News Archive
Mario Draghi calls for greater investements in innovation, infrastructure and green technology
The future of European competitiveness STRING welcomes the report by Mario Draghi, “The Future of European Competitiveness,” which focuses on strengthening European cooperation to boost innovation and drive investments in infrastructure, green technology, and...
How much longer can we tolerate using trailers instead of trains?
Managing Director Thomas Becker and Infrastructure Consultant Marie Fløystad Dahl has recently published an op-ed in the Norwegian media outlet Norsk Klimastiftelse. In the article titled "Hvor lenge skal vi godta trailer for tog?" ("How much longer can we...
STRING Seminar at Riksdagen on the Need for a Fixed HH-Link
On May 16, STRING and Helsingborgs stad hosted a seminar at Riksdagen, focusing on the necessity of establishing a fixed link between Helsingborg and Helsingør. The event was hosted together with Swedish parliamentarians Ulrika Heindorff (M), Jonny Cato (C), and...
Shifting geopolitical landscape calls for urgent need for improvement of the Oslo-Gothenburg railway
A new report highlights the pressing need for an upgrade of the Oslo-Gothenburg railway route to strengthen military logistics and resilience in the STRING Megaregion. The current single-track railway line between Oslo and Gothenburg poses significant limitations,...
STRING highlights cross-border infrastructure in a geopolitically shifting landscape
Civilian and military needs for infrastructure go hand in hand and enhanced cross-border infrastructure is needed to fulfil Sweden’s new NATO requirements, said Norwegian NATO delegation representative Per Kristen Brekke at the STRING event during Connecting Europe...
STRING submits its referral response to the Swedish Transport Administration
As we move towards a fossil-free transport system, cross-border collaboration and strategic investments in infrastructure are vital. Upgrading key transportation links in Scandinavia is essential for economic growth, defense, sustainability and international...
New Report Highlights Helsingør-Helsingborg Tunnel’s Strategic Defense Importance
A new report commissioned by STRING and the City of Helsingborg underscores the strategic significance of the Helsingør-Helsingborg tunnel, a crucial infrastructure development aimed at bolstering Northern Europe's defense capabilities amid the evolving geopolitical...
State of the Megaregion Day 2024
Driving the green transition through transregional connectivity and collaboration 10 June 2024 - Berlin, GermanyThe State of the Megaregion Day is a political cornerstone event aimed at highlighting the effective mechanisms driving an efficient energy transition and...
STRING Members push for Inclusion of Oslo-Gothenburg Railway Improvement in Norway’s 2025-2036 Transport Plan
The Municipality of Oslo, Akershus County Council, Østfold County Council, and STRING has collectively sent a position paper to the Norwegian Transport Ministry to push for an incorporation of financing of the Oslo-Gothenburg railway in the National Transport Plan for...
STRING politicians call for urgent action: Norway must connect to the green infrastructure towards Europe
That was the message from the Governing Mayor of Oslo and STRING politician, Eirik Lae Solberg, at the co-hosted STRING event at the Swedish Embassy in Oslo last week, focused on the urgent need for green transport infrastructure between Norway and Sweden, which...
New Oslo-Göteborg feasibility study outlines a path forward
Feasibility study outlines path forward for the Oslo-Gothenburg railway - but misses game-changing international benefits “It is time to lift the matter of the long underprioritised Oslo-Göteborg railway stretch up where it belongs as a pivotal international...
Danish Industry Unites to Push for Financial Decision on Danish Cross-Border Hydrogen Infrastructure
If Denmark is to realise its vast green hydrogen export potential, the Danish state must provide a guarantee of the cross-border hydrogen transmission pipe needed. That is the message from a united front of 14 companies and five interest organisations including...
Danish-German conference focussing on green opportunities
Danish, German, Swedish and Norwegian politicians, business people, researchers, etc. will meet on 12 June in Rødbyhavn for a conference on future green opportunities in the Fehmarnbelt Region, which will give new perspectives as to the future Fehmarnbelt fixed link....
EU Parliament acknowledges STRING priorities in their position on the TEN-T revision
Today the European Parliament has voted in plenary on its position regarding the revision of the TEN-T regulation. The trans-European transport network is a cornerstone of European transport policy and the new regulation shall improve sustainable connectivity and...
GREATER4H Grant Agreement signed in the European Parliament
Today, the Acting Director of CINEA Mrs. Paloma Aba Garrote and the GREATER4H Project Coordinator from Schleswig-Holstein Mr. Werner Schwarz, Minister of Agriculture, Rural Areas, European Affairs and Consumer Protection are formally signing the GREATER4H Grant...
Join the GREATER4H kick-off event
On March 27, 2023 STRING and Land Schleswig-Holstein are initiating the GREATER4H Hydrogen project by bringing together policy makers from the STRING megaregion as well as participants from the hydrogen industry and representatives of the European Institutions, DG MOVE, the European Commission and CINEA.
STRING welcomes its newest member: The German city of Kiel
We are happy to announce, that during the Political Forum meeting on the 9th of February 2023 at the Science Center in Kiel, the city has been officially approved as a STRING member. The focus on development and deployment of hydrogen technologies is just one of...
Connecting the megaregion via improved railway transport
We applaud this move, taken by SJ, directing the megaregion on the right path towards net-zero transport as we know, for a fact, that trains are the safest, most environmental and climate friendly form of transport there is. The invention of railways, however, lies...
Press release GREATER4H 2022
The EU programme Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) has granted funds for the hydrogen infrastructureproject “GREATER4H”. The main purpose of the project is to enable heavy-duty road transport to shiftfrom diesel to hydrogen across the borders of Germany, Denmark,...
Nye anbefalinger til dansk strategi for grøn omstilling af den tunge vejtransport
En række centrale aktører inden for transport, infrastruktur og energiproduktion har i en ny rapport givet deres bud på, hvordan fremtidens transportsektor kunne se ud. Den største udfordring er en reduktion af transportsektorens CO2-udledninger frem mod 2030 – men...
New report on double-track train line between Oslo – Gothenburg
To develop the STRING-corridor into a competitive and attractive megaregion, it is time to prioritize a double-track train line between Oslo and Gothenburg to open up the bottle-neck to sustainable, emission free integration with Europe. Today the 350 km stretch in...
GREATER4H: STRING Megaregion afslører planer for at gå forrest i den grønne omstilling af vejtransporten
Med projektet GREATER4H vil kommuner og regioner fra Tyskland, Danmark, Sverige og Norge sammen med seks virksomheder søgt om EU/CEF-midler til at etablere et netværk af brint tankstationer fra Hamborg til Oslo. For at nedbringe mængden af CO2 fra transportsektoren er...
GREATER4H: STRING Megaregion reveals plan for a cross-border hydrogen fuelling network to pioneer the green transition of road transport.
STRING Megaregion reveal plans to pioneer the green transition of road transport Local and regional governments in Germany, Denmark, Sweden, and Norway together with six private companies has applied for EU/CEF funding to support a connected network of hydrogen...
Kiel becomes STRING observer
STRING has eight regions and five cities as members, representing 14 million inhabitants. From July 1st 2021, the German state capital Kiel will join the co-operation as an observer. On July 1st, Kiel will officially gain an observer status with STRING, with...
REPORT: Building the STRING megaregion as a Green Hub in the wake of COVID-19
Home to around 14 million inhabitants, STRING has strong potential to become a leading European megaregion and an internationally acknowledged Green Hub. How can we achieve this goal? Read OECDs latest report here. STRING is a political cross-border...
OECD: En nord-europeisk megaregion kan fremtidssikre økonomien etter COVID-19
Stadig flere byer og regioner kobler seg sammen i såkalte megaregioner. Det er det god grunn til. Megaregioner gir et sterkt rammeverk etter COVID-19 og hjelper til å sikre bærekraftig økonomisk vekst. Dette understrekes av OECD i en nylig publisert rapport om den...
OECD: En nordeuropæisk megaregion kan skabe vækst i kølvandet af covid-19
Flere byer og regioner etablerer sig i stigende grad i såkaldte megaregioner. Det er der en god grund til. Megaregioner udgør en stærk ramme til at genoprette økonomien i kølvandet af COVID-19. Dette lægger OECD vægt på i et nyt policy-papir om den nordeuropæiske...
Die nordeuropäische STRING-Megaregion für eine innovative und nachhaltige Wirtschaft
Megaregionen sind auf dem Vormarsch. Sie bieten einen robusten Rahmen für den wirtschaftlichen Wiederaufschwung nach COVID-19 und ermöglichen nachhaltiges Wachstum. Dies wird von der OECD in einem neuen Report über die nordeuropäische STRING-Megaregion dargelegt,...
OECD rekommenderar samarbete om en nordeuropeisk megaregion för att framtidssäkra ekonomin
Megaregioner blir allt vanligare. Och det överraskar inte, eftersom de kan fungera som en stark ram i återhämtningen från COVID-19, samtidigt som de hjälper till med att bygga upp en hållbar ekonomisk tillväxt. Detta säger OECD i ett nyligen publicerat policydokument...
A future proof sustainable economy: The North European megaregion
Megaregions are on the rise. And unsurprisingly so – they provide a strong framework for recovery from COVID-19, whilst helping enable sustainable economic growth. This is emphasised by the OECD in a newly published policy paper on the North European STRING...
ARE YOU OUR NEW PR AND COMMUNICATIONS OFFICER?
Are you a quick-thinking storyteller, with a passion for the green energy transition and flair for political thinking? Do you enjoy pitching stories to journalists and crafting engaging content across a variety of channels, and manage and develop a brand through your...
ARE YOU OUR NEW POLTICAL CONSULTANT?
Are you a quick-thinking, efficient political aficionado with a diplomatic flair for stakeholder relations? Then you might be STRING’s new political consultant! The job is a one-year maternity leave contract, with the possibility of being permanently extended for the...
Working Group Meeting of the Scandinavian-Mediterranean Core Network Corridor
Do you work with transport in the TEN-T corridor? Then tune in on May 28th when STRING and Pat Cox, EU coordinator for the TEN-T-ScanMed corridor, invite you to discussions on infrastructure in the STRING corridor. See the programme here: TEN-T...
Fehmarnbelt Days ’21: “Et symbol på at lande og mennesker knytter sig tættere sammen”
Ni partnere har igen fundet sammen om at forberede og afholde den femte Fehmarnbelt Days (FBD 2021). Den 31. maj 2021 afvikles konferencen for første gang virtuelt fra Weissenhäuser Strand i Østholstein i Tyskland. Om få dage starter Fehmarnbelt Days, som giver...
Save-the-date: The STRING hydrogen corridor session on May 31st, 2021
Sign up for our parallel session on the establishment of a hydrogen corridor for heavy-duty vehicles in the megaregion between Hamburg and Oslo at the Fehmarnbelt Days on May 31st, from 11:00 to 12:00. Today, heavy-duty vehicles are responsible for 27% of CO2...
Regionsformænd og borgmester: De første brikker skal lægges nu, hvis Danmark skal være en del af en grøn megaregion
Af: Stephanie Lose, Regionsrådsformand i Region Syddanmark, Sophie Hæstorp Andersen, Regionsrådsformand i Region Hovedstaden, Heino Knudsen, Regionsrådsformand i Region Sjælland & Lars Weiss, Overborgmester i Københavns Kommune. Når coronaen engang slipper sit...
Vi må kobles på det europeiske tognettet
Debatt: Dobbeltspor fra Oslo til Göteborg vil være et viktig steg i riktig retning, skriver Raymond Johansen, Byrådsleder, Oslo og Tonje Brenna, Fylkesrådsleder, Viken. Mellom den danske øya Lolland og den tyske øya Fehmarn bygges det nå en tunnel som skal åpne for...
Politiker från M, S, C, L och MP: Hållbar infrastruktur ryggraden i megaregion
DEBATT. När det första tåget kör in i Fehmarn Bält-tunneln måste vi ställa oss frågan om vi gjort tillräckligt för att utnyttja potentialen. Alla flaskhalsar måste nu byggas bort, skriver region- och kommunpolitiker från Västra Götaland, Halland och Skåne. Bygget av...
STRING-OECD conferences to shape a world leading Northern European megaregion
In the coming weeks of November 2020, the political cross-border organisation STRING and the OECD will host four consecutive national conferences to answer “What will Northern Europe live off in the future?”. The aim of the conferences is to present and discuss how...
Femern Belt Fixed Link finally approved
The Federal Administrative Court in Germany dismissed all six complaints over the project in its verdict on November 3rd, 2020. The construction of the tunnel can therefore now begin on the German side as well. The long-awaited ruling from the Federal Administrative...
STRING: Femern-forbindelsen er en forudsætning for vækst og udvikling
REPLIK: Knud Erik Andersen og andre kritikere af Femern-forbindelsen overser, at solid infrastruktur er en forudsætning for vækst og eksport, skriver Thomas Becker, administrerende direktør i STRING. Byggeriet af verdens længste sænketunnel under Femern Bælt er i fuld...
Let us talk about sustainable development
Professor Frederik NG Andersson of Lund University and member of STRING's expert panel does not like the term "green growth". However, this was, in fact, the topic of the STRING seminar entitled "Green Growth - Initiatives and Projects for Sustainable Growth in the...
STRING welcomes the OECD Territorial Review on the Megaregion of Western Scandinavia
STRING welcomes the recent OECD Territorial Review on the Megaregion of Western Scandinavia. The review will serve as valuable input when developing the cooperation in the STRING network. The review gives new insights on the importance of cooperation between...
Halfway through GREAT
The GREAT project is moving forward and will be reaching mid project in the end of June. At the moment lots of fast chargers are being installed in Sweden. Notably E.ON has managed to secure several prestigious locations in Stockholm, including one in front of the...
Ostholstein tourism: Future potential and current challenges
A new report on the consequences of the Fehmarnbelt Fixed Link for tourism in East Holstein was presented January 12, 2017 in Germany. The report gives cause for optimism, but also requires targeted action in the tourism industry. STRING calls for a coordinated...
North Germans mostly positive or neutral towards the Fehmarnbelt Connection – only 14 percent are against
43 percent of the inhabitants of Hamburg and Schleswig-Holstein remain neutral regarding the construction of the Fehmarnbelt Fixed Link, 34 percent are positive, while 14 percent are negative, according to a survey for STRING by research company YouGov. The survey was...
Trade and tourism will benefit from the fixed link across Fehmarnbelt says Swedes, Danes and Germans
The economic arguments for the Fixed Link appear to be accepted by a majority of the people in Skåne, Zealand and North Germany, but with some differences. 62 per cent of the people living on Zealand believe that the Danish economy will benefit from the link, 37 per...
Great concern about the environment
Survey shows a majority think the environment will be affected “to some extend” or more. The environmental consequences of the construction of the Fixed Link are a major focus in the German debate, as they were in Denmark before the construction of the Great Belt Link...
Creative Growth
Cultural and Creative Industries are an important priority for the STRING-corridor. New technologies and increased globalization sees societies moving rapidly from traditional manufacturing towards services and innovation. STRING wants to jump aboard that train!...
Fehmarnbeltdays registration open!
From 20 until 22 September 2016, the third Fehmarnbelt Days are hosted at HafenCity University Hamburg. You can now sign up for free for more than 20 events. Ready for take-off! A partnerhip from Germany, Denmark and Sweden have grouped up to present the third...
The Danish government’s new ‘Germany Strategy’
The Danish government will concentrate more on Germany: Targeted business promotions and support for young Danes in German internships is the way forward. Almost a third of the state funds available for export promotion in 2016 and 2017 will be spent on Germany. The...
Cooperation across borders is strong
A joint statement from Mätta Ivarsson, Chair of the Regional Development committee of Region Skåne and Chair of STRING and Jens Stenbæk, Council Chair of Region Zealand and vice chair of STRING. Cross-border cooperation between Sweden, Denmark and Germany continues...
Swedish and Danish ID control afflicts commuters the most
While Danish control at German border so far has been random testing, the Swedish border control means a significant expansion of the travel time of between 10 and 50 minutes in the Öresund Region/ Greater Copenhagen. An extraordinarily large number of refugees and...
Swedish border control jeopardises mobility in STRING corridor
New ID check to begin from December 21st. Travel time by train between Copenhagen and Malmö to be delayed from 35 to 75 minutes and will highly affect daily 31,100 train travellers, especially 8,600 commuters. With a makeshift ID checkpoint at Copenhagen Airport...
Schleswig-Holstein and Region Zealand agree on closer cooperation
Minister-President of Schleswig-Holstein, Torsten Albig, and Chairman of the council for Region Zealand, Jens Stenbæk, have just signed a Joint Action Plan for Regional Cooperation 2016/2017. There is a continued strong focus on the STRING cooperation. December 1st...
Hamburg Olympics is a no-go
The inhabitants of Hamburg have rejected the idea of hosting an Olympics in their city - as a majority voted no to the city hosting the summer Olympics 2024 in a recent public poll. Copenhagen’s Lord Mayor is both disappointed and critical. The inhabitants of Hamburg...
Cross-border education benefits Integration
There should be less competition and more cross-border collaboration between educational institutions. Furthermore, there is a shortage of cross-border internships, says a former German student in Denmark. There are still many barriers for students, not only between...
Support for Fehmarnbelt Fixed Link at business forum in Copenhagen
Hamburg and Copenhagen are dependent on the Fehmarnbelt Fixed Link: This was the clear message from Hamburgs First Mayor Olaf Scholz and Copenhagens Lord Mayor Frank Jensen at the Hamburg Copenhagen Business Forum in Copenhagen November 2nd. Hamburg sees itself as the...
Copenhagen and Malmö set focus on sustainable growth
Copenhagen in Denmark and Malmö in Sweden are co-hosting the summit for major European cities, representing 25 per cent of the European population. Eurocities 2015 sets the focus on initiatives for quality of life, sustainable growth and innovation. The aim is to meet...
Oresund Rally for the win!
The Oresund Electric Car Rally was held for the fifth year in a row on the 19th-20th of September 2015 and the interest for the rally was bigger than ever. Almost 60 vehicles started the race at Frederiksberg in Copenhagen and drove to Elsinore in the most climate...
The tunnel will come – but we need cross-border green development now
A German businessman with a green profile talks about the challenges in the wake of the Fehmarnbelt Fixed Link that should be tackled today rather than tomorrow. https://youtu.be/NKBpv69F-Ys Max Schön is a German business executive and President for the German...
Eight great ideas – three winners
Until May 10, young film talents aged between 18 and 25 and living in the STRING-region had the opportunity to submit ideas or a synopsis for a short film telling a story from within the region. Eight teams and individuals took part in the competition. Now the winners...
STRING Region Short Film Competition
We are happy to announce that the STRING Region Short Film Competition has finally started. The competition is a new international talent development programme. It is designed to support young filmmakers from the STRING region, bring them together and to turn their...
Hamburg Germany’s candidate city for 2024 Olympics
Germany's Olympic Sports Confederation has just recommended Hamburg as the country's sole representative for the 2024 Olympics. STRING very excited that member state Hamburg is in the run for the upcoming bidding process for the 2024 Summer Olympics. Germany's Olympic...
The Lord Mayor of Copenhagen: Joint Olympic Games with Hamburg
The Lord Mayor of Copenhagen, Frank Jensen, has suggested a cooperation between Copenhagen and Hamburg: a joint tender to host the Olympics. Copenhagen, 22.05.2014. The Lord Mayor of Copenhagen, Frank Jensen, surprised the participants at the Hamburg Copenhagen...
STRING Short Film Competition
STRING has initiated a short film competition for young filmmakers within the region, to honour creative ideas that are under the term of „Tales of a region“ and give support to turn these ideas into films. At the reception of the Mayor of Copenhagen, Anke...
The Eco-Friendly Highway – the worlds greenest crossborder corridor?
Creating Europe’s first-ever green cross-border infrastructure corridor where you can get from A to B using only alternative fuels. That is no longer merely a vision – but a reality that is moving closer thanks to the proposed Eco-Friendly Highway project idea, which...
Sharing Copenhagen: the world’s longest parade of electric cars to cross the Öresund
A motorcade of electric cars from Malmö to Copenhagen over the Öresund Bridge: As part of ‘Sharing Copenhagen/Copenhagen European Green Capital 2014’, 130 electric cars from the entire Öresund region will cross the Öresund Bridge Sunday the 21st of September. Over 130...
Struggling Danish interns? Head to Germany!
The number of young people entering higher education is increasing in Northern Germany – which is becoming problematic for the companies of Schleswig-Holstein. According to figures from July 2014, there is around 8000 apprenticeships not being filled in...
Folkemødet 2014 on Bornholm – ’’STRING Tourism 3.0’’ inspires lively debate
STRING initiated a debate on ‘’Tourism in STRING – from politics to action’’ during this years political festival on the island of Bornholm, Folkemødet, where there was a lively debate on the tourism development in the STRING region. Prior to the debate, the scene on...
Increasing mobility across borders
One of the five prioritized areas in the STRING 2030 strategy is ”Barriers for cross border cooperation”. STRINGs role in this is that we will build on and cooperate with the cross border organizations that are already working intensely in this field: the Öresund...
The Fehmarnbelt Region: Releasing the potential of one of Europe’s most attractive growth destinations
The Fehmarnbelt region has a rich and diverse touristic product that holds the potential to be one of Europe’s most attractive growth destinations for both leisure and business tourism. Picture:www.norden.org That is the overall conclusion of a series of SWOT analysis...
Political conference at a crucial time
This autumn, the Danish Minister for Transport will present the Construction Act proposal for the Fehmarnbelt fixed link to the Danish Parliament. The proposal is expected to be adopted in the spring of 2015. The decision will have immense implications and value for...
A joint strategy in the making
In 2021 the fixed link will introduce a radical improvement of regional infrastructure and a large potential for tourism growth. In this perspective, a working group consisting of representatives from the five regions within the Fehmarnbelt Region, is developing a...
Building language skills and events
Boost language skills, joint hosting of sporting events, EXPOs, joint Olympic Games or Tour de France type-of contests, one service provider operating trains between Malmö-Copenhagen-Hamburg, mutual marketing and more information… Picture:www.norden.org Part of the...
Tourism industry gains new headway
The Building Tourism projects is now entering its final phase with the production of a project catalogue of future initiatives that will revive the tourism industry in Northern German, Zealand and Skåne. These will be presented at a conference in Copenhagen on the...
Both sides of the Fehmarnbelt: cooperation and a new brand
It is no longer a case of somewhere, but in between: On both sides of the Fehmarnbelt, between Hamburg and Öresund, the establishment of cooperation’s and common interests is brewing. A new Kooperationsrat will now be coordinating the interests between Hamburg and...