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| Ramboll: Untapped potential in the German-Danish Corridors  Hamburg, Aarhus and Copenhagen are all falling behind in the global competition between metropolitan areas. However, with the right initiatives this could be about to change states a new report from Ramboll Management Consulting.The report entitled Collaborative Growth uncovers how the German-Danish corridors connecting these cities can unleash the potential to become an economic powerhouse of Northern Europe. With the increased competition between cities and functional regions, it pays off to unite on selected initiatives and foster a common mind-set, says Peter Andreas Norn, Ph.D., co-author on the report, and a seasoned cities expert in Ramboll: - Cross-border collaboration is a complex task. But evidence is clear; collaboration is a key driver to boost growth and the attractiveness towards business, tourism, foreign investments and so on. By creating a functional region the market becomes bigger, in this case 11.6 million inhabitants, and it also allows for making the most of the strongholds on both sides of the border. For instance, this part of Europe has the potential to become a sustainability valley of the world. Wealthy but lacking growth Compared to the rest of Europe, Hamburg, Schleswig-Holstein, Greater Copenhagen, and Jutland are among the wealthier areas. However, zooming in on GDP growth rates for comparable metropolitan regions, the area's locomotives, Hamburg and Copenhagen, cannot stack up against competition. In North Europe Stockholm tops the list with 36% GDP growth from 2010 to 2012 as indicated below. What is more, the region plummets to a 42nd place on EU's Regional Competitiveness Index. So to get back on a growth track and regain competitiveness, Peter Andreas Norn stresses the need for a double focus: - Currently a lot of attention is put on boosting growth via the Fehmarn Belt fixed link, but the report underlines the importance of a similar dedicated focus on boosting growth along both Fehmarn Belt and the Jutland Corridor. 5 key areas So what are the areas with the fastest and most promising return on investment? Desk research and input from some 50 actors in the field boils it down to five areas with value added, explains Business Manager, Dr. Astrid Könönen. Working out of Ramboll's Hamburg office she has recently helped Schleswig-Holstein with its 2030 strategy and is engaged with the actors in the field on a weekly basis. - When we talk to the stakeholders - if it is city officials or people representing small businesses in rural areas - they all point to climate and environment as well as innovation and knowledge as areas holding the most potential. Adding to this, mobility and infrastructure needs more attention and funding to really pave the way for collaboration and growth. Adding the human touch At the end of the day, the bottom line sounds like a Nokia slogan, admits the German expert with the Finnish last name: - The five areas aside, we have to remember the human touch. This is equally about connecting people. There has been great progress in recent years, but my take is that we have to make the right connections and push for more commitment from all parties, says Könönen. About the report The key findings from the report on Collaborative Growth were initially presented at the recent Fehmarnbelt Days 2016 and consist of statistics, desk research and input from four workshops conducted in Aarhus, Copenhagen and twice in Hamburg. write your comments about the article :: © 2016 Construction News :: home page |