Embassy of Denmark in Belgium

Let’s talk services! 🙌 Last week, our Danish Business Network of companies and subsidiaries in Belgium and Ambassador Susanne Shine had the pleasure of visiting one of our esteemed member companies, ISS Facility Services Belgium & Luxembourg, for the last network meeting of this year. Upon arrival, CEO and BeLux Country Manager Kris Cloots 🇧🇪 and his colleagues delivered insightful presentations on the company’s distinctive “Places make people” commercial strategy, as well as its inspiring innovation and sustainability efforts. For those who are not yet familiar with ISS, the company is a global leader in facility management and workplace experience. ISS provides high-quality, comprehensive solutions that allow businesses to focus on what they do best, while ISS ensures optimum workplace surroundings 🏢 Key takeaways from the visit: 👉 ISS is definitely not just a cleaning company! 😊 Rather, the company has evolved its core business from facility management to fully-fledged experience management. 👉 Sustainability is a key characteristic across the organisation and its operations – from the transitioning to greener cleaning supplies and utilisation of innovative technologies, to ensuring well-being at work for both ISS employees and clients’ employees ♻ 👉 Through its in-house “Future of Work Innovation Lab” in Porto, ISS develops innovative IoT solutions to optimise its operations across services 🤖 👉 ISS places great emphasis on organisational diversity and inclusivity e.g., by having set clear objectives for gender balance across all leadership positions by 2025 👫 The visit to ISS was truly inspiring for all participants, and offered a first-hand look into the progressive and innovative work on the twin transition, driving ISS’ ongoing success. A huge thank you to all of our members for your active participation and valuable insights both during today’s visit, and also throughout all of this year’s activities! If you would like to learn more about the Danish Business Network and upcoming activities for next year, please feel free to reach out to Business Network Coordinator Cecilie Juel Larsen at ceclas@um.dk. We look forward to seeing you at our next event! Katrien Beuls Elke Deflem Guy De Laender Jonathan M. Yves Sottiaux VELUX De Muyt Axel Novo Nordisk Geert De Buysscher Ramboll Koen Peeters ROCKWOOL BELUX Hilde De Swaef LEO Pharma Luc Deffense CUBIC Belgium Ludo Langen DSV - Global Transport and Logistics

DK supports EU's commitment to reduce national emissions by at least 55% in 2030 - and to be climate neutral and even have negative emissions after 2050 🌍 #Greentogether #COP29

Denmark pioneers with whitepaper on responsible use of AI in the public and private sector 🤖 🧠 Exciting tech news from Denmark! On Wednesday, 14 leading actors from the public and private sector launched a joint whitepaper on the responsible use of AI assistants in the public and private sector. Denmark thereby becomes the first country in Europe to establish concrete guidelines for implementing generative AI technologies. The AI whitepaper is a result of a unique public-private partnership in which public authorities are joining forces with leading Danish companies from the financial, tech, and legal industries to shape best practices for responsible AI deployment in highly regulated sectors. The guidelines laid down in the whitepaper outline a practical framework for organisations across Europe and will be published in multiple languages, providing a clear roadmap for implementing AI systems that align with both EU regulations and the principles of responsible and trustworthy AI. With this partnership, Denmark aims to accelerate the adoption of generative AI solutions, while ensuring ethical practices, as well as technical and legal compliance. Ultimately, this initiative will place Denmark at the forefront of digital innovation and ensure that Denmark embraces the uptake of AI solutions in a way that aligns with European standards and values. Belgium and Denmark share similar visions for the digital transition. We are thus hopeful that this new initiative on AI will echo across Belgium, which is already experiencing rapid progress in the adoption of AI technologies. By working together, we can create a future for safe, democratic, human-centred and innovative AI. 🤝 If you wish to read the AI whitepaper, you can find the English version attached below or the Danish version here: https://lnkd.in/dfeBk7P2 DI - Dansk Industri DI - Digital Digitaliseringsstyrelsen Erhvervsstyrelsen Netcompany KOMBIT ATP Spar Nord PFA Poul Schmith/Kammeradvokaten Topdanmark Jyske Bank Dubex Microsoft Trifork

GENOPSLAG: BLIV PRAKTIKANT PÅ DEN DANSKE AMBASSADE I BELGIEN I FORÅRET 2025 Bemærk ny frist d. 18. november kl. 12:00 Vi har fået en ledig stilling som praktikant på ambassaden. Vi er en spændende arbejdsplads for dig, der er interesseret i handel, europapolitik og i den danske udenrigstjeneste. Skynd dig at søg! Du kan stadig nå det!

Showcasing Danish companies working with humanitarian aid at this year’s AidEx - The Global Humanitarian Aid Community ⛑🌍 Last week, Trade Council Brussels took part in a Danish export promotion event at AidEx 2024 – the world’s leading humanitarian aid and disaster relief event – together with DI - Dansk Industri and our colleagues at the Permanent Mission of Denmark to the UN in Geneva. Following Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the UN in Geneva Ib Petersen's official opening of the two-day event, the Danish companies exhibited their products and services, covering e.g., telecommunications equipment, solar-powered energy solutions, sustainable logistics, and innovative payment solutions, to representatives from UN agencies, NGOs, and the private sector. In parallel with the AidEx exhibition and conference, Trade Council Brussels also had the great pleasure of assisting the Permanent Mission of Denmark to the UN in Geneva in the organisation of a networking reception hosted together with the other Nordic UN missions in Geneva, as well as a dinner for the Danish companies at the Ambassador and Permanent Representative's residence. During both events, the participants had the opportunity to engage in informal dialogues on topics ranging from sustainable supply chains, how to strengthen partnerships to deliver better aid in conflict-affected hotspots, and challenges and opportunities in procurement processes for humanitarian aid deliveries etc. 🤝 If you wish to know more about the Trade Council’s work with export promotions, please find more information here: https://lnkd.in/dSEw7i_s

This week, Deputy Head of Mission, Signe Vikær Leth Olsen attended the EU Heads of Mission’s lunch in Luxembourg with H.E Mr. Luc Frieden. The event was a great opportunity to discuss Luxembourgish views on the most salient topics on the EU agenda.

Great bilateral meeting between 🇱🇺 and 🇩🇰 as expressed by our Minister for European Affairs. Marie Bjerre: "Met with Luxembourg’s Foreign Minister Xavier Bettel. We discussed the biggest European challenges such as competitiveness, green transition and the support for Ukraine. Looking forward to continued close cooperation!"

It’s ESG time! Thomas Nørby Dahl and Djøf Belgium in cooperation with the Danish lifestyle shop CPHAGEN hosted an event this week with Danish ambassador Susanne Shine. Danish design brand UMAGE presented their sustainable products. Guests networked across industries and exchanged valuable insight about ESG – an investment principle promoting environmental and social issues, as well as corporate governance. All strong element in Danish ingenuity. It was a fantastic evening – proving the importance of sustainability in Danish business ventures.

Yesterday, Her Excellency Ambassador Susanne Shine presented her credentials to His Majesty King Philippe of Belgium. Ambassador Shine was accompanied by Deputy Head of Mission Signe Vikær Leth Olsen and the Head of Economic Diplomacy and Trade Louise Verdelin. The occasion also allowed an exchange between His Majesty King Philippe and Ambassador Shine to reconfirm the long-lasting diplomatic relations between the Kingdom of Belgium and the Kingdom of Denmark. Photo credit: © Koninklijk Paleis, België/Palais royal, Belgique/Königlicher Palast, Belgien/Royal Palace, Belgium

Exploring opportunities at the Port of Antwerp-Bruges 🚢 Yesterday, Ambassador-designate to Belgium Susanne Shine met for the first time with our Business Network of Danish companies and subsidiaries in Belgium during a highly anticipated visit to the Port of Antwerp-Bruges, where Tom Hautekiet, Chief Business Development & Transition Officer, and Tom Monballiu, International Community Relations Manager, welcomed us to their incredible premises at the Port House. The Port of Antwerp-Bruges is the second largest port in Europe, generating 4,5% of Belgium's GDP and securing - directly and indirectly - 164,000 jobs equivalent to 3,4% of Belgium's population. The Port's multifaceted activities span across cargo handling, logistics and industry. Through an interesting and lively presentation, our Danish Business Network was introduced to the Port's operations and future investments, along with their efforts towards a sustainable and green supply chain and digitalisation of its operations. Did you know that the Port of Antwerp-Bruges 💡🔍 👉 Aims to be climate neutral by 2050, and therefore is always seeking uptake of new green solutions. 👉 Seeks to strengthen the fight against drug trafficking with the help of innovative technologies. 👉 Is a community builder, giving back to society e.g., through local energy production. Moreover, the Port is also partnership driven, carrying out strategic investments globally. The visit showed numerous opportunities for cooperation between Danish companies and the Port. If you are interested to know more about potential collaboration with the Port, please reach out to Head of Trade Louise Verdelin at louver@um.dk. Finally, the Embassy would like to thank all of our members for your active engagement and interesting inputs during yesterday's visit! Kris Cloots 🇧🇪 ISS Facility Services Belgium & Luxembourg Yves Sottiaux Sabine Pauquay VELUX Luc Deffense CUBIC-Modulsystem A/S Geert De Buysscher Ramboll Stéphan Humblet Hilde De Swaef LEO Pharma De Muyt Axel Novo Nordisk Paul Steen Koen Peeters ROCKWOOL BELUX Ludo Langen DSV - Global Transport and Logistics If you want to learn more about the Danish Business Network and our future activities, please contact Business Network Coordinator Cecilie Juel Larsen at ceclas@um.dk.