New Knowledge and Innovation Center to Strengthen Danish Offshore Wind Cluster

Denmark’s national, new knowledge and innovation centre for the offshore sector has appointed Morten Basse Jensen as Divisional Director of the sustainable energy division Offshore Renewables, which will be part of the coming, new division.

Morten Basse Jensen will begin in his job on May 1 and will be the top responsible person in one of the centre’s two divisions. His task will be to strengthen collaboration in the offshore wind turbine sector and develop Danish and international relations.

Chairman Anders Eldrup says:

“Morten Basse Jensen has been chosen on the basis of his competences in establishment of networks and business development. There’s a need for closer collaboration and a sustained international focus to secure the Danish offshore wind turbine sector’s share of the global growth in the sector. We’re convinced that Morten Basse Jensen, with his technical insights and experience of business, is the right man for the future work.”

Morten Basse Jensen is 52 years old, was trained as an engineer and holds an MBA. He comes from a position as development director of the company APRO Wind in Grenaa. Concurrently, he has been the initiator and key figure in the development of the regional cluster collaboration Djurs Windpower, that has made a purposeful effort to secure local companies on Djursland a share of the jobs that will emerge in the wake of the establishment of Anholt Offshore Wind Farm. This has taken place in close collaboration with Offshore Center Danmark.

Morten Basse Jensen explains:

“Apart from being a technician, I have an insight into the needs and aims in the offshore sector, and I’ll be capable of making them collaborate even better than they’re doing today.”

He adds:

“I know the offshore sector supply chain inside out, from the development of single components through to the point when offshore wind farms have been put into operation, which is why I feel I’m more than ready to enter into a dialogue with the offshore wind sector to discuss how individual companies can achieve success.”

With a new, nationally based board, the 2 divisions Oil and Gas and Renewables plus the merger of several offshore organisations based in a new domicile on the harbour in Esbjerg, a new and strong national offshore organisation has been established that is well equipped to meet the challenge of strong growth in the offshore market in the years ahead.

Peter Blach is director of the division Oil and Gas. In addition, the board has, during the course of the winter, been expanded with former DONG director Anders Eldrup as chairman and former Prime Minister Poul Nyrup Rasmussen and director with Maersk Oil Kurt Normann Nielsen as deputy chairmen of Renewables and Oil and Gas respectively.

Apart from a strengthening of the management and the board, the national, new organisation has been established also in order to secure closer strategic collaboration with industry associations and the regional energy clusters that exist around Denmark.

Anders Eldrup says:

“The offshore sector must keep on initiating new projects and thinking internationally, and this is to happen in collaboration with the national knowledge centre and the regional initiatives.”

In 2012 Morten Basse Jensen was the first to be awarded the Rural District Award for the work he had done for Djurs Windpower. The award was instituted by the Ministry of Housing, Urban and Rural Affairs and is given once a year to “…a passionate person who has fought for and had success with creating jobs in one of Denmark’s rural districts.”

On Thursday May 2 at 14.30 the new organisation will be inaugurated by Minister of Finance Bjarne Corydon by the help of a ceremony and a festive reception on the Esbjerg Harbour, where the centre’s new name and logo will also be revealed.

The national, new knowledge centre for the offshore sector is an innovation network that has grown out of these organisations:

-Offshore Center Danmark

-The Alliance for Green Offshore Energy

-Green Offshore Center

-Knowledge Center from Lindø Offshore Renewables Center

In 2012 the cluster collaboration was awarded the European gold medal as a cluster organisation based on the standard ‘Cluster Management Excellence Labels Gold,’ which is the highest level that can be attained by a cluster organisation in the EU. The gold medal was obtained in competition with 350 networking and cluster organisations from all over Europe.

Morten Basse Jensen – facts:

Born in 1960 and lives in Grenaa with his wife Lotte and son Sebastian.

1983 – Bachelor of Engineering, Aalborg University

1983-1986 – Project manager, Per Udsen & Co.

1987-1991 – Project manager, Volvo Australia, Australia

1992-1995 – Technical head, Per Udsen & Co.

1995-1999 – Management consultant, Sant + Bendix

2000-2004 – Divisional head, Sapa Profiler

2004-2006 – Owner of ProjectNet

2006-2007 – Production Executive, Spectronic Denmark

2008-2009 – CEO of Unistaal

2009 – MBA, Master in Management Technology, Aalborg University

2010 – Business Development Director with Apro Wind and director of Djurs Windpower

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Press release, April 22, 2013; Image: offshorecenter.dk