In January, Member of Parliament Peter Skaarup (Danish Democrats) posed a series of questions to three different ministers to get a status update on the work with the so-called business beacons in relation to the Fehmarn project. Minister of Industry Morten Bødskov (Social Democrats) has now answered all three questions, stating that progress is being made, but there is still significant work to be done.
Advancing Sustainable Construction
Regarding the efforts to turn Lolland-Falster into a hotspot for sustainable construction, the Minister of Industry points out in his response that making the prefab factory and the tunnel port permanent was the first step. Now, it is up to the local consortium around the beacon to further the work:
“The Danish Board of Business Promotion has allocated 97.6 million DKK for the development of the business beacon, and in this context, it is crucial that the local consortium gathers a strong group of private and public actors who can drive the work. From the government’s side, we support the partnership agreement and continuously work to support the consortium’s work and the shared vision for the business beacon,” writes Minister of Industry Morten Bødskov in his response to Peter Skaarup.
New Educational Opportunities
Peter Skaarup also inquired about efforts to introduce new educational programs and more apprenticeships to Lolland-Falster. The response from the Minister of Industry is that things are going quite well so far:
“In 2023, 1.6 million DKK was allocated for a professional bachelor’s degree in building construction at Business Academy Zealand in Nykøbing Falster. The program is expected to start in the summer of 2024,” writes the minister. Additionally, 1.5 million DKK has been set aside for the College of Marine Engineering in Copenhagen with the aim of establishing educational spots on Lolland-Falster. The College of Marine Engineering has not yet provided a proposal on how these funds will be used.
150 Apprentice Years Completed
Regarding the numerous apprenticeships promised in relation to the Fehmarn project, the Minister of Industry had good news – they seem to be materializing. However, it is not possible to specify whether they will specifically benefit Lolland-Falster:
“The latest information from Femern A/S is that as of October 1, 2023, 150 apprentice years of work have been completed on the construction so far. The tunnel is expected to be finished in 2029. A total of 500 apprentice years of work are to be completed during the construction period. These 500 apprentice years are allocated with 470 to Femern Link Contractors and about 30 divided between Femern System Contractors and Fehmarn Belt Contractors. The latter has already fulfilled its educational obligation. It is not possible to determine whether additional apprenticeship places have been created in the geographical area as a result of the partnership agreement on the business beacon,” states the response from Morten Bødskov.
