A story about Danish manufacturing – sources
2000-2005: The concept of globalisation is popularised in the media. In 2004, the word “globalisation” was used in 1,322 Danish articles; the following year, the word’s usage more than doubled to 2,916.
Source: https://faktalink.dk/globalisering
2005: In a speech to the Danish Parliament, Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen declares that Denmark is a knowledge society:
“Instead we must compete in knowledge. So we also have good, well-paid jobs in the future in Denmark to replace the jobs lost to low-wage countries.”
Source: https://www.stm.dk/statsministeren/taler/statsminister-anders-fogh-rasmussens-redegoerelse-i-folketinget-24-februar-2005/
2001-2006: Nearly 4,000 industrial jobs are outsourced annually to other countries by Danish industrial firms with more than 50 employees.
Source: chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://www.dst.dk/Site/Dst/Udgivelser/nyt/GetAnalyse.aspx?cid=30230
2009: Industrial manufacturing dropped by 22.6% in December 2009 compared to the same month the previous year. The financial crisis has an impact.
Source: chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://www.dst.dk/pukora/epub/Nyt/2010/NR046.pdf
2010: When we move manufacturing to other countries, we lose innovation and know-how in the Danish manufacturing industry, declare professors from three universities, multiple Danish companies and two labour organisations in a publication authored by Aalborg University and the Confederation of Danish Industry.
Source: https://vbn.aau.dk/da/clippings/danske-virksomheder-taber-innovation-uden-produktion
2011: China surpasses the USA as the world’s largest manufacturing country, having a profound impact on the country’s GDP per capita, which has doubled in the past decade according to one McKinsey report.
Source: https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/operations/our-insights/a-new-era-for-manufacturing-in-china
2011: The term Industry 4.0 is used for the first time at an industrial trade fair in Hanover. The concept includes the mass digitalisation of physical manufacturing processes, as well as the machine learning and greater computer power that enable exponential technological growth.
Source: https://ing.dk/artikel/industri-40-blev-konkret-paa-hannover-messen
2012-2013: The Social Democrat-Social Liberal-Socialist People’s Party Government Platform calls for a “green knowledge and manufacturing society”. “Denmark is a manufacturing nation. And Denmark should always be one,” declares Prime Minister Helle Thorning-Schmidt in her speech at the 2013 conference Focus
on Future Growth.
Source: https://www.stm.dk/statsministeren/taler/statsminister-helle-thorning-schmidts-tale-paa-konferencen-fokus-paa-fremtidens-vaekst-den-19-april-2013/
2013-2014: MADE is founded and in February 2014, MADE’s first research and innovation platform, MADE SPIR, is launched. Companies, foundations, associations, and science and technology research centres join forces to create a national platform boosting Danish manufacturing through applied research, development and innovation.
Source: https://ufm.dk/forskning-og-innovation/tilskud-til-forskning-og-innovation/hvem-har-modtaget-tilskud/2013/spir-bevilling-2013-inden-for-fremtidens-produktionssystemer-made
2014-2016: Danish manufacturing companies outsource less, with only slightly more than 1,000 jobs now outsourced compared to the previous figure of nearly 4,000.
Source: chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://www.dst.dk/Site/Dst/Udgivelser/nyt/GetAnalyse.aspx?cid=30230
2017: MADE introduces the research and innovation platform MADE Digital.
Source: https://www.made.dk/artikler/fart_paa_digitaliseringen/
2017: MADE generates benefits of nearly DKK 90 million (approx. EUR 12 million), according to a study conducted by Damvad for Innovation Fund Denmark. The benefits are achieved through the implementation of technology developed by manufacturing companies with the help of MADE. The total potential of the dissemination of these technologies is assessed to be DKK 8.4 billion (EUR 1.12 billion), according to the study.
Source: chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://innovationsfonden.dk/sites/default/files/2018-08/midtvejsevaluering-af-made.pdf
2018: One in three Danish companies use the Internet of Things (IoT), in which machines and installations are connected to the Internet. IoT paves the way for the use of “digital twins”, a digital representation of an installation/machine that can visualise and simulate processes, and for “predictive maintenance”, based on live data on a machine’s performance gathered by sensors.
Source: https://itb.dk/maerkesager/newtech/mere-end-hver-3-danske-virksomhed-bruger-iot/
2019: One in five companies abandon hope of filling a skilled position, according to a study conducted by the Confederation of Danish Industry.
Source: https://www.danskindustri.dk/arkiv/analyser/2022/8/hver-fjerde-virksomhed-har-takket-nej-til-ordrer-pa-grund-af-mangel-pa-medarbejdere/
2019: MADE launches the research and innovation platform MADE FAST, focusing on sustainable manufacturing through automation and digitalisation.
Source: https://www.made.dk/videoer/lose_fremtidens_udfordringer/
2020: The Covid-19 virus hits hard around the world, and in March 2020, the Danish government shuts down all non-critical workplaces, sending everyone home with the exception of workers in the health sector, elderly care and law enforcement.
Source: https://www.stm.dk/presse/pressemoedearkiv/pressemoede-om-covid-19-den-11-marts-2020/
2022: Manufacturing companies dedicate few resources to reducing waste production and resource and water consumption. The prime focus is on reducing carbon emissions and energy consumption, concludes the report Sustainable Manufacturing of the Future – Baseline 2022, prepared by the Danish Academy of Technical Sciences and the Danish Industry Foundation. The report provides a baseline for several parameters of the green transition in the Danish manufacturing industry.
Source: chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://industriensfond.dk/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Fremtidens-baeredygtige-produktion-Baseline-2022.pdf
2022: Commodity price shocks impact companies’ earnings. One in four companies affected by commodity price shocks lose money according to the Confederation of Danish Industry. There is a very high shortage of microchips and a high shortage of agricultural products, wood and metals.
Source: https://www.danskindustri.dk/arkiv/analyser/2022/6/ravarekrisen-stiger-og-en-fjerdedel-af-de-berorte-virksomheder-taber-omsatning/
2022: IoT for the manufacturing industry achieves a market value of USD 53.7 billion globally oand is forecast to continue with an average growth of more than 10% annually in the period 2023-2032.
Source: https://www.gminsights.com/industry-analysis/iot-in-manufacturing-market
2022: The introduction of digital technologies can contribute to a 20% reduction in carbon emissions by 2050, according to the World Economic Forum. This includes, among other things, the use of IoT to monitor energy and materials consumption and assist with continual process optimisation.
Source: https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2022/05/how-digital-solutions-can-reduce-global-emissions/
2022: Eight in ten industrial companies aim to change strategies in the wake of Covid-19, according to a survey conducted by the Confederation of Danish Industry. In general, companies will increase their inventory levels and number of sub-suppliers, while some large companies will also move activities closer to their customers and back to Denmark.
Source: https://www.danskindustri.dk/english/latest-from-di/analyses-reports/2022/4/after-two-years-of-disruptions-higher-inventories-and-more-suppliers/
2023: Denmark is a slow-starter in circularity. According to the Circularity Gap Report, Denmark is 4% circular, which places us below the global average of 7.1%. One of the culprits is Danish consumers’ high consumption of new materials. The report is compiled at the initiative of Danish Industry Foundation, Confederation of Danish Industry, Danish Society of Engineers, Technical University of Denmark – DTU Sustain, Danish Technological Institute, Danish Design Center, and Lifestyle & Design Cluster.
Source: https://www.danskindustri.dk/politik-og-analyser/di-mener/miljoenergi/nyheder-fra-miljo-og-klima/2023/08/danmark-er-kun-4-procent-cirkular/
2023: The vast majority of companies would like to transition to a circular economy, but only a quarter have initiated the process, according to a survey conducted by DTU Sustain. Nearly 41% of respondents say their services, products or business models will be more circular within the next two years.
Source: https://orbit.dtu.dk/en/publications/cirkul%C3%A6r-%C3%B8konomi-i-danske-virksomheder-resultater-fra-en-sp%C3%B8rgesk
2023: Doubling the size of the circular economy industry in Denmark will unlock additional value of DKK 52 billion (EUR 6.9 billion), according to a Boston Consulting Group analysis.
Source: https://borsen.dk/nyheder/baeredygtig/materialer-i-kredslob-kan-aabne-potentiale-paa-52-mia-kr
2023: Six in ten companies list sustainability as among the top three most important themes for the next two years, according to a survey conducted by PwC Denmark.
Source: https://www.pwc.dk/da/publikationer/sustainability-survey.html
2023: New EU requirements are in the works for environmentally sustainable product design. Called the Ecodesign Directive, it includes requirements for energy efficiency, recycled content and a Digital Product Passport showing the sustainability data of a product’s life cycle.
Source: https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/da/ip_23_6257 & https://www.consilium.europa.eu/da/press/press-releases/2023/12/18/packaging-and-packaging-waste-council-adopts-its-negotiating-position-on-new-rules-for-more-sustainable-packaging-in-the-eu/