FRIDAY, APRIL 16, 2004

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For a small nation with a popula-tion of just under 5.4 million, Den-mark packs a political and eco-nomic punch worthy of some of itsbigger neighbours, according to thecountry’s senior diplomatic repre-sentative in Hong Kong.

“Denmark is a small but power-ful nation because we are verystrong in specific areas,” RoyalDanish consul-general SorenKragholm said.

The Nordic nation held thepresidency of the European Unionin the second half of 2002 when the15 nations agreed to admit a further10 nations on May 1 this year.

“We are looking forward to thisenlargement being implemented.It is generally accepted that we hada very successful presidency of theEU in 2002,” Mr Kragholm said.

Mr Kragholm’s enthusiasm foran expanded EU derives from morethan his nation’s important role ingetting the agreement down on pa-per.

He said that despite a strongcentral government, Denmark hada strong tradition of liberal trade.

“We are free marketers and sup-port entrepreneurship. Enlarge-ment is a question of security inEurope and of economic develop-ment,” Mr Kragholm said.

The kingdom of Denmark, situ-

ated in Scandinavia, is the smallestNordic country. It borders the Bal-tic Sea and the North Sea and is lo-cated on a peninsula and a numberof islands north of Germany andPoland, southwest of Sweden andsouth of Norway.

Denmark is a net exporter offood and energy and has a comfort-able balance of payments surplus.The government has been success-ful in meeting, and even exceeding,the economic convergence criteriafor participating in the third phase(a common European currency) ofthe European Monetary Union.

But in a September 2000 refer-endum, the country reconfirmedits decision not to join the 11 otherEU members in the euro. Even so,the Danish currency remainspegged to the euro.

This thoroughly modern marketeconomy features hi-tech agricul-ture, small-scale and corporate in-dustry, an extensive welfare sys-tem, comfortable living standardsand high dependence on trade.

Mr Kragholm believes Den-mark’s unique location affords itthe opportunity to become a distri-bution hub for northern Europeand the Baltic states.

He said Denmark also boastedan impressive land, air and marinetransport infrastructure.

“The infrastructure means wehave the advantage of being closerto everything,” he said.

Hong Kong is Denmark’s third-largest trading partner in Asia afterJapan and China. In 2002, thecountry’s trade with Hong Kong in-creased by 13 per cent to $5.4 bil-lion. In the same year, Danish tradewith the mainland grew 17.9 percent to $5.8 billion, for the first timeexceeding the value of trade withHong Kong.

The main components of Dan-ish imports from Hong Kong andthe mainland have remained un-changed over the past 15 years,comprising mostly garments, tex-tiles, electronics and toys.

Denmark’s industrialised mar-ket economy depends on importedraw materials and foreign trade.Within the EU, Denmark advocatesa liberal trade policy. Its standard ofliving is among the highest in theworld and the Danes devote 1 percent of gross domestic product toforeign aid.

The United States is Denmark’slargest non-European trading part-ner, accounting for about 5 per centof total Danish merchandise trade.Aircraft, computers, machineryand instruments are among themajor US exports to Denmark.There are about 250 US-ownedcompanies in Denmark.

Among major Danish exports tothe US are industrial machinery,chemical products, furniture, phar-maceuticals and canned ham andpork.

On the issue of the internationalfight against terrorism, the Danishgovernment has been committedin its support for the US right fromthe start.

Denmark has actively partici-pated in the military efforts to over-come the crisis in Afghanistan, inclose co-operation with Germany.

The Danish government alsoput itself firmly on the side of theUnited States in the crisis over Iraq.Danish troops participated in theIraq war and Denmark is also in-volved in Iraq’s reconstruction.

The close ties between the USand Denmark, in particular overthe war in Iraq, may have led tosome concerns over security athome, particularly in the wake ofthe bombings in Madrid.

Mr Kragholm said his countrywas “discussing these matterswithin the framework of the Euro-pean Union”.

Small nation plays on its strengthsThoroughly modern kingdom fights above its weight whenit comes to security, trade, entrepreneurship and politics

David Evans

The boats of Nyhaven, Copenhagen, offer a typicalimage of Denmark and are a reminder of the Nordicnation’s strong tradition of fishing and trade.

Denmark’s capital city Copenhagen has a 1000-year-old history.

Touted as Denmark’s biggest cultural event last year,the Images of Asia festival aroused great interestamong the Danes to understand and experiencecontemporary Asian culture.

Her Royal Highness Princess Alexandra ofDenmark, who has deep ties with Asia, was thenatural choice to preside over the festivities.

“I was delighted to be able to promote Asia inDenmark at the Images of Asia festival,” PrincessAlexandra said. “Growing up in Hong Kong with sucha multicultural background, it is wonderful to see thatso many Danes are also interested in Asia and all itsdifferent cultures. To introduce Asia to the Danes andto introduce Danes to Asia is a fantastic opportunity.”

Two areas of interest that lie close to PrincessAlexandra’s heart are children and Danish businessinterests. As honorary president of Unicef Denmark,the princess has travelled to Asia to promote projectsfor poverty-stricken children.

With a background in business, Princess Alexandrahas also endorsed Danish business interests in HongKong and Greater China by opening Danish factories,industries and companies.

“With some of the future strong economicpowerhouses of the world situated in Asia – anobvious one being China – many Danes are nowfocusing on Asia for business and economic reasons,too,” she added.

As an official representative of Denmark, PrincessAlexandra hopes Asia will continue to create adialogue with her. “I would be delighted to helppromote Asian interests here and Danish interests inAsia. I would be thrilled to be able to make thatbridge broader. But then it’s up to individuals,companies and organisations to decide how thatbridge will be built,” she said.

Princess the perfect choiceto bridge cultural relations

Princess Alexandra: natural ambassador

Catherine Skrzypinski

Denmark next year celebrates the200th anniversary of the birth of itsmost famous son, Hans ChristianAndersen, author of some of theworld’s best-loved fairy tales.

The occasion will be marked bythe biggest national cultural eventstaged in Denmark.

Andersen was born in the slumsof Odense. His father was a shoe-

maker and his mother a washer-woman. Encouraged by his par-ents, he composed fairy tales andpresented puppet theatre shows.

Among his best-known storiesare The Little Mermaid and TheEmperor’s New Clothes.

The festivities begin in Copen-hagen on Andersen’s birthday,April 2, with a global televised

opening ceremony. The celebra-tions continue until December 6,the day the poet and artist returnedto his hometown Odense as a citi-zen of honour.

During the celebrations, Den-mark will be transformed into afairy-tale land, with numerous cul-tural events. For more information,see www.hca.2005.com.

Fairy-tale celebration for a favourite son

S2 DENMARK NATIONAL DAYF R I D A Y , A P R I L 1 6 , 2 0 0 4 S O U T H C H I N A M O R N I N G P O S T

If you like cold beer and relaxing athome listening to your hi-tech en-tertainment system while the chil-dren play with building bricks asyou wait for your partner to returnhome in the family car for dinner,chances are your life has beentouched in some way by a companyfrom Denmark.

There are about 90 Danish sub-sidiaries and Danish-related com-panies in Hong Kong. These in-clude many well-known globalbrands such Bang & Olufsen, Carls-berg, Maersk-Sealand and Lego.

Among the more establishedcompanies is family-owned trad-ing firm Jebsen & Co.

With a history in Hong Kongdating back to 1895, when it operat-ed as a shipping agency, Jebsen hasgrown into a multibillion-dollarbusiness with operations coveringconsumer goods, services, indus-trial products, and cars and acces-sories. Today, the company has dis-tribution and business networksthroughout the Greater China re-gion.

Jebsen helps bring names suchas Blue Girl beer, HP Sauce, Oris-watches and Porsche to the region.

Helmuth Hennig, managing di-rector of Jebsen, said there weremany challenges to operating witha broad spectrum of business unitsin a relatively broad market.

“Our core markets are Hong

Kong and China. Here, we deal witha Hong Kong that is a mature, well-established city market. And thenon the other side of the border, youhave a very large, skewed economy,which in some areas is movingahead very rapidly and in others itis not moving quite as rapidly. Sowe have to deal with many differentindustries in many different places,all at the same time, which makesfor a very interesting business.”

China’s entry into the WorldTrade Organisation and the CloserEconomic Partnership Arrange-ment (Cepa) between Hong Kongand the mainland has also thrown anew set of challenges and opportu-nities into the business ring.

As a Hong Kong-incorporated

company, Jebsen was quick to seizethe opportunities available to localfirms under Cepa, such as beingable to set up China-based head of-fices. This enabled the company toget a foothold in China before it en-tered the WTO.

“We are now in the process ofestablishing a head office in Beijingwith full distribution rights for thebusiness areas that are of interest tous, and we are going to branch thatout into Shanghai and Guangzhou.We’ve been in those cities for a longtime already, but this means we areincorporating our existing opera-tions into what is now a fully ownedforeign enterprise with all the rightsand obligations of a Chinese com-pany.”

With its long successful tradinghistory with China, Jebsen and MrHennig, who has spent almost allhis career with the firm, are in aunique position to comment onhow businesses might want to dealwith China now it is a World TradeOrganisation member.

He warned that anyone whoconsidered China a “fantastic mon-ey pot” was deluded.

“China is going to be an interest-ing market, but at the same time it’sfraught with difficulties and that iswhere I think Hong Kong has a realopportunity. Because [Jebsen andHong Kong] have been the mainentry point into China for manyyears, at least we understand someof the issues up there…”

Jebsen keen but wary on China prospects David Evans

While the business stalwart has long-established mainland links it is proceeding with caution

Jebsen& Co Ltd

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STRATEGICALLYPLACED

Some Hong Kong officials mightwish they could enjoy a dip in Vic-toria Harbour, just as the RoyalDanish consul-general in HongKong, Soren Kragholm, enjoyed aswim in Copenhagen harbour lastsummer.

“This may be a surprise forHong Kong people, but tourists areable to swim in the harbour of Co-penhagen because parts have beensectioned off into swimmingpools,” Mr Kragholm said.

The city’s first metropolitanswimming area was opened to thepublic on June 15, 2002.

City dwellers and tourists cantake a plunge into the blue watersof the Copenhagen Harbour Swim-ming Beach on the Islands ofBrygge.

Mr Kragholm said the cleaningup of the harbour waters had beenhighly effective.

“The water is now sufficientlyclean that you can swim in it. This isquite extraordinary. I was swim-ming in the harbour last summer.”

The Harbour Swimming Beachwas a joint project completed bythe Copenhagen Athletic Associa-tion and Copenhagen Council in abid to bring pure harbour water tothe citizens of the capital city.

The design of the beach is sim-ple. Floating bridges were con-structed in a rectangular shape toform a fence around three pools.

A 70cm-deep fenced-off chil-dren’s pool flanks a standard swim-ming pool and a diving pool withthree diving boards.

There are also plans to add a wa-ter slide. Beachgoers experiencethe thrill of a “swim with a view” ofcity landmarks, while enjoying thesensation of being in a floatingswimming pool, as opposed to thetraditional in-ground design.

The Copenhagen HarbourBeach is open every day during thesummer months and admission isfree.

There was no word on whetherthe beach would be open in winterfor the “vikings”, or winter bathers,who swear by the health benefits ofplunging into freezing Danish wa-

ters in the dead of winter, The Co-penhagen Post reported.

Those wishing to keep their feeton dry land can sample the buzzingmodern cafe life and the innovativerestaurants, while savouring 1,000years of history built around whatwas once a small merchant har-bour (which is what Copenhagenmeans).

In summer, the old amusementpark, the Tivoli Gardens, provides amagical setting for romantic nightsout. A total of 110,000 colouredlamps light up the gardens’ foun-tains and flowers, while world-fam-ous acts are presented on the open-air stage.

From the end of November untilChristmas, the whole of Copenha-gen goes skating on the frozen lakein the middle of the gardens.

Skaters also enjoy themselves atthe entrance to Frederiksberg Parkor on Kongens Nytorv, the city’sgrandest square, looking on to theRoyal Theatre and the captivatingNyhavn waterfront, with its cafesand old sailing ships along thequay.

Copenhagen offers touristsa diverse range of activitiesDavid Evans

The successful operation of sophis-ticated dust-gathering equipmentdeveloped in Denmark and fittedon the two Mars exploration rovershas helped gain the space projecton the Red Planet an extra fivemonths of research assignments.

Nasa has approved an extendedmission for the Mars rovers,handing them up to five months ofovertime assignments as they com-plete their three-month prime mis-sion. The mission originally de-signed to finish at the end of thismonth has been extended to Sep-tember.

Spirit and Opportunity, the tworobotic rovers that have madeheadlines exploring opposite sidesof the Red Planet, are the missionexplorers. But to do their jobs, theyneed a little help from the scientistsbehind the scenes. Both rovers car-ry magnets developed in Denmarkfor experiments to analyse Martiandust.

Morten Madsen, science teammember from the Centre for Plane-tary Science in Copenhagen, saidMars was a dusty place and some ofthat dust was highly magnetic.Magnetic minerals carried in dustgrains may be freeze-dried rem-

nants of the planet’s watery past.An examination of these particlesand their patterns of accumulationon magnets of varying strength canreveal clues about their mineralogyand the planet’s geologic history.

“Dust covers much of Mars’ sur-face and hangs in the atmosphere,occasionally rising into giant duststorms. One of the magnets is de-signed to exclude any magneticdust particles from landing in thecentre of a target area. During Spir-it’s time on Mars, dust had accu-mulated on other parts of the targetwhile the centre had remained“probably the cleanest area any-where on the surface of the rover”,Dr Madsen said.

The mission extension providesUS$15 million for operating therovers until September.

Orlando Figueroa, Mars explo-ration programme director at theUS space agency, said: “Given therovers’ tremendous success, theproject submitted a proposal forextending the mission, and we haveapproved it.”

Mark Adler, deputy missionmanager for the Spirit rover, said:“We’re going to continue exploringand try to understand the waterstory at Gusev.”

Spirit is seeking geological evi-

dence of an ancient lake thought tohave once filled Gusev Crater.

Denmark also played a key rolein naming the two Mars explorersSpirit and Opportunity. The Legocompany, based in Billund, Den-mark, teamed up with Nasa and thePlanetary Society, headquarteredin California, to organise a compe-tition that attracted 10,000 entries.

Lego president Kjeld Kirk Kris-tiansen said: “The early days ofspace exploration stimulated thecreativity of an entire generation,expanded our imagination and en-couraged us to push our limits,making us better and braver hu-man beings.”

He said Lego wanted to bringpart of that magic back. “Every-thing we do is aimed at giving chil-dren that same power to createand, by involving children in theName the Rovers Contest and otherplayful learning activities, we hopeto motivate and inspire the nextgeneration of explorers.”

The Planetary Society, in co-op-eration with Lego, also providedDVDs baring the names of four mil-lion people collected by Nasa. TheDVD assembly was mounted to thelanding equipment that protectedSpirit during its descent and will beleft behind as a time capsule.

The Martian rover Spirit took this shot of its landing site. The rover carries magnets developed in Denmark to analyse Martian dust. Photo: Reuters

Magnets draw extension toMars exploration projectChris Davis

An eclectic treasure house of artand sculpture collected by the heirsto the Danish Carlsberg beer brew-ing dynasty is to go on show for thefirst time in Britain at the RoyalAcademy.

The gallery is to borrow nearly

250 highlights of the Carlsberg col-lection during a refurbishment ofthe Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek galleryin Copenhagen, where they arenormally displayed.

Glyptotek director FlemmingFriborg said it featured the biggestcollection of works by post-impres-sionist painter Paul Gauguin in the

world (including a number of frag-ile ceramics), a rare complete set ofDegas bronze statues and a wealthof Roman portrait sculptures.

But the collection also told “thestory of Danish industrialism” inhighlighting the vast wealth creat-ed by the brewing industry in 19thcentury Denmark.

The first works were bought in1878 by Carl Jacobsen, whose fathercreated the Carlsberg brewery inhis name. He subsequently found-ed his own rival brewery to his fa-ther’s and amassed a fortune thatwas worth millions in today’sprices. But he lived frugally, Mr Fri-borg said, and spent all his sparecash on his art and sculpture, muchof which came directly from impor-tant late 19th century excavations.

In 1888, he donated to the Dan-ish nation his by then sizeable col-lection of antiquities.

The show at the Royal Academy,which is sponsored by Carlsberg inBritain and health-care companyNovo Nordisk, opens on Septem-ber 18 and ends on December 10.

Gallery to host Danish treasuresThe Independent

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As China’s infrastructure andgrowing economy continues tosurge, so does the country’s needfor cement. To meet this need,international engineeringcompany F. L. Smidth, one of theworld’s largest suppliers ofcement manufacturingequipment, is working tostrengthen the ties it first madewith China nearly a century ago.

Based in Denmark, F. L.Smidth has 122 years ofexperience developing, planning,operating and servicingequipment and facilities forcement-making, mining, powergeneration and other industrialprocessing sectors.

With major development inChina, the company opened abranch in Qingdao in 2000 withplans to significantly expand itsbusiness across the country.

“About one-third of all the

cement consumed in the world isconsumed in China,” said PalleSteenboel, F. L. Smidth’s salesmanager responsible for China.

F. L. Smidth’s initial foray intoChina was in 1906, when thecompany originally set its rootsnear Beijing, eventually moving toShanghai because commercialactivity was growing stronger atthe time.

But with the onset of theCultural Revolution, the companywas forced to close in 1948. Afterthe Open Door Policy – whichrefers to the principle of equaltrading rights in China at the endof the 19th century – wasreinstated, F. L. Smidth returnedto China and quickly re-established itself in the mainlandwith a representative office.

“When China opened its doors,we were selling complete plants,technology and equipment for theproduction line,” Mr Steenboelsaid. Now with China buildingmore cement factories and

production lines than the rest ofthe world combined, it is a hugemarket for the company.

So far its decision to broadenits business in China has paid off.Last year, it sold 38 Atox mills –large vertical mills used to grindraw materials – making it thelargest foreign supplier of thesemills to China. Last September,the company sold the largest Atoxmill in the world – with a grindingtable of 5.25 metres in diameter,to Liaoning Bohai Cement inLiaoning province.

“The Chinese are substitutingoutdated technology with newChinese technology and haveinitiated a vast number ofinfrastructure projects. That’s whythey are establishing a hugenumber of cement plants,” MrSteenboel said.

He attributes F. L. Smidth’srecent surge of business in Chinato the country’s growing demandfor production lines.

The company also prides itself

on sharing its cement knowledgewith the Chinese.

“In the past two decades theChinese have learnt so much fromus,” said Mr Steenboel, addingthat the Chinese were buildingmany of their own cementfactories. “I think the secret of thesuccess of F. L. Smidth is that wehave proven to be a technologicalleader in this industry and havebeen competitive in what we aredoing.”

He pointed to the recentlaunch of a new machine thatcould not only be used to safelydispose of waste within thecement industry but also use thematerials as a fuel substitute forraw materials such as oil and gas.

“We are spending a lot onresearch and development on thesustainability of the production ofemissions and the ability to safelyburn waste,” he said.

In the coming years, F. L.Smidth hopes to expand itsmanufacturing operations beyond

Qingdao and to move further thanthe relatively simple machinery itfocused on when it re-establisheditself in the country.

The company is also preparingto manufacture additional types ofequipment in China, such as thecooler module – machines used tocool cement products after theyhave been fired in the kiln.

While the overall cementindustry is still relatively small, MrSteenboel expects the long-termrelationship between F. L. Smidthand China will continue toflourish.

“I predict that for 2003 theorders placed from China willexceed 10 per cent of our globalorders,” said Mr Steenboel, addingthat the company had beenextremely cost competitive.

“This will be the highest inmany, many years,” he added,noting that the company’sreputation for reliable, qualityproducts was one that wouldensure its continued success.

“Most newcomers who want tomove into cement have heard ofour name and will contact us.”

Engineering giant cements century-old links

F. L. Smidth sales manager Palle Steenboel sees growth beyond Qingdao.

Equipment supplier prides itself on sharing industry knowledge with China

Reports by Angela Gasperand Catherine Skrzypinski

With mobile telephonessurpassing land lines in China,Denmark’s GN Netcom will helpChinese consumers make themost of hands-freecommunications with launch ofJabra headsets this year.

Niels Christiansen, presidentand chief executive of GNNetcom, said Jabra became theleader in Hong Kong amongwireless Bluetooth headsetsduring a three-month test period.

“We are selling more Jabraheadsets in Hong Kong than anyother brand name,” MrChristiansen said.

A leader and pioneer in hands-free communications, GN Netcomin 2000 became the first companyto commercially offer Bluetoothwireless headsets and noise-cancelling technology.

The company services themobile, office and call-centremarkets.

GN Netcom’s main production

facility opened in Xiamen 15 yearsago, making it one of the firstforeign companies with a fullyowned facility in China, MrChristiansen said.

The facility has been recentlyupgraded to produce thecompany’s most advancedproducts, including the Bluetooth

headsets, and GN Netcom focusesproduction exclusively in China.

It is also a pioneer in employeerelations in China. GN Netcomprovides subsidised meals toemployees in a new factorycafeteria, on-site health care,English tutorials to improvecommunication and ensures atleast 5 per cent of its staff includespeople with disabilities.

“Yes, there is a cost toemployee services, but it alsocosts when you have to recruitand retrain people all the timetoo,” said Mr Christiansen.

Encouraging other companiesto head to China for production ofhi-tech goods is also the GNNetcom’s mission.

“We buy 95 per cent of ourmaterials in China, so we areactually benefiting from beingable to buy and source most of thecomponents there and alsomanufacturing the end product,”he said.

GN Netcom a pioneer in headsets

Niels Christiansen: switched on

Denmark gained fame for itsexpertise in district heatingfollowing the energy crisis of the1970s.

The demand for environmentalheating solutions in northernChina led BROEN, a Danishmanufacturer of ball-valveproducts and laboratoryequipment, to establish a Beijingrepresentative office last year.

“China is becoming a veryimportant market for BROEN inthe district heating and gas area,”said Carsten Aaby Andersen,managing director of BROEN.

“We want to concentrate onfive or six regions in northernChina and in the mid-region,because that’s where districtheating is widespread.”

District heating is one of themain applications for BROEN.This clean and cost-effectivealternative to oil and coal forproducing heat uses thecombined heat and power output,surplus heat from industrialproduction and wasteincineration.

The main function of BROEN’sBeijing office is to follow up oninternational projects with theDanish InternationalDevelopment Agency and toestablish relationships with

Chinese customers and partners,Mr Andersen said.

Although BROEN has beensourcing brass material fromChina for five years, it now wantsto sell to the Chinese market.

“China is becoming a goodpartner on the map for thepurchase, sourcing and selling ofproducts,” Mr Andersen said.

BROEN started exploring theChinese market throughexhibitions, while cultivatingrelationships with the DanishBoard of District Heating. It wantsto get more involved in China’sdaily market, by supplying tocontractors and district heatingplants in the coming years.

Mr Andersen would also likeBROEN to establish a jointventure with a Chinese company,and seek opportunities forproduction.

“I believe this is essential forour development in the Chinesemarket, to have a partnership withthe Chinese people,” he said.

BROEN eyes potential of districtheating to meet northern needs

BROEN managing director Carsten Aaby Andersen sees potential in China.

Ever had trouble dividing a lunchbill between friends? Imagine theprocess with one utility bill for a1,000-unit apartment building.Should a one-bedroom apartmentpay the same for heat as a three-bedroom flat? And if there is onlyone meter in the building, howdoes one ensure fair cost sharing?

With more than 85 years ofexperience in the developmentand production of heat and watermetering and billing in Denmark,Brunata is offering its expertise toChina by installing 5,000 meters ata Tianjin housing project.

“In China, there are hugeenvironmental and economicaladvantages from individualbillings, with possible savings of25 to 35 per cent,” said KlavsFischer Hansen, technical directorof Brunata. “If you apply that to allthe buildings in China, you see thebenefits of energy savings to theconsumer and the economy.”

Using individual meters basedon proprietary technology onradiators in each unit allowsBrunata to accurately measureenergy consumption and bill theappropriate costs. Its meters arecompatible with older andmodern utility systems, easy to

install, reliable and more cost-effective than its competitors,making them ideal for use in largedevelopments and low-incomeprojects, Mr Hansen said.

Tianjin, in the country’snortheast, has one of thecountry’s most developed heatingsystem districts.

It was the ideal base fromwhich to further developBrunata’s business in China,through a subsidiary or apartnership, Mr Hansen said.

Brunata has an office in Tianjinand uses suppliers from Shenzhenfor some of its products.

“If we have continued successin China, we will considerproduction there,” he said.

“Reliable products and goodcustomer service is the key. Westill provide spare parts forproducts that were installed inEurope right after the first worldwar that remain in operation.”

Brunata makes power bills easy

Klavs Fischer Hansen: sees savings

With cranes dominating itsskyline, Shanghai has beenbranded as the world’s largestconstruction site. Denka Lift, aconstruction access platformspecialist, is looking to help scalethe heights of the newskyscrapers, whether it is for finalfittings, ongoing maintenance orcleaning.

“We are seeing all the buildingthat is going on there, withShanghai continually evolving. Weare very interested in, and arefollowing, the development in

China,” said Thorkild Falkentoft,international sales manager forDenka Lift.

The company’s platforms areused in the final stage ofconstruction, when electricalfittings are being installed andbuilding facades fixed, or duringrenovations. Its atrium aerial lifts,used for cleaning indoor windows,were in high demand in hotelreceptions, shopping malls andairports in Malaysia, thePhilippines, Singapore and HongKong, said Mr Falkentoft.

“We developed accessplatforms because we are lookingto the future,” said Nils BoMoelholm, managing director.“They are a working tool if youwant to maintain something or ifyou want to build something highor away.”

Collaborating with the DanishIndustry Association, Denka Lift isseeking to establish a supplynetwork for its products in Asiathrough exclusive dealers andrental companies that lease thecompany’s equipment toconstruction sites.

Denka Lift anticipates demandin the region for its narrow lifts,which “can go up to 28 metres inheight, but still pass through anarrow door of only 90cm”, MrFalkentoft said. “You could stow itin a small storage room.”

Still, Denka Lift faces stiffcompetition from bamboo used inconstruction throughout theregion. “It is a heavy investmentto buy a machine, compared withbamboo, but our products areversatile and easy to set up,” MrFalkentoft said. “Our clients find itcheaper to buy Denka because itwill work that much longer.”

Denka Lift keen to raise profile

Nils Bo Moelholm (left) and Thorkild Falkentoft, of Denka Lift.

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Through recent investments inMalaysia, Singapore and SouthKorea, a Danish paint coatingsmanufacturer has shown its faithin Asia’s growth potential. But it isHempel’s 25-year link to Chinathat has driven its commitment tothe region.

“Almost 95 per cent of theworld’s containers are built in themainland, which is not surprisingwhen you look at the export ratesout of China,” said Ditlev Engel,group president and chiefexecutive of Hempel.

“The container trade has had arevolutionary impact on worldtrade and we make a verysignificant contribution to this.”

The company works withalmost every containermanufacturer on the mainlandand with container refurbishers inHong Kong.

Hempel is the market leaderfor container, marine andprotective coatings and one of the10 biggest for decorative coatingson the Chinese market.

Hempel’s skipper logo, wellknown throughout the world since1915, is recognised in China as the“Old Man’s brand”.

In continuation of thecompany’s strategic plan,Hempel-Hai Hong (China) wasestablished as a joint venture in1992 in collaboration with ChinaMerchants Holdings(International).

It operates threemanufacturing plants in China –all accredited with ISO 9001:2000,ISO 14001 and OHSAS 18001 – and

sales and offices throughout thecountry.

The first Hempel ServiceAcademy, a professional technicaltraining centre, was recentlyestablished in Shanghai, whichalso services the needs of otherAsian associates.

“With the joint venture, webridged the cultures, transforminga Danish company to a globalcompany, with the goal ofbecoming the market leader in thebusiness by having the peoplewho live and work there on a dailybasis run the companysuccessfully,” Mr Engel said.

The company has also beenproactive in identifying the needsof China’s developinginfrastructure, such as bridges,and formulating products to caterto the emerging demand.

In the first half of last year,Hempel-Hai Hong was contractedto supply coatings for seven newbridge projects in China,including the Runyang Bridgeproject, China’s largestsuspension bridge in Jiangsuprovince.

“For Hempel, staying in theforefront also means continuedimprovements in its products viaresearch and development [R&D]at its new R&D Innovation Centrein Copenhagen and R&D Centrein Singapore, ensuring they areeco-friendly,” Mr Engel said.

“Established in first-quarter2003, the Malaysian facilityprimarily focuses on products andsolutions for the marine and otherindustries in Asia.”

Group president Ditlev Engel says Hempel will stay at the forefront.

Hempel keeps faithin regional market

As more Chinese families buyrefrigerators and freezers, thedemand for frozen foods increasesand draws the focus of HansJensen to the mainland.

The Danish companymanufactures a food-freezingtunnel system that would be idealfor use in China.

“China is the new market forfrozen-food products,” said OlafMoller, director and owner ofHans Jensen. “If you bring foodhome from the supermarket, youhave to keep it cool, too. Peopleare buying refrigerators, so thereis a big market.”

Since 1939, Hans Jensen hasbuilt and installed equipment forthe food industry, withcustomised freezing tunnels fordairies and ice creammanufacturers. Mr Moller hasexpanded its global reach since hebought the business from theJensen family in 1994.

“Almost 98 per cent of ourfreezing tunnels are installedaround the world – the MiddleEast, eastern and western Europe,the United States and SouthKorea,” he said. “We are small andflexible, with a price-competitiveand high-quality product.”

On the mainland, the firm isseeking a local partner. Fromchilling 27,000kg of chicken anhour at a US poultry plant tofreezing big hams in Denmark,Hans Jensen’s tunnels could betailored for all types of products,Mr Moller said.

“Hans Jensen would like tobecome the [frozen] tunnelconsultants in China with apartner who can sell and producethe product. We supply them withthe knowledge, participate in thedrawings and the design,” he said.

Olaf Moller: frozen assets

Companybreaks iceon mainland

In Chinese, the word for numbereight sounds similar to theChinese character for “rich”. Witha central span of 1,088 metres, thetwin-tower Sutong Bridge projectover the Yangtze should translateinto a lucky break for COWI.

A Danish design andengineering consulting firm,COWI was awarded the mostextensive transport contractsigned in China. When completedin 2009, the Sutong Bridge inJiangsu province will be theworld’s longest cable-stayedbridge. The project will alsocement COWI’s reputation in Asia.

“Half the world’s bridges arebeing built in China, so COWIneeds to be there,” said Eigil Veje,department head for MajorBridges. “We are planning arepresentative office to establish astronger presence.”

In Scandinavia, COWI has beeninstrumental over the years inbridging the islands of Denmark.According to Klaus Ostenfeld,COWI’s president and chiefexecutive, the firm has consultedon the Great Belt Bridge,

connecting eastern and westernDenmark, and the OresundCrossing, which joined Denmarkand Sweden together for the firsttime since the Ice Age.

COWI’s experience with theOresund Crossing andinvolvement in Hong Kong’sStonecutters Bridge were key tothe firm winning the SutongBridge project, Mr Ostenfeld said.

With its reputation furtherbolstered, the firm already hadadditional commitments in China,Mr Veje said.

“There are plenty of projects inChina where they are buildingmore than 2,000km of motorway ayear, and lots of long bridgesacross all the rivers and along thecoastlines,” Mr Ostenfeld said.

The partnerships have resultedin a mutual co-operationprogramme under which Chineseengineers work with COWI staff toexchange ideas and techniques.

“The Chinese are veryinterested in keeping up with ourideas and thinking, and how webuilt our infrastructure inEurope,” Mr Ostenfeld said.

Bridge proves a lucky break

Eigil Veje (left), chief project manager at Major Bridges, with COWI president Klaus Ostenfeld.

COWI will boost its reputation with theworld’s longest cable-stayed crossing

From improving the texture andtaste of noodles to facilitatingwastewater treatment, Novozymestailors biotech solutions for theChina market.

It has emerged as the second-largest market for the world leaderin enzymes and micro-organismsfor industrial use.

“We are working with Chineseindustries to develop newopportunities, starting with whatthe indigenous market needsrather than going to China withwhat we already have,” said SteenRiisgaard, chief executive ofNovozymes. “It’s a real challenge,because there’s no definedbeginning point.”

With China as a leader intextiles and garments, forexample, Novozymes is workingon enabling textile mills to

operate without polluting theenvironment during processessuch as dyeing.

Leather goods, foodprocessing, alternative-fuelsources, fish farming, animal feedand wastewater managementwere some markets with “hugepotential”, Mr Riisgaard said. “Weare applying biotech solutions tosolve industrial problems, usingenvironmentally healthy andcompetitive technology.”

Essentially biodegradableproteins, enzymes protected theenvironment by reducing wasteand minimising the need forharsh chemicals, while makingproduction processes moreefficient and cost-effective andresulting in higher-qualityproducts, Mr Riisgaard said.

One of the first Danish

companies to focus on Asia since1994, Novozymes has built aenvironmentally friendly, hi-techplant in Tianjin; founded aresearch facility in Beijing; strucka partnership with the Hongdafirm in Suzhou; and establishedsales offices in Hong Kong,Guangzhou, Beijing and Shanghai.

“We have set up all theelements of our business in China– research, tech service,marketing, sales and production,”Mr Riisgaard said.

With more than 500 employeesin China, and for its greenactivities, Novozymes wasrecognised as the country’s fifth-best employer last year. LastOctober, it gained a board seat onthe Chinese Business Council forSustainable Development topromote biological solutions.

Biotech firm eats its way into lucrative market

Novozymes president Steen Riisgaard says China is a real challenge.

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China’s selection of 3G standardsis highly anticipated in thetelecommunications industry.

The Chinese government is tochoose among three differentstandards – TD-SCDMA (timedivision synchronous codedivision multiple access),Wideband CDMA and CDMA2000.Among the three standards,China’s home-grown TD-SCDMAis seen as a front runner.

RTX Telecom, a Danishcompany focusing on advancedwireless communicationstandards, has been working onTD-SCDMA chipset software andturnkey handset designs since2000 and is ready to help Chinesecompanies implement thistechnology, according to JorgenElbaek, president and chiefexecutive.

Last May, RTX signed anagreement with a tier-onesupplier of cellular chipsets for thedevelopment of a state-of-the-art

GSM/TD-SCDMA chipset.The advantage for handsets

based on this chipset is the abilityto switch between GSM and TD-SCDMA, depending on thenetwork coverage. RTX could alsoassist GSM handsetmanufacturers in adopting TD-SCDMA by providing them with amodule or reference design for

implementation, Mr Elbaek said. RTX is open to transfer

technology to help Chinesehandset makers start production.

“Because TD-SCDMA is aChinese technology, our target isto make designs move into Chinaand train people so they can takeover and make the next designsthemselves. Our value is theknowledge. If we share it, it willhave value to others,” Mr Elbaeksaid.

RTX works with virtually allinternationally recognisedwireless communicationstandards such as Bluetoothtechnologies. RTX wirelessapplications are now goingbeyond the telecommunicationsfield and extending to the healthcare and biotechnology sectors.Recent developments include aplatform for a wireless bloodpressure monitor and a chip forthe detection of biologicalhazards.

RTX gears up for China’shome-grown 3G standard

Jorgen Elbaek

Understanding ship operationsand providing superior customerservice has made Lyngso Marine astellar company in the shippingworld, drawing shipbuilders andowners to the company’s Stellabrand for advanced marine-automation equipment.

And as the “locomotive” of theshipping industry, China isleading the charge.

“China’s economy is drivingthe shipping industry, withShanghai the only growth marketleft,” said managing director KjeldDittmann. “China’s privateeconomy is also growing anddemanding sea-borne transport,which has increased by 20 percent. So, China is the locomotive,without any comparison.”

Through the Stella technology,Lyngso delivers tailor-madesolutions for ship operationsautomation to product carriers,chemical carriers, containervessels, bulkers and anchors atstandard rates. “We’re not selling

boxes – we’re selling the optimalsolution for a customer,” MrDittmann said.

“We understand the differentway of running the ships andrecognise it’s more than justproviding electronics.

“It’s our whole organisationbehind the setup and the after-sales service that makes us thebest.”

The company established apresence in China almost 20years ago, but sales beganescalating only in 2001, MrDittmann said. Capitalising onthe boom, Lyngso Marine nowhas, together with the mothercompany SAM Electronics, aproduction facility in Taizhou,manufacturing consoles andswitchboards, and a sales officein Shanghai. Plans includeexpanding production lines inChina and localising thehandling of all China contracts.

Established almost 50 yearsago as a basement operation,

Lyngso Marine now providesstate-of-the-art solutions globallythrough its R&D CompetenceCentre in Denmark and trainedservice representatives in majorports around the world.

“We have delivered more than7,500 high-quality systems and areavailable 24/365 to customers toensure a ship sails withoutproblems. We have the productsthat can serve their purpose andwe make sure for the next shippurchased, they come back to us.”

Stella brandshines brightin mainland

Kjeld Dittmann: “China’s economy is driving the shipping industry.”

Sales of Lyngso Marine’s automationproducts have taken off since 2001

Since its inception in 1987, Penta Shipping hasleveraged Asia’s growth into success by specialisingin transporting goods to China.

Now, operating as a joint venture with China’sCosco Group, the firm maximises its offering oftransport solutions to China and Hong Kong whileretaining its Danish roots.

“We have the best of both worlds. We are still aScandinavian-thinking company, but we have thebackground and strong ties in China,” said JanTimmermann, Penta’s managing director andpartner. “We can arrange a lot of activities insideChina, which many of our competitors have adifficult time doing.”

From relocating factories to China fromScandinavia – including dismantling the facilities andequipment, packing, transporting and reinstallingthem – to providing door-to-door air and sea freightand local transportation, Penta caters for its clients’complete needs.

Access to Cosco’s warehouses and network ofaffiliates in China since its 1996 partnership hadenabled Penta’s rapid expansion, he said.

“It’s a team effort,” he said of the synergy betweenPenta’s Sweden, Norway and China offices.

“From the beginning, we followed the rules of thecountry where we wanted to do business. But we alsotaught them Scandinavian management – freedom ofmanagement with responsibility. Our [China] staffare proud to be working for a foreign company.”

Exporting Danish agricultural products, such aschicken and frozen meat, and food industryequipment to the region was also Penta’s mainstay,Mr Timmermann said.

Penta’s decision to target China was a “natural”because “China is the locomotive driving world tradethese days”.

“China has really been able to strengthen thequite soft shipping market, where there was a lot ofovercapacity. Without China, it would not be likethat. We want to follow the development and grow tobe the leading service provider in this market.”

Penta sails on with partner

Jan Timmermann: strong ties with China.

The Danish Electrical and HeatingIndustry (DEVI) is making stridentsteps in the mainland with itselectrical floor heating systems.

As Europe’s largest supplier ofelectrical floor heating, DEVI isexpanding its presence globally bydeveloping a total heating systemconsisting of cables and anintelligent thermostat.

Its systems are installedindoors to warm homes andbuildings, as well as outdoors tomelt snow and ice.

“DEVI holds one-third of thetotal electrical floor heatingmarket, which is the fastest-growing heating method in theworld,” said Lars Hermansen,DEVI’s president.

Market development managerLeif Christiansen said that withthe establishment of a Beijingrepresentative office in July 2002,DEVI now had access to theexpansive Chinese market.

The markets for floor heatingare completely different in thesouth and north of China. In thesouth, DEVI’s target market is inhome improvement, mainly inbathrooms and kitchens.

“It’s only recently that thesouth of China has been puttingheat into their houses. Before, itwas just air-conditioning,” MrChristiansen said.

“Now heating is accepted, sothe people are comfortable duringthe coldest months of the year.”

In contrast, northern China hasalways been a heating area, soDevi is focused on completeheating solutions for large-scaleprojects. It supplied completesystems of several hundredthousand square metres inBeijing, Mr Christiansen said.

Mr Hermansen said the 2008Beijing Olympics had pusheddemand for DEVI’s electrical floorheating systems becauseconstruction of the buildings mustbe completed by 2006.

Mr Christiansen said: “It’s ourambition to be a market leader inChina in five years.”

DEVI warms to growing market

Lars Hermansen Leif Christiansen

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For shipping companyDampskibsselskabet Norden,demonstrating a commitment toChina means doing business withand in the country.

“We established a China officein January 2003 in Shanghai andfor the first time we ordered fourships from the GuangzhouInternational Shipyard earlier thisyear,” Norden president SteenKrabbe said.

“We are very impressed bywhat the Chinese are achievingand we hope we can be part ofthat success by providing ourservices, transport and logistics tocustomers in China. We want toshow them we’re not just someovernight business, but long-termplayers.”

China’s explosive economicgrowth, increased openness to theoutside world and growth inimports and exports requiringcompetitive and reliable transportof bulk commodities worldwideresulted in the rapid expansion ofthe Chinese shipping industry, MrKrabbe said.

These factors had also inducedNorden to participate from acloser proximity.

“By being closer to ourcustomers, we get a strongerfeeling for their potential needs,now and in the long term. We useour experience to assist in makingthe process easier and cheaper forthem by makingrecommendations, therebyreducing transport costs.”

Norden has six to nine vesselsa month in China, unloading andloading bulk commodities forclients that range from steel millsand importers of raw materialsand grain products to exporters of

coal, petroleum and other bulkcommodities.

Established in 1871 and afounding member of the DanishShipowners’ Association in 1884,Norden is the oldest shippingcompany in Denmark engaged intramp operation on a global basis.As a modern shipping company,Norden operated a bulk fleet andmost of its vessels were less thanfive years old, Mr Krabbe said.

Norden has had a presence in

the Far East since 1876 when itsvessel Norden traded betweenShanghai and Nagasaki, Japan. Anoffice in Singapore, established in1996, covers Indonesia, Malaysiaand Thailand.

“Asia continues to be a veryimportant market for us withrespect to cargo volume andtonnage procurement. Therefore,we need to indicate to ourcustomers there that we want tobe there for the long term.”

Norden drops anchor inShanghai for the long haul

President Steen Krabbe says Dampskibsselskabet Norden is committed.

Aalborg Industries seems to havecornered the market in providingmarine boilers for shipping, withmore than 70 per cent marketshare in China.

But for company officials, it isjust a step in the right direction inthe mainland’s burgeoningshipping industry.

“China is a very importantmarket for us – its strong shippingindustry is still a developing andrapidly growing market,” saidFreddy Frandsen, president andchief executive of AalborgIndustries.

“A market share of 70 per centis an achievement, but we wouldlike to expand our market share.We would like to be able to deliverboilers to all kinds of ships in theworld, to have every second shipin the world equipped with anAalborg boiler.”

Aalborg Industries hasmaintained its lead status as aboiler provider since enteringChina’s boiler manufacturingmarket in 1995 through a jointventure. At the request of themainland owners, AalborgIndustries became a full owner ofthe company in 1998.

In the interim, the companyhas expanded its businesses in themainland – manufacturing,installing and exporting boilersregionally to other Pacific Rimcountries.

“Using Hong Kong as thegateway to the mainland, weexpect to perform more of ouroperations in the mainland,” MrFrandsen said.

The company was also growingin China, with a factory inQingdao, a service centre inShanghai and sales offices inHong Kong, Dalian andGuangzhou, he said.

The company has about 400

employees in China, with 350 atits Qingdao plant.

The jewel in the crown ofAalborg Industries is the Jiaozhouboiler factory near Qingdao,which manufactures thecompany’s full range of marinesteam boilers, producing morethan one boiler per day.

“[About] 360 boilers a year aredelivered from the Jiaozhoufactory, about half of our globalproduction. We start early in themorning and continue throughoutthe day and night, right aroundthe globe.”

The company alsomanufactures in Indonesia, Braziland Denmark. Seventy-five percent of China-made boilers aredelivered to customers in Korea,Japan, China, Taiwan andSingapore, with plans to export toEurope in the coming years.

“We like it when customersnote the Danish design andquality of our boilers. That isimportant, but we manufacture inChina to be competitive,” MrFrandsen said.

Since becoming sole owner ofthe Jiaozhou factory in 2000,Aalborg Industries has

continuously invested in thefacility’s expansion, to the current18,400 square metres housing amodern production line. AalborgIndustries is regarded as a leadinginternational company in theregion, with a steadily increasingstaff and output.

In shaping the factory as a“showplace for the whole city”,the company has also developedthe surrounding area by buildinghotels and apartments forcustomers and employees thatvisit the factory. Recognising itscontributions, the Chineseauthorities bestowed numerousawards on Aalborg Industries inthe past five years.

Aalborg Industries mainlyconcentrates its efforts in themarine industry. Since 1965, thefirm has supplied almost 38,000boilers to all types of largercommercial vessels. With theimplementation of its MISSIONprogramme, the company aims todeliver its products to an evenwider variety of ships worldwide.

“A ship owner will always askfor our boilers. More than 90 percent of all boilers are requestedbecause we are well knownglobally for high quality.” Mostboilers are fully operational morethan 20 years aftercommissioning, Mr Frandsensaid.

Company officials also valuecultural exchanges between theDanes and the Chinese. Inaddition to training employees atits Aalborg headquarters, “weshare knowledge about ourcountries”, Mr Frandsen said.

“It means a lot for us to beintegrated in China. We’re nottrying to export Denmark toChina, but we’re trying to adaptourselves into the culture, whiledoing business in a Danish way.That means providing high quality– of the same level or higher thanwhat we have in Denmark.”

Full steam aheadas Aalborg cornersship boiler marketFirm looks to expand share from 70pc

Freddy Frandsen, president andCEO of Aalborg Industries

Shanghai’s skyline is undergoingmassive change, with constructiongaining pace as the city gears upto host the 2010 Expo.

With strong demand for cableinfrastructure accompanying thatexpansion, Danish companyRoblon is positioning itself to bulkup its business in China.

The Danish manufacturer isinvolved in production of hi-techindustrial fibres, fibre-opticlighting and advanced machineryfor rope and cable production,

“China could mean bigbusiness for Roblon IndustrialFibers, because they’re going toneed cables fortelecommunications,” saidFlemming Bertelsen, managingdirector of Roblon, referring to thecompany’s production ofmachinery and fibre yarns forcable manufacturing.

Uffe Pedersen, sales managerof Roblon Industrial Fibers, said:“Roblon is in the top league ofsuppliers to the cable-makingindustry and has been verysuccessful in supplying machineryand fibre materials to the cableindustry in China.”

Roblon’s business has evolvedsince it introduced its fibre-opticproducts to the Chinese market inthe 1990s, with a growing need forhi-tech cables and materials toequip the increasing number offactories being built in China.

Founded as a manufacturer ofropes and yarns for Denmark’sfishing industry in 1954, thecompany has since expanded itsbusiness into the production ofindustrial fibre with RoblonIndustrial Fiber and into themanufacture of machines forcable and rope making withRoblon Engineering.

With the 1995 acquisition of anexisting company, Roblonbranched into fibre-optic lighting,creating Roblon Fiber Optics.

Roblon Fiber Optics has hadsuccess providing high-endlighting solutions for museums,exhibitions and jewellery shopsworldwide.

“With fibre optics, we’re selling

emotions, feelings andatmosphere,” said SorenTjonneland, division executivemanager of Roblon Fiber Optics.

Together, the company’s threebranches – fibres, machinery andlight – placed Roblon at theforefront of its industry andposition it well for future growthin China, Mr Bertelsen said.

Building boom paves way for Roblon

Roblon executives Carsten Dragsbaek (left), Flemming Bertelsen, Soren Tjonneland and Uffe Pedersen.

When the temperature dips below10 degrees Celsius across GreaterChina, women from Hong Kong toHangzhou turn to fur to staywarm and fashionable.

SAGA Furs of Scandinavia, theleading company responsible forthe global promotion of SAGAMink and SAGA Fox, hopes itsbranded furs provide the warmth.

“We see an increase in the local[fur] consumption and a clearpicture that more people arewilling to pay a higher price forhigh quality,” said UlrikKirchheiner, president and chiefexecutive of SAGA Furs.

He said China quickly becamea vital market for SAGA because ofthe demand for fur in fashionproducts and manufacturing.

“About 40 per cent of our totalturnover is sold to Hong Kong andChina, for local consumption andfor export, with about 50 per centof that being re-exported,” hesaid.

Investing in China’s future, theSaga Workshop and DesignCentre was established in Beijing– the first facility of its kindoutside Scandinavia, to link theChinese fur industry tointernational fashion designers.

SAGA shares its expertise andknowledge on productdevelopment, manufacturing andvaried uses with about 50 ofChina’s leading manufacturers.

The centre’s staff alsocollaborated with local fashiondesigners to find new and

innovative ways to work withSAGA Mink and SAGA Fox, MrKirchheiner said.

Partnering with designers wasessential as they set the trendsthat initiated consumer demand,he added.

“Facilitating the turning ofthese three wheels – trends,consumption and production – isthe main task for us,” he said.

Looking to SAGA’s 50thanniversary this year, theorganisation was changing itsfocus to developing the traditionalfur market and being theinspirational supply source to thetextile and fashion industry, MrKirchheiner said.

“Not everyone can afford a furcoat, but with fur, less is more.”

SAGA wraps up winter with fashionable fur

Ulrik Kirchheiner: “less is more”