S
o there I was in Aarhus, Denmark. Touched down in the smallest of planes, and after the shortest
of
flights, you could forgive me for thinking I’d been short-changed on this travel expedition. For usual flight durations, I’m used to racking up double digit hours that leave me a little cranky with a stiff neck. Not this time. And the amazement continued when as I added the time it took me to leave the airplane, to walk through security and to get into my taxi outside, I would have been even too quick for a kettle to boil. 2 minutes of walking over the shortest of distances. It was like leaving the bedroom and walking out into the garden. Incredible. It really makes you wonder what other international airports are up to with all their layers of complications and lack of ease and simplicity. Nonetheless, I was here in Denmark and
here is where this new chapter of international experiences, cultural insight and economic and commercial understanding began.
So, let’s paint a quick picture on Denmark.
Well it’s 2011. The Viking imperialism is now over. The Norse Gods are kicking about but you won’t see them up on masts on rather fierce longboats anymore. The country still owns Greenland. The Faroe Islands. Danish words still remain in the English language, especially in place names across the North. They have the oldest state
Education runs right through the country as 96% of young
people go into secondary
education and 47 % a tertiary one.
flag in the world that is still in use today. They have the oldest monarchy in European history. In other words, Denmark has been about. It’s richly engrained in history, and now as I take you through a journey to its current state of affairs, we’ll see what it offers and boasts in the business world today.
Denmark today boasts a lean and mean population of 5.5 million people and covers a relatively small land mass (compared to other financial powers in Europe), but don’t be mistaken. As a nation, Denmark punches well above it weight in lots of ways in commerce, welfare and strength. The industries you’d most resonate with its leading entrepreneurial growth are in design, in architecture, in IT, in farming, in pharmaceuticals, and most notably, in green technology.
It was when I was in Aarhus – the second biggest city of Denmark (but still relatively small by most European cities comparison with around 300,000 inhabitants) – where I learned what Denmark was all about. Friendly, laid-
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