STRING Annual Report 2016

Transcription

1 STRING Annual Report 2016

2 LIST OF CONTENTS THE STRING REGION A year focused on infrastructure, culture and science the world around us Economic development The STRING green growth indicators THE STRING Integration index...17

3 string annual report 2016 A year focused on infrastructure, culture and science Region Skåne held the chairmanship of STRING during the year under review. Although it began with a further disappointing delay to the Fixed Link across the Fehmarnbelt, we succeeded in maintaining our political focus. Although STRING has a strong interest in the establishment of the new infrastructure between Skåne and Hamburg, its scope encompasses more than infrastructure. We are also region builders and in this respect, we actively support issues such as green growth, science and research, culture and tourism. We value the strong commitment that our STRING partners have shown to these areas throughout the year. Region Skåne focused on three main areas during its one-year chairmanship. Infrastructure Culture Material/life sciences and largescale research infrastructures The year presented its challenges, but we are satisfied that STRING s governing body, the Political Forum, fully addressed these areas satisfactorily. Science and research was the theme of the Political Forum in September in Malmö when STRING s politicians and Hamburg s Minister for Science, Research and Equality visited the ESS and MAX IV research facilities in Lund. We see a bright future ahead for our region in terms of science and research. STRING is also the proud initiator of the GREAT (Green Regions with Alternative fuels for Transport) project, which was launched at a kick-off conference in January. GREAT is an important cross-border public-private initiative to promote alternative fuels in the 1,000 km corridor from Hamburg to Oslo and Stockholm. It is encouraging to see the power of collaboration at work in the regions and across borders in the pursuit of political priorities. It is also gratifying to witness the special value of the regions as governing bodies when it comes to matters of international relations, which has become even more important in Europe recently. At the Political Forum in Stockholm in April, STRING politicians took part in a two-day event on cross-border infrastructure. The event, which was attended by business representatives, public officials and politicians, culminated in a high-level conference on Connectivity in Scandinavian and Northern European infrastructure. Among our achievements in chairing the STRING network was to increase awareness of the importance of the Fehmarn Fixed Link amongst national politicians in Sweden, and emphasize the need for greater cross-border infrastructure planning. Throughout the year, we initiated and supported the formation of the STRING Culture and Creative Industries Network which aims to increase cross-border cultural co-operation within the arts and technology, creative industries, film and video. Our ambition is for this network to continue to place culture and creative industries as a driver for growth high on the STRING agenda. Our chairmanship comes to an end in September 2016 at Fehmarnbelt Days in Hamburg. This is another major cross-border event that illustrates the diversity in region building. Around 30 different events and conferences are planned, with hundreds of key stakeholders from three countries and the EU participating. The following pages describe the activities of the STRING network and the development in our corridor both economically and environmentally. We are now handing over the chairmanship of STRING to the Region Zealand. We look forward to building on our combined efforts to create a sustainable and green region that continues to offer a high quality of life for everyone who lives in it. Thomas Hansson Chairman of STRING INTRODUCTION 1

4 2PREFACE: CREATING THE FUTURE EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 2

5 1 THE WORLD AROUND US Migrant crisis, border control and Brexit The past year did not reflect enhanced European collaboration and unity. Against this, the STRING partners expressed their strong commitment to international, cross-border collaboration and the free movement of people, labour and goods across borders. The STRING partners are also fully committed to continued collaboration within the STRING network with the aim of creating the best possible future for our citizens along the STRING corridor, which extends from Skåne to Hamburg. We see it as our responsibility to work closely with our neighbouring regions and cities. with broad experience in the environmental area, knowledge of local skills and expertise as well as labour market regulations. The second phase of the public consultation process started in during the summer, with 13,000 pages of documentation from Femern A/S supporting the case. German approval is expected in The matter may well reach the Federal court in Leipzig, which would result in a ruling in 2019 with construction start in 2019/20. Although the Danish environmental authorities have approved the project and contracts have been signed, no construction work will start and no further sub-contracts will be entered into until final German approval is received. Being involved in infrastructure and region building, we collaborate closely with the EU Commission and the EU Parliament in order to ensure the best possible financial and political support for the Fixed Link across the Fehmarnbelt. Together with the members of the Scandinavian Mediterranean Corridor Forum, which consists of states and regions in the corridor extending from Finland to Sicily, we believe in infrastructure as a growth driver and region builder and regard the Fehmarnbelt Fixed Link as crucial in removing one of the major bottlenecks in the European transport system. Despite the somewhat disappointing news in the autumn 2015 of a further delay to the start of construction until 2019/2020 and the consequential delay to completion until 2028, the Fehmarnbelt fixed link project progressed over the past year. A new financial analysis showed that the project is on a sound financial footing. As a result, the Danish Parliament finally gave the go-head for the project s four main contracts to be signed. On 30 May, therefore, the four contracts worth EUR 4 billion were signed between Femern A/S and major European contractors that included highly respected Danish and German companies In August 2016 The Federal Government in approved a new infrastructure plan that runs until In the plan there are more than projects included all over, and, seen in this context, the very important reservation of bn EUR for the construction of a double track railroad between Lübeck and Puttgarten, financially fulfilling the German part of the state treaty with Denmark for establishing the Fixed Link across Fehmarnbelt. STRING 2040 STRATEGY Jens Stenbæk Vice-Chair of STRING Chairman of the Regional Council Region Zealand The future fixed link across the Fehmarn Belt is a top priority for us. The link will result in significant improvement of mobility in the corridor between Scandinavia and the rest of Europe. Furthermore, the possibilities for growth, innovation and cooperation will be strengthened in our region and for the 8.5 million inhabitants of the STRING corridor. With the upgrade of other infrastructure and an interconnected transport system, the future travel time by train will be reduced to 2.5 hours between the two metropolitan areas Greater Copenhagen and Metropolregion Hamburg. Therefore, one of our main focus areas from now will be to increase insight into the major growth potentials of the fixed link. THE WORLD AROUND US 3

6 4 STRING AT A GLANCE

7 2 Economic development In an unstable world, the STRING region rests on the three stable national economies of Denmark, and Sweden and is situated in the northern part of the Scandinavian Mediterranean Corridor (one of EU s nine prioritised transport corridors) where 27% of GDP in the European Union is generated. Economic growth in the STRING region in 2015 is estimated at 1.7 %, well above the average for the years of 1.2 %. Continuing low interest rates, a strong dollar and further oil price reductions are important factors behind the growing economy not only in the STRING region but also in, Denmark and Sweden. Increased public spending particularly in Sweden was a growth driver in 2015 and is set to continue in The crude oil price continued its decline and reached a 12-year low of $26 in mid-january It then rose to just above $44 in August. Falling oil prices mean lower costs for businesses and for private consumers and stimulates consumption. Growth in the STRING region is broadly based on increases in private as well as public consumption, investment and exports, but is also significantly driven by foreign trade, which makes the STRING economy more vulnerable to setbacks in the global economy. Employment growth has been strong in the three national economies and for instance in new jobs were created during the winter half year 2015/2016. Domestic risks to increased economic growth are a lack of skilled labour in the STRING corridor. Moreover, there are warnings of a potential housing bubble in Copenhagen and Stockholm the latter with a possible effect on the Skåne property market. Employment trends are positive in the STRING area with expected growth in GDP of 1.2% in Skåne and the Capital Region of Denmark showed the highest growth in employment during the year under review. More than half the new jobs created in Denmark in 2015 were located in the Capital Region of Denmark and in Skåne the Swedish employment service, Arbetsförmedlingen, predicts that employment will grow by 8,200 jobs in 2016 even though unemployment remains high due to a high inflow into the labour market. STRING 2040 STRATEGY Anke Spoorendonk Minister of Justice, Culture and European Affairs Schleswig-Holstein We consider green growth as our common Unique Selling Point. Our industries, research and education across Sweden, Denmark and are all focused on a sustainable development and production. We are creating the industrial society of the future; in certain sectors we are already world leaders and together we will become more creative and more competitive. STRING Facts and figures Number of inhabitants (2015): 8,566,400 Labour force (2015): 4,221,000 Gross Regional Product (2014, EUR million): 364,911 GRP/inhabitant (2014, PPP): 36,500 (EU 28 average, PPP, 27,500) Unemployment levels (2014): 5.7% (EU 28 average: 9.4%) 54 universities, 18 research institutes, 348,000 students, 70,000 scientific staff SOURCE: EUROSTAT AND FBBC Economic development 5

8 Table 2.1 Economic growth. GDP, annual real change E 2017 E European Union (28 countries) Sweden Denmark Hamburg Schleswig-Holstein The Capital Region of Denmark* Region Zealand* Region Skåne* Copenhagen** STRING*** * Estimated value for the Danish regions in 2015 and for Region Skåne in 2014 and ** In this case Copenhagen is comprised of the City of Copenhagen and the municipalities Frederiksberg, Dragør and Tårnby. *** Data for STRING is based on PPP figures to avoid influences from changes in exchange rates. Source: Arbeitskreis Volkswirtschafliche Gesamtrechnungen der Länder, Danmarks Statistik, Statistiska Centralbyrån, Bundesbank, HWWI, Bundesbank, HWWI, European Commission, EUROSTAT and Øresundsinstituttet STRING 2040 STRATEGY Katharina Fegebank Second Mayor of the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg as well as State Minister for Science, Research and Equalities of the Free and Hanseatic City DIAGRAM 2.1 TRADE IN GOODS BETWEEN HAMBURG, SCHLESWIG-HOLSTEIN AND DENMARK, SWEDEN Bn. euro Science and research are our strategic capital. We, therefore, want the best of our intelligence in research facilities and universities to collaborate whenever it makes sense in order to create a critical mass. A good example is the agreement to cooperate between the European Spallation Source (ESS) in Lund and Copenhagen as well as DESY in Hamburg. We have the potential to create a unique knowledge corridor within our core competencies in material science, renewables, IT and creative industries Denmark Schweden Schleswig-Holstein Export Import Denmark Hamburg Schweden Source: Statistisches Bundesamt 6 Economic development

9 7

10 Basic facts about STRING Table 2.2 Population 1st of January 2016 and area Area 1000 square kilometer Population, mio.* Population growth , annual growth rate* Population growth Population density (inhabitants per sq.km.) Hamburg % 1.4% 2,367.4 Schleswig-Holstein % 1.0% Capital Region of Denmark % 1.2% Region Zealand % 0.9% Region Skåne % 1.1% Copenhagen % 1.9% 6,845.8 STRING 37, % 0.8% % 0.7% Sweden % 1.1% 22.5 Denmark % 0.8% EU28 4, % n.a * Because there are no available figures for for EU28 population growth, figures for are provided for EU28. ** STRING is the sum of Hamburg, Schleswig-Holstein, Capital Region of Denmark, Region Zealand and Skåne. Source: EUROSTAT, Danmarks Statistik, Ørestat, Statistikamt Nord and Statistisches Bundesamt Table 2.3 Age distribution and labour market Percentage of population aged 0-19 Percentage of population aged Dependency ratio* Employment rate** age Unemployment Number of students (2014)*** Hamburg 18% 63% 47% % 96,300 Schleswig-Holstein 19% 59% 55% % 56,000 Capital Region of Denmark 23% 61% 51% % 118,300 Region Zealand 24% 56% 60% % 17,000 Region Skåne*** 23% 58% 58% % 46,900 Copenhagen 19% 70% 32% % 74,500 STRING 20% 60% 53% % 334,500 18% 61% 52% % 2,698,900 Sweden 23% 58% 58% % 325,600 Denmark 24% 58% 55% % 275,600 EU28 21% 60% 52% % 20,246,000 * The dependency ratio is calculated as the sum of population under the age of 15 and over the age of 64 divided by the group of years old. ** data for the employment rate for Region Skåne is an average for Southern Sweden consisting of Skåne and Blekinge. Figures for Copenhagen are estimated on data for 2014 according to Statistics Denmark and the development in the employment rate in the Capital Region of Denmark in *** Figures for European Union is for the year To ensure comparability between the countries, Labour Force Survey is used as source except for Copenhagen, which is an estimate based on figures from Statistics Denmark. The Labour Force Survey is conducted in all EU countries. Source: EUROSTAT, Danmarks Statistik, Statitiska Centralbyrån and Statistisches Bundesamt 8 Economic development

11 Communication We issued 11 press releases, STRING-statements and press invitations in Denmark, and Sweden 7 newsletters were sent to 1,775 subscribers 8,788 visitors visited our website for a total of 20,913 page views Table 2.4 Economy GDP, annual growth rate GDP, growth 2015 GDP per capita 2014, EUR GDP per capita, growth Hamburg 1.2% 1.9% 60, % Schleswig-Holstein 1.4% 1.4% 29, % Capital Region of Denmark* 1.7% 2.5% 58, % Region Zealand* -0.4% -1.3% 31, % Region Skåne 1.6% 3.6% 38, % Copenhagen** 1.6% n.a. 65, % STRING 1.2% 1.7% 43, % 1.5% 1.7% 36, % Sweden 2.0% 4.2% 44, % Denmark 0.6% 1.0% 46, % EU28 1.0% 2.0% 27, % * Estimated value for the Danish regions in 2015 and for Region Skåne in 2014 and ** Figure from In this case Copenhagen is comprised of the City of Copenhagen and the municipalities Frederiksberg, Dragør and Tårnby. Source: EUROSTAT, Danmarks Statistik, Statistiska Centralbyrån and Statistisches Bundesamt Table 2.5 Five biggest trading partners, international trade in goods, 2015 Hamburg Schleswig-Holstein Schweden Denmark 1. France (30 bn. EUR) Denmark (4 bn. EUR) (174 bn. Eur) (35 bn. EUR) (31 bn. EUR) 2. China (11 bn. EUR) Norway (3 bn. EUR) France (170 bn. EUR) Norway (23 bn. EUR) Sweden (19 bn. EUR) 3. usa (10 bn. EUR) The Netherlands (2 bn. EUR) The Netherlands (167 bn. EUR) Denmark (18 bn. EUR) United Kingdom (10 bn. EUR) 4. united Kingdom (9 bn. EUR) Polen (2 bn. EUR) China (163 bn. EUR) United Kingdom (17 bn. EUR) Norway (10 bn. EUR) 5. United Arab Emirates (6 bn. EUR) United Kingdom (2 bn. EUR) United Kingdom (128 bn. EUR) The Netherlands (16 bn. EUR) The Netherlands (9 bn. EUR) Source: Danmarks Statistik, Statistiska Centralbyrån and Statistisches Bundesamt Economic development 9

12 3 The STRING green growth indicators A set of indicators for assessing and comparing green development has been agreed by the STRING region partners. These were presented for the first time in STRING s Regional Report in September Such indicators balance available statistics in order to provide us with the best overall picture of green development in the region. The indicators have also been developed to reflect and follow up on the initiatives and projects as set out in STRING s Green Growth Strategy published in The development of the indicators is affected by many factors STRING s green growth projects being just one of many. As such, the indicators cannot reflect the isolated effects of the green growth projects, but they can show the direction in which we need to go, and are used as a basis for prioritising our actions. Indicator 1: Greenhouse gas emissions This indicator measures greenhouse gas emissions from human activity in the measured geographical area. Greenhouse gas emissions in the STRING region for 2013 were on a par with 2012, but are well below the EU average. On average, 9 tonnes of greenhouse gases measured in CO2 were emitted per inhabitant in the European Union in 2013, but only 7.2 tonnes per inhabitant in the STRING region. In Sweden, the GHG emissions in general are lower than in the overall STRING region due to significant use of hydro and wind power, other sustainable energy sources and nuclear power. DIAGRAM 3.1 GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS PER CAPITA (TONS CO 2 EQUIVALENT) It should be noted that the statistical data on green growth is still in its infancy. For this reason, statistical definitions and measurements may differ from one country to another. Despite its shortcomings, we have chosen to present green indicators for the STRING area, as we believe it is preferable to provide some indication of developments rather than none at all. This third update of the green growth indicators presents a mixed picture for the STRING area as far as green growth is concerned Only one indicator, material productivity, has performed better than shown in the last update. Material productivity increased by 2.9% from 2012 to Two of the six indicators have not changed since previously reported on in 2015 (greenhouse gas emissions and recycling and reuse). Three out of the remaining four indicators are moving in the wrong direction. Carbon footprint light increased by 1.2 % from 2012 to 2013, household consumption per hour of leisure time increased 1% from 2014 to 2015 and waste generated per capita increased 0.9 % from 2013 to Denmark Sweden European Union (28 countries) STRING Source: Eurostat, Statistische Ämter der Länder, Social media 234 tweets were sent out and made an average of 150 impression per day, making a total 54,750 potential readers of tweets We gained almost 40 new Twitter followers each quarter 10 The STRING green growth indicators

13 DIAGRAM 3.2 CARBON FOOTPRINT LIGHT CONSUMPTION BASED GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS PER CAPITA (TONS CO2 EQUIVALENT) Indicator 2: Carbon footprint light The carbon footprint light indicator measures greenhouse gas emissions caused by the economic entity. This means that it takes into account greenhouse gas emissions in other countries caused by our consumption of imported goods. As the carbon footprint light is not a full calculation of the carbon footprint, but a modified version, it takes into account CO2 emissions caused in other countries caused by the production of goods imported by the measured geographical area. The calculations are based on international trade statistics and data for CO2 emissions in the countries of the relevant trading partners. The carbon footprint light indicator for the STRING area is calculated on the basis of national figures because no statistics are available for trade between the three national parts of the STRING region and the other regions/federal states in their respective countries. The Carbon Footprint light indicator for the STRING region is 8.9 tonnes GHG CO2 equivalent per inhabitant, which is 24% higher than the actual GHG emissions caused by production in the STRING region. The Carbon Footprint light indicator for the STRING area increased by 1.2% from 2012 to 2013 due to increases in the figures for and Denmark Denmark Sweden STRING Source: Eurostat, Statistische Ämter der Länder, STRING 2040 STRATEGY Henrik Appel Member of the City Council City of Copenhagen A cleaner and greener corridor is an important asset for our tourist industry and it underlines the liveability of our region. We have a common ambition to reduce the climate impact and to create a sustainable environment. With the fixed Fehmarn Belt link we can move people and freight from road to rail. In this way we promote sustainable growth and increase the mobility across the Öresund and the Fehmarn and between Sweden, Denmark and. With our common GREAT project, supported by the European Commission, we create a green corridor for alternative fuels for the benefit of our citizens, the business and the environment. Enhancing the green mobility makes it attractive for tourists and the corridor become a larger dot on the world tourist map. The STRING green growth indicators 11

14 Indicator 3: Material productivity Material productivity measures the total amount of materials directly used by an economy in relation to its economic activity. Material productivity is defined as the ratio between the economic activity in terms of GDP, and the domestic material consumption (DMC). In other words; how much GDP is created per tonne of raw material used as input in production. The most recent data for material productivity in the STRING region relates to 2013, as newer data for Hamburg and Schleswig-Holstein has not yet been published. Material productivity increased from 2012 to 2013 by 2.9%, which was caused by an increase in Danish material productivity and material productivity for Hamburg. STRING 2040 STRATEGY Thomas Hansson Chairman of STRING Region Skåne Culture and creative industries is a highly growth intensive sector seen from a European perspective and therefore holds large potential for contributing to growth in the STRING corridor. As the coming year brings us even closer to the building of the Fehmarnbelt Fixed Link, we will continue to promote region building by working within the field of culture, striving to bring out the essence of our respective regions and securing a strong and long term sustainable development. DIAGRAM 3.3 MATERIAL PRODUCTIVITY, 2000=100* STRING Tourism Network 1,000 EUR GDP per ton Denmark Sweden Source: Eurostat, Statistische Ämter der Länder, STRING The STRING Tourism Network consist of the tourism organisations along the corridor from Skåne to Hamburg. After an unsuccessful application for an EU project in 2015 the Tourism Network continued the collaboration working for the implementation of the STRING Tourism Strategy. This will result in a joint promotion booth during Fehmarnbelt Days in Hamburg presenting the attractions in the corridor and the first joint tourism route from Skåne to Hamburg. STRING s role is now limited to organizing the network meetings whereas the content of the collaboration is a joint venture between the organisations following the strategy laid down by STRING s governing body, the Political Forum. *) Regional data for Denmark and Sweden does not exist. The figure for STRING is based on data for Hamburg, Schleswig-Holstein and national figures for Denmark and Sweden. It is also important to note that figures for Hamburg are not fully comparable to the figures for Schleswig-Holstein and. For this reason, it is advisable to focus on the trend for the STRING region instead of the exact figure for a given year. 12 The STRING green growth indicators

15 Indicator 4: Recycling and reuse In December 2015, the European Commission presented a new and ambitious circular economy strategy that addressed a range of economic sectors including waste. 1 The common EU target is to recycle 65% of municipal waste by 2030 and 75% of packaging waste by Recycling in the STRING region is well above the EU average, but decreased slightly in About 31% of waste generated is recycled in the STRING region, whereas 28% is recycled in the EU on average. Waste generated per capita in the STRING region increased 0.9% from 2013 to 2014 and is above the EU average. Both Hamburg and Schleswig-Holstein generate far less waste per capita than the German average. In the STRING region, the Danes generate most waste per capita. In fact, Denmark generates more waste per capita than all other EU and EFTA-countries. DIAGRAM 3.4 RECYCLING OF WASTE GENERATED * DIAGRAM 3.5 WASTE GENERATED PER CAPITA* Per cent Kg per capita Denmark Sweden European Union (28 countries) STRING Source: Eurostat *) Data for STRING is estimated using figures for Hamburg and Schleswig- Holstein and calculated figures for the rest of the STRING geography based on national figures. Denmark Sweden European Union (28 countries) STRING Source: Eurostat *) Data for STRING is estimated using figures for Hamburg and Schleswig- Holstein and calculated figures for the rest of the STRING geography based on national figures. 1) The STRING green growth indicators 13

16 Events Conference in Stockholm, Sweden The past year s big conference was held in Stockholm, Sweden, under the title: Connectivity in Scandinavian and Northern European Infrastructure in collaboration with the EU Commission. It was held in connection with STRING Political Forum, and was attended by key stakeholders along the corridor. Pat Cox, European Coordinator for the ScanMedcorridor, Erik Bromander, State Secretary for Infrastructure in Sweden and several business representatives spoke at the conference. It was a successful event in terms of spreading knowledge among Swedish politicians about the Fehmarnbelt Fixed Link and the importance of a cohesive infrastructural planning across our national borders. A GREAT opening On January the 26th 2016 the kick-off for the GREAT project took place in Malmö in Sweden. The project is a public-private partnership, supported by the EU, that will allow customers to charge alternative fuels for their cars in a corridor from Hamburg in to Oslo in Norway and Stockholm in Sweden. The GREAT project is a result of the STRING Green Growth Strategy that was introduced in And already on the 31st of May 2016 the partners behind GREAT celebrated the opening of the first quick charger, installed by EON, in Malmö. The project runs until Folkemødet on Bornholm, Denmark Under the headline Full speed ahead but on what?, STRING hosted an event at Folkemødet on Bornholm together with the GREAT project and some of the partners from the GREAT project. In a debate between i.a. Danish and Swedish politicians, suppliers of alternative fuels, motorists and green organizations, questions about the framework conditions for sustainable transport locally, nationally and especially across borders were raised and discussed. The debate included comments and questions from the audience and the outcome of the debate will be used in the future work with policy measures in the GREAT project. TEN-T Days in Rotterdam, The Netherlands We participated in the TEN-T Days in Rotterdam and used STRING to illustrate the importance of regions in crossborder collaboration across Europe. Also the GREAT project participated both in the exhibition and presenting itself at the conference. Scandinavian Mediterranean Corridor Forum, Brussels, Belgium STRING participated in the 3 meetings in the ScanMed Corridor Forum where regions and nations from one of the 9 prioritized EU corridors meet to discuss working plans and issues of importance to the European infrastructure under the Chairmanship of the European Coordinator Pat Cox. Fehmarnbelt Days 2016 in Hamburg, The biyearly Fehmarnbelt Days will take place in Hamburg from the 20th to the 22nd of September A month before the opening in excess of 600 people had registered for the more than 30 events on offer. The Fehmarnbelt Days are an open source event organized by The Fehmarnbelt Committee, The Fehmarnbelt Business Council, Femern A/S, Hamburg and STRING. In 2012 the Fehmarnbelt Days were held in Lübeck and in 2014 in Copenhagen.

17 Indicator 5: R&D expenditures for green technology This indicator measures patents in green technologies, thus measuring the potential for a future transition towards a sustainable economy. leads the world in this field since 2011, 11% of the world s patents in green technology were issued here. The number of patents in green technology on a global scale was more than three times higher in 2012 than in Due to change of data source, figures differ from those given in previous annual reports. DIAGRAM 3.6 PATENTS IN GREEN TECHNOLOGIES 2000 = Indicator 6: Household consumption per leisure time Well-being also relates to the consumption of time, which is a valuable resource. This indicator reflects how individuals value consumption in relation to leisure time. If the indicator increases, individuals prefer to work more, and consume more, rather than consume less and have more leisure time. It is assumed that sleeping time is 8 hour, so an individual working 8 hours per day, has 8 hours leisure time and one hour more leisure time than an individual working 9 hours. Household consumption per hour of leisure time in the STRING region increased by 1% from 2014 to 2015 meaning that we value consumption of goods and services more than leisure time. The development over time in the Danish and Swedish curve follows the business cycle. The IT crisis of 2001 is reflected in the Swedish figures while the financial crisis is also reflected in both the Danish and Swedish figures. This indicates that economic growth sets the limit on our consumption. The reason why German household consumption is constantly relative to leisure time during the 00s might be the moderate development in real wages in since the 90s Denmark Sweden STRING DIAGRAM 3.7 REAL HOUSEHOLD CONSUMPTION PER LEISURE TIME* Source: OECD 125 In the STRING region, the number of green patents has increased steadily apart from in 2012, which is the most recent year for which data is available. It is usual for this time series to be adjusted upwards when the next update is published. The high increase in Danish green patents since 2006 is largely a result of Jutland s wind energy sector, which includes the world leading players, Vestas and Siemens Wind Power. Schleswig-Holstein increased its share of German patent applications during this period. The majority of green technology patents in Schleswig- Holstein are concerned with reducing emissions and increasing fuel efficiency in transportation. *) The index for real household consumption per leisure time has changed since the first edition. Because of the transmission to a new system for national accounts (ESA2010), it is not possible to get data for EU28. The calculation has therefore changed, making year 2000 equal to 100 for each country, whereas the average value for EU28 was equal to 100 in the first edition. The STRING green growth indicators Denmark Source: EUROSTAT Sweden STRING

18 The STRING green growth indicators 16

19 4 The STRING Integration index The integration index is a measurement of interaction between the regions encompassed by STRING. The intention is to measure both the progress and setbacks in this process. The interaction between regions is measured using parameters within the areas of travel, tourism, business, trade, labour and the housing market. As we are measuring cross-border activities, the components of the integration index are often the result of a compromise because comparable statistics on the parameters do not always exist for all countries and for all regions. The integration index increased from 106 to 108 between 2014 and The transport index increased from 2014 to Two indices, the housing market and business, are unchanged, whereas the last two indices, tourism and the labour market, decreased from 2014 to The decline in the labour market index is particularly noteworthy. This is caused by the fact that fewer Germans commute to a workplace in the Capital Region of Denmark and Region Zealand compared to previous years. As more Germans live and work in the Danish part of the STRING region, the decline in the labour market index is smaller than it otherwise would be. The integration index is constructed using available statistics, and will be developed further in the coming years. Some indices are national figures as it is not possible to obtain regional figures. This, however, may be possible in future as it is likely that the need for more insight into the integration process in the STRING region will increase as the opening date of the fixed link approaches. To remove the effects of the business cycle on the integration index, the components of the integration index is adjusted by a comparable index. The development in traffic across the Fehmarnbelt has, for example, been adjusted for the general development in national road traffic, which means that if traffic across the Fehmarnbelt increases more than the general development in national road traffic, the index increases. STRING 2040 STRATEGY Sophie Hæstorp Andersen Chairman of the Regional Council Capital Region of Denmark STRING Culture and Creative Industries Network (CCI Network) Formation of the STRING Culture and Creative Industries Network was initiated and supported by the Chairmanship of Region Skåne, who had culture as a prioritised area. The CCI Network aims to increase cross-border cultural co-operation within the arts and technology, creative industries, film and video. It has met several times during the year under review to agree upon a common ambition and plan for future activities and cooperation. The network will host a CCI Political Forum and organize a conference on culture and creative industries during the Fehmarnbelt Days in Hamburg. It is more important than ever to appreciate the cross-border cooperation between regions as in the STRING cooperation. We show that it is possible to develop our societies together in an international cooperation that benefits us all. We will ensure the free mobility of goods, services and labour in the STRING corridor as a driver of growth and prosperity. We will work with the EU, the three national governments and other cross-border organisations in order to reduce obstacles in the corridor. The STRING Integration index 17

20 DIAGRAM 4.1 THE INTEGRATION INDEX FOR STRING DIAGRAM 4.2 THE FIVE SUB-INDICES Year 2008 = Year 2008 = Source: Own calculations Labour market Transport and communication Housing market Business Tourism Source: Own calculations DIAGRAM 4.3 LABOUR MARKET BASIC INDICES DIAGRAM 4.4 TRANSPORT BASIC INDICES Year 2008 = Year 2008 = Commuters between Denmark and Train travellers between Denmark and Number of Germans, working and living in Denmark Vehicles at the ferries Rødby-Puttgarden Source: Jobindsats.dk Source: Danmarks Statistik 18 The STRING Integration index

21 STRING 2040 STRING s governing body, the Political Forum, has developed a revised strategy for the cooperation, a strategy that takes account of the latest developments in the time schedule for the Fehmarnbelt Fixed Link. Consequently, the strategy applies until We have also aimed to be more specific in our objectives and have explained the essence of collaboration more fully. Read the new strategy at: DIAGRAM 4.5 HOUSING MARKET BASIC INDICES DIAGRAM 4.6 BUSINESS BASIC INDICES Year 2008 = Year 2008 = Migration between Denmark-Sweden and gross flow Lorries across Fehmarn Number of Germans living in Denmark-Sweden Trade between Denmark-Sweden and Schleswig-Holstein & Hamburg Source: Statistiska Centralbyrån and Danmarks Statistik Source: Statistische Bundesamt and Danmarks Statistik The STRING Integration index 19

22 20 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

23 Members of Political Forum Steen Bach Nielsen Region Zealand Jens Stenbæk Region Zealand Wolfgang Schmidt Hamburg Sophie Hæstorp Andersen Capital Region of Denmark Anke Spoorendonk Schleswig-Holstein Henrik Appel City of Copenhagen Mätta Ivarsson/Thomas Hansson Region Skåne Ilmar Reepalu Region Skåne Web pages of the STRING partners Region Zealand: Hamburg: Capital Region of Denmark: Schleswig-Holstein: City of Copenhagen: Region Skåne: STRING Secretariat Alleen 15 DK-4180 Sorø Denmark Jacob Vestergaard Managing Director Tel: Rebecca Elliott Project Advisor on maternity leave Tel: Hanne Edelweiss Beckert Coordinator heb@stringnetwork.org Tel: Anine Asklund Communications Manager acas@stringnetwork.org Tel: Pontus Lindberg Region Skåne Chairmanship Region Skåne has held the chairmanship in Region Zealand will hold the chairmanship in Stefan Rehm Senior Project Advisor string@pmb-rehm.de Tel: Jana Görner Project Advisor jana.goerner@sk.hamburg.de Tel: STRING Annual Report 2016 The STRING Secretariat in cooperation with Øresundsinstituttet Photos: STRING, News Øresund/Johan Wessmann, Yadid Levy/norden.org, Magnus Fröderberg/norden.org, Marius Brede, Søren Svendsen, Olaf Bathke a.o. EXECUTIVE Design: ICONO SUMMARY Print: ArcoRounborg C

24 STRING is the political cross-border partnership between Region Skåne in Sweden, the Capital Region of Denmark, the City of Copenhagen, Region Zealand in Denmark and Schleswig-Holstein and Hamburg in. Our vision is that the STRING region will be the driver behind a Northern European green growth corridor consisting of the STRING region in a functional partnership with our neighbouring regions. The corridor will be a green European powerhouse; a strong strategic axis contributing to knowledge, growth, welfare and sustainability in Northern Europe, including the Baltic Sea Region.