Kiel and Kolding work for the Commission

Kolding (DK) and Kiel (D), represented by Business Kolding and Kiel Business Development Cooperation decided to support the UBC Commission on Business Cooperation. In 2010 Kiel will take the chair of the Commission, and in 2011 it will betaken over by Business Kolding.The secretariat of the Commission remains in the hands of Kaunas. The Action plan of will be discussed at the planned meeting in June.

Joint delegation from KiWi, Kiel and Business Kolding in Nice. In front, the mayor of Kolding, Mr. Per Bodker Andersen, and right next to him the head of International Business Services at KiWi, Mr. Wolfgang Schmidt. Managing director of Business Kolding, Mr Bjarke Wolmar is second from the left in the picture.

Business Kolding and Kiel (KiWi) have initiated close cooperation.The aim is mutual inspiration, fund raising and benefits for trade and industry in both regions. A large business delegation from Kolding accompanied by two representatives of KiWi has recently visited the Silicon Valley of Europe, French science park Sophia Antipolis. Joint visit to Southern France marked another step forward in the growing coor-poration between Kiel and Kolding. The purpose of the mutual visits and cooperation is to strengthen the trade and industry and the marketing of both cities and regions. Concrete initiatives are under way in marketing, tourism, business parks, design business and sustainable energy. Several EU project are now ongoing with the participation of representatives from both KiWi and Business Kolding.

"Kiel and Kolding have similar conditions and interests in a few areas of business, tourism and so forth. So this cooperation is of great value to both organizations and cities," says Wolfgang Schmidt, head of International Business Services at KiWi. He encourages companies and organizations in both regions - and around - to contact either Business Kolding or KiWi with ideas for common projects. KiWi is also assisting Business Kolding in the marketing of the Executive Management Programme, a mini MBA education which is offered to top managers by Business Kolding in cooperation with renowned French business school, INSEAD. The cooperation between Kiel and Kolding serves numerous purposes. On 10 March Kolding was named the number one growth centre in Denmark, and in the pursuit of maintaining that position Business Kolding is looking forward to strengthening international cooperation even further.

"It is important for Business Kolding to look beyond Denmark in the efforts to secure growth in our region," explains Bjarke Wolmar, managing director at Business Kolding. "We need international inspiration and cooperation to create new jobs and secure those we have. Constant development of trade and industry requires an international perspective".