Venue
The core conference will take place during the first two days (56 March 2009) at the Aarhus City Hall, the Concert Hall Aarhus, ARoS Aarhus Art Museum and the Radisson SAS Scandinavia Hotel.
The City of Aarhus
Århus is a city of growth. With a population of more than 300,000, Århus is Denmark's second largest city. It is at heart, however, also Denmarks youngest city when you consider the average age of its habitants which is far lower than anywhere else in the country. At the University of Aarhus alone there are nearly 35,000 students, and there is a total of 25 educational and research institutions in the city. But Århus is also a city with clearly visible roots, founded, as it was, by the Vikings in the 8th century.
Denmarks youngest cityÅrhus is at heart Denmarks youngest city. Because every fifth, or thereabouts, of its inhabitants is a student at one of the citys 25 educational and research institutions, and this gives the city a young and exciting vibrancy of its very own. This is clearly in evidence along the Vadestedet by the river, where there used to be a ford in the early days of the city and where the student population today frequents the many cafés and restaurants packed tightly in there. | |
But also, they are to be found, of course, in and around the University of Aarhus and its characteristic yellow-brick buildings which are an architectural gem in the beautiful University Park which now almost extends into the old town centre. The city and the university form a unique symbiosis which has a special attraction on students and lecturers from all over the world. A brand new city in the makingÅrhus is at present expanding dramatically. During the course of the next ten years the entire inner section of the Århus Harbour will be transformed into a new and exciting urban area with houses, businesses and educations institutions. As in Hamburg in Germany and Malmo in Sweden the urban harbour areas will be Århuss new face to the outside world with spectacular buildings and attractive canal areas. Within the next few years some 15,000 new Århus residents will move into the new urban area. In parallel with this, the Lisbjerg quarter to the north of the city will also be an area of quite astonishing growth and it will be connected with the city centre by means of a new light railway, passing through Denmarks largest hospital area, the Skejby Sygehus Aarhus University Hospital. 1250 years of city historyAt the same time Århus is a city which is also very conscious about its roots. Århus could well be Denmarks oldest city; evidence has been found which shows that there was a Viking settlement here as early as the 8th century. The Vikings settled by the mouth of the river at the very spot where the Cathedral today rises into the sky with its tower soaring to more than 90 metres in height. The Bispetorv square was also the centre of the town 1250 years ago, and in The Viking Museum in the basement of the Nordea Bank you are standing right next to the rampart which the Vikings built around Århus in the 10th century. | |
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About Central Denmark Region
The Central Denmark Region has very ambitious goals for the future with respect to sustainable energy consumption and environmental management. The industry in the region is specialised in the energy and environmental sector. It has a stronghold particularly in the field of wind and biomass, for example is the share of energy based on renewable resources higher in this region (22% in 2005) than in the rest of Denmark (14% in 2005). It is further the aim of the Regional Council that the share of energy based on renewable resources will be as high as 50 % in year 2025.
The Central Denmark Region is geographically the largest region in Denmark and with 1.2 million inhabitants (22.46 % of the total Danish population) it is Denmarks second largest after the Capital Region. The region consists of 19 municipalities and several large cities, including Denmarks second-largest city, Aarhus, with approx. 300,000 inhabitants.
The emission of CO2 per capita is lower in the Central Denmark Region than in the rest of Denmark and several of the municipalities in the region have ambitious goals in minimising the emission further, for example is the goal of the City of Aarhus to be CO2-neutral in 2030.
The Central Denmark Region has great growth and development potential. The region has a vigorous economic life, strong competencies in relation to knowledge environments, research and education, and rapid population growth. The Central Denmark Region accounts for almost a fourth of the total Danish workforce.
In the eastern part of the region, the growth zone Aarhus attracts manpower and investments, partly because of the many higher education institutions including university, business school and engineering academy. Aarhus is also home to Denmarks largest container port for overseas container transport. In the west, the growth centres around the cities of Holstebro and Herning, where food processing, wood and furniture industry, textiles and clothing, metal and production technology are particular industrial strengths.
ICT constitutes a position of strength which is constantly developing and especially the ICT research at the Alexandra Institute in the Aarhus IT city has attracted many companies. Another major industry is food and agriculture, with e.g. the Danish Institute of Agricultural Sciences Research Centre in Foulum which is the centre of livestock and plant research in Denmark, collaborating with many companies.
On energy, the Central Denmark Region has a particularly strong position, with some of the worlds largest wind turbine manufacturers such as Vestas Wind Energy A/S and Siemens Wind Power A/S located in the region. Since 1997, the island of Samsø has been Denmarks sustainable energy island, while the latest hydrogen technology is being developed in the western part of the region.