Northern Connections

Northern Connections is a partnership of 21 clusters, cities, regions and knowledge institutions creating new innovative collaborations between business and energy efficiency clusters. In this project, it is primarily SMEs that will develop green solutions with export potential through cooperation between clusters, cities, and regions across the North Sea area. In Denmark, small- and medium-sized businesses, in particular, provide the knowledge and technology that are in demand abroad.

Read more on the project’s website: www.northernconnections.com

Challenge

The challenge lies in the fact that companies of this size have difficulty entering foreign markets on their own. Meanwhile, cities and clusters have the power to increase collaboration with other markets. This project focuses on innovation and cooperation between SMEs across regional and national borders.

Solution idea

The project supports increased city-cluster-region collaboration across the North Sea area, paving the way for new export and development opportunities in green Danish technologies at small- and medium-sized businesses.

Project deliverables

In addition to showcasing technologies to the outside world in Danish “Living Labs”, companies must further develop their solutions to maintain growth and competitiveness. The goal is to get more companies to participate in innovative transnational collaborations, and to increase the number of companies developing new green technologies by 40%, thereby strengthening their international competitiveness.

Partners

• Municipality of Aalborg
• RSYD: Region of Southern Denmark
• Renewable Energy Hamburg
• Municipality of Aarhus
• RNORD: Region of Northern Jutland
• Sustainable Business Hub
• Business Region Göteborg
• Federal State Schleswig-Holstein
• City of Hamburg
• New Energy Coalition
• HafenCity Universität Hamburg
• Innovatum
• https://www.alkmaar.nl/Scottish Enterprise
• Cleantech Flanders
• Municipality of Alkmaar
• City of Oslo
• Falkirk Council