Photo: Hasse Ferrold
DI: PREPARING DANISH INDUSTRY FOR THE GLOBAL MARKET OF TOMORROW
Jens Holst-Nielsen at the DI Business Summit in Copenhagen in September
BY STEPHEN GADD
The confederation of Danish industry Dansk Industri (DI) has 10,000 private companies as members within the manufacturing and services sectors. DI works to provide the best conditions for Danish businesses in order to enhance opportunities for growth and overall competitiveness As exports are vital to the Danish economy, a large part of DI's focus is outward-looking. “If companies are to be prepared for the global market of tomorrow, they must be accountable and give thoughtful attention to both local and global demands,” says DI's CEO, Karsten Dybvad. 14
CPH POST spoke to Jens Holst-Nielsen, the
Today we are by far Denmark’s largest business
Marketing Manager of DI.
organisation with some 10,000 member
Q
Could you tell me a little of the history of DI? The first employer association in Denmark was established in 1885 by companies within the iron industry in Copenhagen as Foreningen af Fabrikanter i Jernindustrien i København.
companies.
Q
How did you come to be involved in DI? With a background as agronomist I came to DI 20 years ago after serving in the Danish Ministry for Food and Agriculture for some years. Since then
A national organisation with the name
I have been working with a variety of business
Sammenslutningen af Arbejdsgivere inden for
sectors and always with an international outlook.
Jernindustrien i Danmark was established in 1902. In the 1980s, it changed its name to Jernets Arbejdsgiverforening.
Q
Other companies within the manufacturing industry were organised in Arbejdsgiverforeningen Industrifagene. These two employer associations merged on 1 January 1990 under the name Industriens Arbejdsgivere. In 1992 Industriens Arbejdsgivere merged with Industrirådet under the name Dansk Industri. On 1 May 2008, Dansk Industri merged with HTS Handel, Transport og Service under the name DI.
Is your work largely 'behind the scenes' in Denmark or do you accompany delegations abroad? My work is both behind the scenes and on the stage, both in Denmark and abroad. I do accompany many of our approximately 40 delegations abroad each year.
Q
How does DI take advantage of diplomatic channels when it comes to promoting Danish business interests? We are totally dependent on the contact to the diplomatic corps in Copenhagen. Our dialogue