Entire Fehmarnbelt region can profit from production site in Rødby

There was great jubilation on Lolland: On 26 May, 2011, Femern A/S decided to propose Rødbyhavn to the Danish Minister for Transport as the only production site for the Fehmarnbelt Fixed Link. According to estimates by the planning company, this will generate approximately 2,000 jobs in the construction phase, which will last roughly six and a half years. This grants this relatively economically weak region of Denmark great opportunities for growth.

However, it does not mean that all economically relevant decisions have been made and the cake has been fully divided up. Locations on the German side in Schleswig-Holstein and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern had bid for the lucrative order. But the Schleswig-Holstein Minister of Business and Transport, Jost de Jager, made clear after the decision was announced "that this Danish production port will also have enormous knock-on effects on the Belt region as a whole and thus also on Schleswig-Holstein".

In fact, the production of the tunnel elements in Rødbyhavn only accounts for around half of all works required for the project. On both the German and Danish sides, for example, there are the excavation and sheeting works for the tunnel portals and the ramp connections to the existing road and rail infrastructure. A significant proportion of the works can also be performed by a number of service providers and suppliers. These include, on the one hand, the supply of building materials, consultancy and planning services, the design of the steel halls and the erection of smaller buildings. On the other hand, however, less technical services are required such as the hire of vehicles and equipment, canteen operations, cleaning and security services.

Experiences from the Great Belt and Øresund links also show that there is a great need for local businesses and places for social activities. During the construction of the Øresund link, for example, there was a real boost to business on the Swedish side. Bakers, restaurants, bars and cafés recorded strong growth, as well as cinemas, sports centres and other providers of leisure services that were used by the workers at the site.

The challenge and the incentive for businesses consist in recognising needs and necessities arising out of the construction of the Fehmarnbelt Fixed Link and supplying corresponding services. The example of PP Consult A/S shows that the size of the business need not matter. For the Øresund link, the Danish company was involved in the manufacture of steel halls for the production of the Drogden tunnel with just five employees. Manager Poul Poulsen spoke at a seminar organised by the German-Danish cooperation project 'BeltTrade' about the opportunities offered specifically to small businesses: "It is a matter of cooperation. If you have expertise in a specific area and find suitable partners, you can make attractive, competitive bids as a group of small businesses, and also get the contract."