The leading harbours of the future 

During the next five years, 40-50 out of 60 fishing harbours and 50-60 out of 80 traffic harbours will be obliged to change into housing areas, industrial spaces, or to focus on tourism.

The traditional fishing industry will be concentrated in the five best fishing harbours, with the ten best traffic harbours dealing with handling of goods and ferry transport. There is an opportunity for minor harbours to specialize and find a niche.

This is COWI's estimation based on being closely involved with the physical planning and economic and financial analyses of Danish harbours for many years.

New law on harbours

The change will take place after a new law on harbours came into force last year.

From being under national administration, the harbours have now changed to autonomous municipal governed harbours or municipal/privately owned limited companies with representatives from the municipal trade and the municipality. In this way, the harbours have become competitive business units.

"The leading harbours of the future will be harbours that function locally and with an industrial policy. Formulating strategies that act actively meet their objectives will increase turnover," says Jeppe Danø, economist in COWI.

COWI’s calculations show that last year almost 70 per cent of the total goods transport in the harbours was in the ten largest traffic harbours: Copenhagen, Esbjerg, Fredericia, Aalborg, Århus, Kalundborg, Helsingør, Rødby, Frederikshavn and Odense.
 
And the trend will continue. Within the next five years, Jeppe Danø expects an additional concentration so that approx. 80-85 per cent of the goods trade will be situated in the ten largest traffic ports.

The value of the landings in the five largest fishing harbours was in 1989 approx. 60 per cent of the total landings. Last year, the same share was approx. 70 per cent. During the next five years COWI expects an additional concentration with approx. and 70-80 per cent of the total landings concentrated in the five largest harbours. Today the largest fishing harbours are Skagen, Hanstholm, Thyborøn, Esbjerg, Hirtshals, Nexø and Rønne on Bornholm.

Published 13.12.2002