the wheels of commerce turn smoothly. Hamburg’s business sector is the engine that drives our economic prosperity, which, in turn, benefits the city’s social programmes and cultural institutions. The Hamburg Chamber of Commerce aims to represent all Hamburg firms and to function like a turbocharger to boost this engine’s performance.
City of Stockholm
Stockholm is one of the most beautiful capitals in the world. That´s no news. What´s new is that the region has evolved into one of Europe´s most dynamic hubs for business, creativity and innovation, transforming itself from a big small town into a small Big City – a region that has most of the advantages but few of the disadvantages of a major international metropolis.
The Stockholm region is widely acknowledged as an exceptionally quick, receptive and sophisticated market, frequently utilized by major global brands and corporations as a test market for a wide variety of new technologies, products and services.
The region´s business and industry is characterized by high-tech, innovation and creativity, operating in close collaboration with the many prominent universities and science institutes. The main fields of business development and science can be divided into four “clusters”: IT & Telecom, Life Science, Environ Tech, and Banking & Finance. In all these fields, the Stockholm region claims a leading position in Northern Europe.
Region Västra Götaland
With 1.6 million inhabitants, Västra Götaland in the heart of Scandinavia is one of Sweden’s biggest regions. It is a transport hub, thanks to Scandinavia’s major port in Gothenburg. It is an innovative industrial centre, with special strength in the automotive, life science, IT, textile, food and maritime sectors, and with R&D investment per capita in the absolute European top. It is also a leading international conference venue, now preparing for European Maritime Day in May 2012.
Region Västra Götaland is the democratically elected organisation charged with promoting growth and sustainable development and offering the inhabitants good healthcare. In cooperation with the 49 municipalities, trade and industry, the education sector, authorities and organisations, Region Västra Götaland supports and drives development for a good life in Västra Götaland. With 50,000 employees it is also one of Sweden’s biggest employers.
Swedish Agency for Economic and Regional Growth
The aim of the Swedish Agency for Economic and Regional Growth – Tillväxtverket is to work to achieve more enterprises, growing enterprises and sustainable, competitive business and industry throughout Sweden. Tillväxtverket’s operations include the areas of responsibility previously belonging Nutek and the Swedish National Rural Development Agency as well as the Swedish Consumer Agency’s tasks concerning commercial and public service. The Agency has around 300 employees in 11 offices around the country.
