Aalborg is turning green - and taking Denmark with it.
Interview with Catharina Vinther Engqvist - Head of Foreign Direct Investments, Invest in Aalborg.
Published in Danish Newspaper Børsen 22. oktobober, 2025.
For Catharina Vinther Engqvist, green transition is not just about technology, but about collaboration, courage, and values. As Head of Foreign Direct Investment at Invest in Aalborg, she works to attract investments that fit into the city's green ecosystem - while also strengthening Denmark's position in the global energy transition.
She leads the city's investment efforts with an eye on the world – because Aalborg does not compete just with Esbjerg or Copenhagen, but with international cities such as Frankfurt and New York when companies choose where to establish themselves.
Cooperation drives growth
Invest in Aalborg was established ten years ago as Denmark's first municipal investment promotion unit. Since then, its goal has been to create long-term business development through partnerships – locally, nationally, and internationally.
- “Basically, we work for Denmark. We have to promote Denmark – that’s how we succeed,” says Catharina Vinther Engqvist.
The collaboration with Invest in Denmark, Copenhagen Capacity, and other municipalities plays a major role. But local relationships in particular make a difference.
- “When we succeed, it’s because 2+2 equals 5. This requires us to promote each other in partnerships.”
The green engine in Aalborg
Energy is the clearest driving force behind Aalborg’s development. At the center is Aalborg Portland – both as the city's largest industrial player and as one of the most obvious places in Denmark to demonstrate and scale new green technologies.
- “Portland is a huge part of Aalborg's DNA. For many years, it was seen as a problem, but now we see it as an opportunity,” she says.
Historically, the company has been one of Denmark's largest CO2 emitters, which is precisely why its role in the transition is so crucial. If it succeeds here, it can succeed in many other places around the world.
The company is behind the major ACCSION project, which will capture and store up to 1.5 million tons of CO2 per year. The CO2 will be transported via the Port of Aalborg, where a new hub for capture and storage is taking shape in collaboration with international partners. The surplus heat generated in the process will also be used in the city's district heating system.
Another key collaboration is in the wind industry in Aalborg, where Siemens Gamesa, CS Wind, and many others play a major role. Aalborg is home to an entire ecosystem of developers and manufacturers of components for the wind industry - everything from blades and foundations to test environments and software. Many of the companies work closely with Aalborg University and Aalborg Municipality.
- “It's not about one company, but about building an ecosystem where industry, university, and city are interconnected,” she says.
"It takes guts and the courage to say no. But it gets results.”
Green Hub Denmark: From idea to reality
Another key element of Aalborg's green strategy is Green Hub Denmark – a testing and innovation platform where companies can develop and test green technologies in real life. Here, municipalities, researchers, and the business community come together to test everything from energy storage and Power-to-X to circular solutions in industry.
- “Green Hub Denmark is our shared laboratory. This is where we can take new ideas from paper to reality,” explains Catharina Vinther Engqvist.
The hub brings together several North Danish municipalities and Aalborg University in an open innovation environment where international players can also experiment on a full scale – including at Norbis Park near the old coal-fired power plant, which is being phased out.
World-class research and workforce Aalborg University (AAU) plays a central role in virtually all green initiatives. According to Catharina, the university is involved in around 90 percent of the cases that Invest in Aalborg works with.
The Old coal plant is turning into a permanent business park and test-bed.
Norbis Park
- “AAU contributes with research, innovation, and, not least, labor. They educate the engineers that companies are looking for – and they are among the best in the world.”
The collaboration ensures that companies have access to knowledge, testing facilities, and specialized talent. And for young people studying in Aalborg, it means they can become part of a rapidly growing industry – right where the green adventure is taking place.
Soft values as hard currency
When international investors choose Aalborg, it is not just about infrastructure and skilled labor.
- “We rarely talk about returns and bottom lines – the companies themselves have that under control. Instead, we talk about the ecosystem, the values, and the culture,” says Catharina. She calls it "soft values as hard currency. Democracy, trust, and community spirit have become competitive parameters.
- “There are no foreign companies that fail to notice that we are a country where the king runs among 10,000 people in the Royal Run. That says something about security and trust- and that is worth its weight in gold.”
The courage to choose – and to reject
Invest in Aalborg works purposefully with a few, but the right, initiatives. In addition to energy, they are focusing on life science and space tech – areas where Aalborg already has strong environments.
- “We believe in going deep with a few rather than talking a little with many. It takes guts and the courage to say no. But it gets results," says Catharina Vinther Engqvist.
“The future of business in Aalborg lies in the green transition. It does – because of the companies, the university, and the partners we have.”
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Meet Catharina Vinter Engqvist
Head of Foreign Direct Investments, Invest in Aalborg
Catharina and the team at Invest in Aalborg are your one-point-of contact to the City of Aalborg. We can help you with information, facts and network that make all the difference when you consider Aalborg as your business destination.
Let's help you build your business case.