Case Study
The Danish water industry makes a racquet
A UNIQUE DOUBLES MATCH TOOK PLACE AT THE WORLD BADMINTON CHAMPIONSHIPS IN COPENHAGEN , WHERE THE DANISH WATER INDUSTRY MET REPRESENTATIVES FROM ASIA TO TALK TRADE
T he Confederation of Danish Industry ( DI ), the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark , and the sustainability-focused non-profit State of Green came together at the World Badminton Championships – hosted by Copenhagen in August 2023 .
At the event , the organisations aimed to strengthen trade co-operation between Denmark and several Asian countries , as a case study released by the Copenhagen Convention Bureau has demonstrated . The motivations behind the move came from Danish companies ’ commercial interests in Asia , especially in the field of exporting Denmark ’ s water solutions . Insights from the case study show that certain regions of Southeast Asia are currently tackling difficult water challenges due to high-speed industrial growth , population increase , urban expansion , and climate change . A workshop run by Copenhagen Legacy Lab , from the tourism bureau Wonderful Copenhagen , highlighted the benefits of combining the event with the Danish water sector . With input from Badminton Denmark , the Lab presented the potential of future trade collaboration to relevant stakeholders – underpinned by a shared interest in and love for badminton . To achieve this goal , the DI , the Ministry of Foreign Affairs , and State of Green hosted representatives from China , Vietnam , Indonesia , Thailand , Malaysia , and the Philippines .
During this visit , the Asian decision-makers visited Danish water suppliers and companies throughout the week surrounding the World Badminton Championships ; they and representatives from the Danish water sector participated in a roundtable meeting run by The Danish Water Industries
Federation ( DI Water ). To round out the occasion , participants attended a VIP event organised to coincide with the Championship quarter finals – which took place at the Royal Arena in Copenhagen .
Evaluation DI and the Copenhagen Legacy Lab collected information to evaluate the success of combining the respective business and sports events . As the recent case study followed the Championship from earlier in the year , the findings also evaluated the occasion ’ s long-term positive effects . The participating Danish companies provided their input following the meetings with the Asian delegation .
Respondents explained that the activity provided tangible benefits to their networking and helped in building new international relationships . From these relationships , and following the success of the event , a positive impact is expected to be seen on Danish exports . From the conversations which flowed during the event , respondents felt that the activity had provided deeper knowledge about export barriers and the potential needs of their customers . Furthermore , the Danish respondents indicated that their companies are open to participating in similar events . Overall , a positive reaction and impact could be seen .
Mads Helleberg Dorff , director of DI Water , explained her thoughts following the event : “ The World Badminton Championships provided a unique opportunity to attract high-ranking officials from China , Vietnam , Indonesia , Thailand , Malaysia , and the Philippines for an exchange of perspectives on the water sector and the technologies that our member companies offer .
“ Besides meeting with DI Water , foreign officials have visited several of our member companies , including cBrain , AVK , Kamstrup , Aquaporin and Aarhus Vand . It has inspired us to see opportunities for meeting new partners in connection with major events .” n
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