Today the governing body of STRING, The Political Forum, approved on a new STRING 2040 Strategy. A strategy with the purpose of ensuring economic growth, jobs and a sustainable development in the corridor stretching from Hamburg in Germany over Zealand in Denmark to Skåne in Sweden.
The strategy focuses on six areas: Infrastructure, green growth, research, tourism, culture and developing freedom of movement across borders.
Overall, the objectives of the new strategy are the same as in the previous 2030 strategy. However, these objectives have been more clearly articulated as has the means as how to achieve them.
– You should not change strategy too often, so “the old” has been dusted off and cleaned, so to speak, says managing director of STRING, Jacob Vestergaard.
Fehmern is the top priority
Jacob Vestergaard believes that a clearly articulated strategy will make it easier to achieve STRING objectives within the six areas covered by the strategy.
– A clear and communicated strategy allows everybody to understand and follow along the lines of a common achievement, regardless of position in developing the corridor, Vestergaard says.
The renewal of the strategy was caused by the delay of the opening of the Fehmarnbelt Tunnel, now foreseen in 2028. The STRING partners took the opportunity to sharpen objectives and prolong the timespan for the strategy to 2040, 12 years after the opening of the link.
Jacob Vestergaard nevertheless points out that the first priority is the approval process and construction start of the Fehmarnbelt Link.
– It is the new, game-changing, infrastructure that will be the backbone of the development in the STRING corridor in the years to come, he says.
The STRING partners are Hamburg and Schleswig-Holstein, Region Zealand, the Capital Region of Denmark, the City of Copenhagen and Region Skåne.
