Development Strategy
Indhold
Introduction . . . .3
Overall objectives and prioritized areas . . . .3
Animation and new media . . . .5
Green technology and sustainable production . . . .7
Unique experiences . . . .9
Municipal planning and Agenda 21 . . . . 11
Introduction
Viborg Municipality is located in Central Jut-land, Denmark . It has over the past decade experienced a significant growth in popula-tion and jobs . There was a total of 93,817 in-habitants in Viborg on 1 January 2012 against 88,280 in 2002 . This represents a 6% increase and makes it the 9th largest municipality in Denmark . The population is expected to in-crease further in the next decade .
Overall objectives and prioritized areas
Inspired by the Vision of Viborg Municipality, the City Council’s overall objectives are to: • Create an attractive business environment
in constant development through a focus on best possible framework conditions . • Focus efforts on areas with a particular
growth potential .
Similarly, the growth in the number of enterpris-es in Viborg is illustrated by the fact that in the period 1997-2009 7,000 jobs (net) were created . In the Development Strategy, the City Council draws up themes and focus areas in the mu-nicipality in the years to come . As such, the City Council has chosen to focus on two over-all objectives and three prioritised areas .
Keeping this in mind, the City Council has iden-tified the following three prioritised areas: • Animation and new media
• Green technology and sustainable produc-tion
Animation and new media
Viborg Municipality is an animation knowledge and competence hub centred around one of the most dedicated animation institutions in the world, The Animation Workshop .
In recent years, this position has been strength-ened in that several creative and internation-ally oriented companies have sprung up from The Animation Workshop .
Animation is generally categorised as a growth industry providing unique products and innova-tive solutions for the private and public sectors . Recently, an animation business cluster, Arse-nalet, opened in the middle of Viborg .
Challenges
The main challenge is to constantly develop new educations as well as products and sus-tainable growth companies in the field of ani-mation and new media . At the same time, other businesses, Viborg Municipality and public in-stitutions in general should take more advan-tage of the opportunities developed in this field.
Actions
In the area of animation and new media, Viborg City Council will:
• Exploit the educational potentials in anima-tion to create growth opportunities .
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• Ensure an attractive and international en-vironment around Campus Viborg that can be exploited actively .
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• Create good growth conditions for entre-preneurs
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• Expand the general knowledge of the use of animation in business and educational contexts .
Links:
The Animation Workshop Arsenalet
Green technology and sustainable production
Viborg Municipality is one of Denmark’s largest agri-business municipalities with 1,200 com-panies in the primary sector . Further, the mu-nicipality hosts a number of prominent compa-nies within energy and environ-ment, as well as knowledge environments such as the Dan-ish Centre for Food and Agriculture at Aarhus University Foulum and Agro Business Park . In addition more companies, among them the largest company in the municipality, Grundfos, have a significant focus on green technology and sustainability .
Challenges
It is a challenge to exploit the focus on climate and energy focus positively . Another challenge is to improve the interaction between our edu-cational and research strongholds on the one side and the commercial competences on the other in order to create a green tech growth en-vironment and new jobs .
Actions
In the area of green technology and sustaina-ble production, Viborg City Council will: • Support the business and research
strong-holds in agriculture and agricultural sci-ence .
• Create good conditions for entrepreneur-ship and networking .
• Ensure opportunities for sustainable ener-gy production through climate planning . • Support and develop cooperation between
existing companies and the educational and research sectors .
• Cooperate on specific projects and ini-tiatives that can create growth and jobs through innovation .
Links:
Agro Business Park Aarhus University Foulum Grundfos
Unique experiences
Based on a significant historical and natural heritage as well as a stronghold in elite sports, Viborg Municipality wishes to create new and unique experiences at national and internation-al level .
For example, Viborg Municipality co-hosted the 2011 UEFA European Under-21 Champi-onship . In November 2012 Viborg Municipality hosted ‘Viborg Animation Festival’ that took its participants on a journey through the amazing world of animation .
Challenges
It is a major challenge to use our significant his-torical and natural heritage and strong position within elite sports to further develop and create new large and unique experiences both at na-tional and internana-tional level through an inno-vative partnership among local creative forces .
Actions
In the area of unique experiences, Viborg City Council will:
• Create events and attractions that provide authentic experiences and external atten-tion .
• Attract tourists and new citizens
• Strengthen the cooperation with local busi-ness and cultural community
• Support and develop the basic foundations of elite sports
Municipal planning and Agenda 21
According to Danish law, the City Council must in the first part of its four year term publish a strategy for municipal planning as well as for Agenda 21 – sustainable development .
In relation to the municipal plan, the Develop-ment Strategy draws up the following challeng-es:
• Development of Karup Airport • Infrastructure Development
• main roads and motorways • railways
• Viborg’s urban expansion
• Agriculture and agro based energy (bi-ogas)
• Attractive urban environments
The idea of Agenda 21 is to create a develop-ment that combines the needs of today with those of a sustainable future . In its Agenda 21 Strategy, Viborg Municipality sets the following objectives:
• Promote a sustainable development and urban regeneration
• Reduce environmental impact and pro-mote biodiversity
