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| From left, Danish Ambassador to Korea Einar Jensen, CS WIND Corp. Chairman Gim Seong-gon and Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners/Copenhagen Offshore Partner Korea CEO David Yoo pose after a signing of the memorandum of understanding on Danish-Korean offshore wind development at the Embassy of Denmark in Seoul, Nov. 12. / Courtesy of Embassy of Denmark |
By Yi Whan-woo
The Embassy of Denmark in Korea is stepping up cooperation with the Korean private sector on green energy, which the two countries have been working on together as green growth alliance partners, as well as on healthcare to better cope with their respective aging populations.
The embassy said a memorandum of understanding (MOU) was signed at the diplomatic mission, Nov. 12, by three wind energy companies ― Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners (CIP) and Stiesdal Offshore Technology (SOT), both from Denmark, and Korean manufacturer CS WIND Corp.
At the embassy, host Danish Ambassador Einar Jensen looked on proudly as the company heads signed the MOU. The embassy had played a key role in the materialization of this MOU as part of its ongoing efforts to further strengthen the partnership between Denmark and Korea in the green sector.
The MOU was to bolster three-way cooperation on development of offshore wind farms in Korea.
It outlines joint efforts in building large-scale wind farms in Korea's southwestern and southeastern regions. CIP will head the project while floating foundations will be designed by SOT and manufactured by CS WIND.
Calling the wind energy industry "a budding market in Korea," the embassy said it expects the project will be "a game changer" as it brings together key players in the global industry.
It pointed out CIP is one of the top three European companies in offshore wind development and investment, and SOT has developed unique floating foundation designs notable for competitive and economical production costs.
On CS Wind, the embassy referred to it as a "global leader in wind tower manufacturing."
Industry insiders also expected the partnership will help the transfer of advanced Danish wind energy technology to Korea to assist the latter in saving production costs, create jobs and expand renewable energy supply networks.
"I am certain this collaboration will be remembered as one of the model business partnerships that made a significant contribution to the Korean government's Green New Deal initiative and the 2050 Net Zero goals," Ambassador Jensen said.
The Denmark-Korea green energy partnership can be traced back to 2011 when the two countries formed the bilateral Green Growth Alliance.
The mutual interest and commitment to this partnership has been officially reaffirmed on many occasions, most recently in 2018 with Korea's Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy and the Danish Ministry of Energy, Utilities and Climate signing an MOU to enhance cooperation in the renewable energy sector.
Designated as "Green Front Mission" by the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the embassy said it "strives to act as the wind beneath the two countries' wings for green cooperation at all levels."
Healthcare
On healthcare, the embassy will jointly host an online seminar on the campaign against diabetes with the Korean Diabetes Association, Novo Nordisk Pharma Korea and Copenhagen's municipal government.
Titled "Cities Working Together to Combat Diabetes During the COVID-19 Pandemic," the event will be held from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.on Nov. 26.
"People with diabetes can be more vulnerable to becoming severely ill with the COVID-19 virus," read the statement from the seminar's official website.
It said the campaign against diabetes therefore should "not only continue but also take on more responsibility to alert our societies of the COVID-19-associated complications and risks for patients with diabetes."
The seminar will begin with Ambassador Jensen's welcoming speech followed by opening remarks by Rana Azfar Zafar, country manager of Novo Nordisk Pharma Korea.
The manager will also share how Novo Nordisk Pharma, a Danish multinational pharmaceutical firm, has been cooperating on the Cities Changing Diabetes (CCD) campaign in major international cities.
Five researchers will each give 15-minute presentations on different cases of diabetes campaigns and research.
The five are David Napier, professor of medical anthropology at the University College London; Yoon Kun-ho, professor of endocrinology and metabolism at the Catholic University of Korea's Seoul St. Mary's Hospitals and also chairman of the Korean Diabetes Association; Charlotte Glumer, director of the Municipality of Copenhagen's Center for Diabetes; Park Jeong-hyun, professor of the endocrinology and metabolism department of Inje University Busan Paik Hospital; and Kim Sung-woo, assistant professor of the endocrine and metabolism department at Daegu Catholic University Medical Center.
Napier will explain the background, purpose, and goals of the CCD that began in 2015 as a collaboration between Novo Nordisk, the University College London and the Steno Diabetes Center. He will also discuss why the CCD, in addition to the participation of 27 cities around the world, needs even more collaboration.
Yoon will discuss Seoul's achievements after joining the CCD in May 2019 and carrying out a related research project through March this year.
Glumer will introduce how Copenhagen, together with the Steno Diabetes Center, has been actively engaged with the CCD and also the city's new approaches in cyberspace for patient education.
Park will talk about progress being made in Busan after the city joined the CCD and the mapping data that shows the status of diabetes in the city.
Kim will explain how Daegu as the epicenter of the first coronavirus wave in Korea responded successfully to the pandemic, which has reshaped the status of diabetes in the city.
A 20-minute discussion will follow the presentations, before closing remarks by the country manager of Novo Nordisk Pharma Korea.
