Competing in the global economy
Many believe that economic “globalization,” the increasing integration of economies through trade and financial flows, generates growth, jobs, and wealth for all involved. As WTO Director General Mike Moore put it, “Globalization is not an ideology, not a political theory, but an economic evolution.”
Denmark believes in globalization and has approached it proactively. Foreign Minister Moeller explained, “It is an objective of our government that Denmark remains an active player on the international scene by engaging in the debates on global issues, influencing developments, and offering the world an ideal environment for higher learning and corporate growth. We have set up the globalization council to tackle the challenges of going global and to serve the Danish people.”
The Globalization Council has prepared a comprehensive strategy for Denmark to remain a leader in the global economy. The Council is chaired by the Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen and consists of business leaders, academic representatives, global experts, and labor union spokespersons. This spring, the Danish government presented its globalization strategy that contains 350 initiatives and sets out to achieve “Progress, Innovation and Cohesion.” A large part of the proposals aim at strengthening education, research activities, and innovation.
Education has long been a priority for Denmark, which invests 8 percent of its GDP into education making it number one in the world. It is a fundamental target by the Council that research and development should amount to 3 percent of the GDP by 2010.
“It is the goal of the Danish government to maintain and further improve on the business environment. Not only so our entrepreneurs can excel but so that other countries can set up facilities here and reap the benefits of our finely tuned system,” said Foreign Minister Per Stig Moeller.
