A collaboration between a number of local companies, UCL Business Academy and Professionshøjskole in Vejle and Billund Business has resulted in a new training course in Billund.

Billund municipality has a large concentration of actors within the service, hotel and tourism industry, this led to the idea of ​​creating a targeted training course to strengthen both employees and the companies.

Head of Education Leif Bojesen from UCL explains how the collaboration came about: "Under the heading 'Lifelong learning', we are constantly working to develop our teaching formats so that they are adapted to business and students. We would like to be able to offer flexible upskilling in relation to requirements and wishes.” After participating in the Billund Career Tour TOURISM, Leif Bojesen contacted Billund Erhverv to discuss the possibilities for the establishment of targeted training within the tourism and experience area in the municipality. "We agreed that the first step had to be to make contact with some of the actors within the industry, and this was very positively received - we have created a model where the teaching can be organized in such a way that it is possible for employees to train , at the same time as they carry out their jobs," concludes Leif Bojesen.

"We are incredibly happy that companies look positively at the opportunity, and we see it as a fantastic opportunity for our companies to both attract and retain talented employees," says director of Billund Business Marie Skov Lillelund, and continues "It is desired that in the long term, both Service Economics training and Academy training in service and experiences can be offered.”

The courses are offered as individual subjects to ensure the greatest possible flexibility in the course. Planning and implementation takes place in close dialogue with the companies, so that periods of low season and closure periods can be used as best as possible - for example for further training of employees.

The first group of students in the subject 'Service' started classes at Hotel Refborg in Billund on Monday 6 November, and they will have completed the course with an exam in December.

Lalandia in Billund is one of the companies that has offered its employees further training, and HR manager Lene Stejnicher has no doubts about the value: "We see it as part of the career plan for our talented employees - we want to keep them with us, and therefore it is important that we can offer them skills training and the development of competences. The education model, which has been created through this collaboration, is absolutely optimal, both in terms of flexibility and content."

In addition to Lalandia, Hotel Hedemarken and LEGOLAND Hotel also have employees on the first team.

Billund Municipality's mayor welcomes the collaboration with UCL Vejle.

"I am concerned that we provide the right framework conditions so that we support the growing pains of our dynamic business community. In this connection, it is important that we collaborate crosswise, and I am sure that together with UCL Vejle we can gain important insights that we can use to strengthen the framework conditions for running a business in Billund municipality", says Stephanie Storbank .

Søren Christensen is the owner of the company StrokeImaging Solutions ApS, and a year ago he and his family decided to move from Sweden to Denmark. They chose to buy a home in Billund, and we would like to know why it was precisely Billund that was chosen as their new home municipality.

Søren Christensen started studying medicine in 1996, after just over 3 years in medical school, he saw an advertisement looking for engineering students. "It was a poster like We Want You, and I thought it would be very fun to hear about - and to make a long story short, yes, I replaced the last 3 years in medical school with 2 years in the engineering program.” says Søren, and continues: "It is often the case with the type of work I do that the engineers have difficulty understanding the medical aspects of it, and conversely doctors have difficulty with the technical aspects at the lowest level."

This gives Søren a clear advantage, because he has knowledge from both worlds, and thus can both understand the doctors' scientific articles and the technical aspects of the programming.

In addition, Søren has completed a Ph.D. at the Center for Integrative Neuroscience at Aarhus University Hospital, he says: "When you get a PhD, they want you to travel for a year - so I went to Australia and ended up in a department where they did something with a stroke, i.e. blood clots in the brain.", he continues: "I ended up getting a job in the department while I was still working on my PhD, as a kind of research engineer - I finished the PhD and stuck around in Australia doing clinical studies until we moved to the US in 2012.”

After 7 years in the USA, Søren Christensen and his wife would like to move to Denmark, but as the wife is from Australia, there are very strict rules regarding settling in the country. "It is difficult for non-EU citizens to be allowed to enter Denmark, but luckily you can use the more lenient EU rules in the rest of Europe," says Søren. "That's why we chose to move to Sweden, where I then also started independently as a consultant."

Last year they had the opportunity to move to Denmark, and since Søren Christensen's mother lives in Vejle, it was obvious to find something nearby.

3 crucial things

There were 3 very specific things that made Søren Christensen and his family choose to come to Billund. "The International School was absolutely central - it was clearly the one that made the difference." He continues: "Then in Billund you could also buy a house that was affordable, i.e. house prices that hadn't completely taken off, and last but not least that there are internationals in the area, so there was someone to get in touch with for my wife, who is Australian after all. Those were the 3 things that definitely decided it.”

When the family then arrived in Billund, several unique qualities appeared, which Søren would like to highlight: "When we came to Billund, it exceeded expectations in all areas! Everything is close, everything is only 5 minutes away... It's hard to find something that doesn't take 5 minutes to drive down to." and then he adds with a smile: "And then you have the airport just around the corner, so you can quickly get to a bigger city, if that's what you miss - my wife is mostly into big cities, so..."

Søren Christensen also highlights one thing that is completely unique to Billund: "The international culture in Billund is really good. Both via the International School, where you quickly build a network with other parents, and the international community in Billund. You quickly come into contact with others from the international environment – ​​there is a super culture of integration in the city, which is really cool in terms of getting in touch with others. We did not expect that in a city of Billund's size.”

About StrokeImaging Solutions

StrokeImaging Solutions is a company where Søren helps detect blood clots in the brain via software. He explains: "When you get symptoms of a blood clot in the brain, it's about getting treated as soon as possible. During this treatment, some images are taken of the brain to find out whether it is a blood clot or a hemorrhage.” he continues: "Today, it is generally the case that if you come to the hospital many hours after the blood clot occurred, special scans are required to be sure that you can benefit from the treatment. Unfortunately, it is not the case that you can just look at the scan to see if the patient will benefit from the treatment, an analysis must first be made, and that is what I do – I develop the software that analyzes and image processes the scans.”

StrokeImaging Solutions became a member of Billund Erhverv earlier this year, when Søren Christensen sees opportunities in the business network: "When you sit alone in a small office, you don't meet many other business people, so for me it's really good to be part of a network , where it is possible to meet others with whom you can spar - It may be difficult to find someone specifically from my industry, but it could be if you wanted to start something with the internet, web, AI or the like." Søren concludes.

Billund Erhverv's settlement coordinator Marianne K. Thomsen helps movers into a place in Billund municipality, and is always ready to answer questions about everything from municipal waste sorting to schools and day care centers to vacant homes and houses for sale.

Contact Marianne at mkt@billunderhverv.dk and 2269 2498.

Kurt Andersen, Camilla Andersen Bojsen and Lucas Rosenhøj Tindbæk took the decision last year to throw themselves into the establishment of a new independent real estate agency in Billund municipality.

A trip to the hot tub during a holiday home laid the seed for the establishment of the BoGodt broker, Kurt Andersen explains with a smile: "We are on a family trip to a holiday home - I am Camilla's uncle and Lucas is her little brother - we sit one evening in the hot tub in Blåvand , and then it sort of comes up that Camilla and Lucas have been thinking about their own real estate agency, and then I said: I just need to hear a little more about that.” and he continues: "Camilla was at the time doing another education, Lucas was doing the broker's education and I was in a very good job. So they had to finish their studies and I had to leave my current position. So from the first conversations in the jacuzzi until we opened here in March 2023, a good year and a half goes by."

Not part of a chain

The BoGodt broker is not part of a larger chain, but is completely independent, and there has never been any doubt that this was what was wanted. "It only took us half an hour to decide that we should be independent" comes from Kurt, and Camilla adds: "There are of course many advantages to being part of a chain, but as an independent you have the freedom to manage your business. Lucas and I have both been associated with larger chains, so we know the pros and cons of the good and the bad – so we quickly decided that we wanted to have our own style and do things our way.”

Being able to do things the way you want is precisely one of the BoGodt broker's greatest strengths. Strong local knowledge and the personal dialogue during the entire house sale are cornerstones of the company, and so it is important for treklovet to be down to earth and at eye level with the customers.

"Lucas and Kurt have actually worn work clothes, and been out to a customer to shine up the garden and home, as the customer did not have the strength to do it themselves" comes from Camilla Andersen Bojsen, and Kurt Andersen adds laughing: "...and Lucas has even given a customer a hug already on the first visit – he has an amazing ability to wade into people with clogs on.”

When you love your work

There is no doubt that the 3 brokers are passionate about what they do. They beam with pride and enthusiasm when they talk about their company and the industry in general. For Lucas Rosenhøj Tindbæk, it is a dream come true. “In 7th grade, when all the other boys wanted to be soccer players or something, I dreamed of becoming a real estate agent. I have a huge interest in homes, and I simply love being allowed to sell a home.” he continues: "A property is a home for the seller, so it is important that you have empathy and manage to put yourself in the seller's place - for many it is really difficult to sell a house that you have lived in for many years. "
Kurt adds: "We have examples of someone we have sold a house for still contacting us or stopping by with a piece of cake - we have simply developed a friendly relationship with several customers. It is simply so nice, and it confirms to us that we are doing something right.”

The BoGodt broker is not afraid to try something new and follow developments, Lucas Rosenhøj Tindbæk elaborates: "There are many things happening around us, and we try to follow along and find out what works for us and what doesn't. For example, the various social media, where new platforms have appeared... We have met several people from the industry who tell us that you should do it this way and that way - but we like to do things in a different and not so conservative way. We decide for ourselves how to market our homes, and I find that liberating. We are keeping pace with the future, and that is going to benefit us.”

100 years of local knowledge

Camilla, Lucas and Kurt believe 100% that the BoGodt broker has a bright future in Billund municipality. Kurt usually says that they have a combined 100 years of local knowledge, and the small family company is already doing well in the order books.

The BoGodt broker got help with the start-up at Billund Erhverv, where business developer Marianne Hestbech Witte has taken the company through a startup process. Kurt Andersen laughs: "Marianne has helped us a lot, but every time we have had a meeting with her, we go home with a lot of new tasks under our arms... it has simply been really good."
Lucas interjects: "We also make a lot of use of the events and the TOOL BOXes, where we get inspiration and knowledge for our marketing in particular."

If you are also thinking about starting your own business, you can contact our business developers Marianne Hestbech Witte at mhw@billunderhverv.dk and 4414 5550, and Paul Erik Hensgen on peh@billunderhverv.dk and 9215 0109.

Anesco is an English company that was established in 2010, and they currently have approx. 200 employees employed in England. In the beginning, the core product was solar cells for rooftops, but today the company is concentrating on the development and establishment of land-based solar parks and so-called battery parks, where you can store power from the energy grid and deliver it back when it is needed.

In Denmark, the focus is currently exclusively on solar parks.

Easy access, industry and and development

When Gert Vognstrup Kristensen had to find out where the office should be located, he first of all looked at southern Jutland: "When Anesco was to start up in Denmark, we had to find a place where we could have a base, and I was given the task of finding a location for our office. I previously had an office around the capital area, but since our customers at Anesco are typically farmers etc., who are located in rural areas and often here in Jutland, it would make the most sense to find an office in Jutland." Gert says and continues: "The reason we chose Billund is that we wanted to establish ourselves in a city that is not too big and that is easy to get to, that's one part - the other part is that Billund is an exciting place, because there is already a lot of industry and a lot of development. In addition, Billund Erhverv has been very good at welcoming us, and that has certainly contributed to our choosing Billund over other surrounding towns".

Help to collect from Billund Erhverv

Billund Erhverv helped Gert get started with the start-up, and was also able to offer him a temporary desk. "I contacted Billund Erhverv, and was invited to a talk, where Billund Erhverv partly had some good offers for us, and partly welcomed us very well, and then they had the opportunity to offer us a temporary place to sit here in the start-up phase,” says Gert and continues: "Here is a really good environment, where you feel that there is someone who kind of helps and supports you, and there is someone you can talk to. So when you come as a single person with this company you have to start with, it's really nice to have a place where there are more people around you."

Despite the size of the parent company, Gert Vognstrup Kristensen describes himself as a start-up: "Although Anesco can be considered a large company, we start very small when we open in other countries. Typically, a single employee is responsible for a start-up. We have branches in the Netherlands, Ireland, Germany and now also in Denmark - so even though the company is really big, I sit completely alone in everyday life and need the support and sparring I can get through Billund Erhverv."

Gert is very happy that the choice fell on Billund, which in his view is the perfect place for an Anesco branch. It has also been shown that Billund Airport is a huge advantage compared to the choice of Billund: "We use the airport a lot, and here Billund Airport is incredibly easy to travel from and to" Gert smiles and continues: "It actually only takes me 30 minutes from when I leave the office until I'm standing outside at the plane, and that's also a huge advantage."

If you are a start-up company or entrepreneur, you can contact Billund Erhverv. We can e.g. offer free business development, sparring and you have the opportunity to get a desk in our office environment. Read more about our entrepreneurial efforts here.

You can also contact our business developers Paul-Erik Hensgen at peh@billunderhverv.dk og 9215 0109 and Marianne Hestbech Witte on mhw@billunderhverv.dk og 4414 5550.

Billund Municipality scores highly on the perceived quality of life among its residents

In the past six years, Realdania and the Knowledge Center Bolius have published a report on 'The Danes in the built environment', which is based on a larger questionnaire survey. It is asked, among other things, into how satisfied we are with our neighborhood and whether we would recommend the area to a friend or colleague – both questions that Billund municipality scores highly on.

Despite the fact that Danes' perceived quality of life has generally fallen, Billund Municipality bursts into the top 5 of municipalities with a high quality of life – last year the municipality could not even be found in the top 20. Common to almost all municipalities that are in the top 10 is that , are smaller communities or even what we term fringe Denmark. It is thus not in the big city that the inhabitants experience the highest quality of life.

81% of those questioned in Billund municipality agree or partly agree with the statement 'I am proud of the area I live in' and they value safety and access to nature highly.

Settlement coordinator Marianne Thomsen recognizes this image from the inquiries she receives from potential movers who emphasize that their children can move safely on the playgrounds and that there are green areas available.

"I often hear as a reason for moving to Billund Municipality that people want to move closer to their workplace and thereby save time on transport", says Marianne Thomsen. The survey also asks what would make people move again, to which the most frequent answers are changed family relationships and finances, which are often connected to job security.

This underlines the importance of both having the homes that are in demand (also in case of divorce, for example) AND having many different companies in the municipality, so that we do not necessarily lose citizens if individual companies cut staff.

Download the full report here

Michael Tullesen from MT Gulve & Gardiner A/S has almost always been aware of waste sorting and climate impact, but has also seen the concept of "green transition" as somewhat abstract, and had not really started working actively with it. But as he states, the green transition is here to stay.

"For me, it kind of started at Billund Erhverv, where I attended a meeting in a completely different context - there we got to talking about this green transition. Kim Buchhave Søgaard was also present during the meeting, and he talked about the collaboration his company has with Billund Erhverv around Grøn Kickstart. At about the same time, I had to send offers to some customers, where I had to decide on some things within the green transition, where we had to send documents about our thoughts on these things - and that's really where it starts," says Michael and continues: " After the meeting, I contacted one of the business developers from Billund Erhverv, and a process was set in motion with Kim from Buchhave Rådgivning.

“Kim knows a lot, and he immediately came up with concrete things we could do. For example, I don't think I would have called our supplier and asked for the different numbers if Kim hadn't told me about it. I still don't know enough about it, but I'm learning all the time.” smiles Michael.

"If I hadn't started the dialogue with Billund Erhverv and got the consultancy started, this would have been a long process for me - now it's a short process. And then I think it is absolutely right that you use some of the business association's funds to help small and medium-sized companies get started in this way".

MT Floors & Curtains visited Buchhave Rådgivning 3 times.

Michael Tullesen had already filled in some points about green conversion in the CO2 calculator in the ESG platform Valified. Buchhave Rådgivning gained access to the system and helped Michael correct what had already been filled in, and together more was added. "It was a good and easy way to get started, and today I automatically send out the CO2 account when I make an offer for a task, because then the customers can see that we have started to have attitudes towards it" says Michael.

Michael is also a bit critical... "We do a lot ourselves, such as waste sorting, and we send our plastic pipes back to the supplier, but these are relatively small things we do right now. I would like to see political help for companies to start the green transition, so that it does not become a huge expense for the individual companies".

As such, Michael does not think about subsidies from the state, but he has an idea for what could be done, for example: "When I make an offer for a tender task, there should be a fixed line that says Climate accounting: DKK 10.000 - on that way, all bidders include it in the price. But if it's only me who has it and has set it at a price, then it could be that this is what causes me to be too expensive and that I am then rejected. That is that when I spend extra money on e.g. waste sorting, I will actually be punished for it in a tender task".

However, he is generally positive: "It's good to get started, and that's also where I think we are - in general." He continues: "Many of our suppliers are very far along with the green transition - we can download everything that needs to be documented, and what about my conversation with Kim, I have, for example, got hold of our supplier of goods from Italy - they are there not quite yet – but they're also in the process of doing so. It shows that we are dependent on some level, but also that you are working!”.

Green Kickstart
With Grøn Kickstart, the company's position in relation to green transition is covered. Do you have sustainability in mind and are you ready to meet the demands the company will face in the coming years.

If you want to know more about Grøn Kickstart, or if you want to book a meeting, you can contact Billund Business at info@billunderhverv.dk and 6915 2176.

You can also read more about Green Kickstart here.

Grøn Kickstart is a free offer for Billund Erhverv's member companies.

For health reasons, Søren Seindal Agner had to give up his job as a pilot, but this led to the establishment of his own company, where he could use both his experience and his skills.

Søren Seindal Agner started in the aviation industry as a steward, all the while taking his pilot's licence. When the certificate was in house, he got a job as a pilot, but back problems meant that he had to give up the pilot job after 8 years.

“I thought, so what?” says Søren, and continues: "I think it's a wonderful industry, and since I had both the experience from the cabin and the cockpit, I could see an opportunity to develop the collaboration that already existed - there were also new requirements, precisely with in order to make the crew work better together”.

On that basis, Søren Seindal Agner started the company AEROTEAM in 2004, where he also started teaching at various flying schools.

Søren says: "It all developed quietly, I got more and more customers and it all went well. At one point there was an inquiry from Scandinavian Avionics asking if I would help them build a training organization for aircraft mechanics - this turned into a long-term collaboration, and after we had worked together for 8-9 years we agreed that it made good sense to expand the collaboration into a partnership, and based on that thought we then created AEROTEAM Training Solutions in 2019". He continues: "It was going great until 2020 - then Corona came...".

Together with Scandinavian Avionics, AEROTEAM had developed a learning concept for aircraft mechanics, and when it was suddenly impossible to get out and teach, the company used the time to develop the concept digitally, which gives the company many more opportunities.

Joining forces with Scandinavian Avionics has many advantages for the company. “We can get support, and we can draw on some resources we didn't have in the house before, such as if I need a technical instructor. On the other hand, we help SA with, for example, all the administrative work in relation to processes and manuals - it actually works really well," says Søren.

AEROTEAM Training Solutions offers, among other things, courses in making decisions together, as Søren Seindal Agner says: "It doesn't matter so much what decisions people make, since these are fictitious scenarios and tasks they solve. We are more interested in how they make decisions. This is what we look at and work with, and it is also what we evaluate. Our tools help them gain the skills to make the right decisions – even under pressure”.

On 31 October, we at Billund Erhverv have invited AEROTEAM Training Solutions to hold a workshop on stress and how to prevent it.
Read more about the workshop and register here.

“People need to be able to do their jobs effectively, but one of the things that can disrupt them is stress. People know what stress does - you get sick from it, you get long-term sick leave and it costs a lot of money. But that's sort of not the part we focus on.” says Søren, and explains: "We focus on people being stressed by, for example, a task, and we're not talking long-term stress here, we're talking acute stress. What can happen when people get into acute stress is that you e.g. lose the ability to assess risk, and then there is a high risk of making wrong decisions.” He continues: "We can do something so that people don't get stressed, e.g. by having procedures – Standard Operating Procedures – introduced into the work. These are the same techniques we also use for cabin crew and pilots. We teach them to get structure in their working day - when you have structure in your working day, you also have the energy to deal with acute situations without stress".

"Many make wrong decisions due to stress. Many managers may misjudge due to a lack of risk assessment and therefore make a wrong decision – perhaps due to pressure or a stressful emergency situation. And that is what we should preferably avoid," concludes Søren Seindal Agner.

ChatGPT is a new technology launched in 2022. Many call ChatGPT the mark of a new era of chatbots, and the tool has already changed the standards of artificial intelligence (AI).

It cannot be emphasized enough that ChatGPT not is 100% correct and one must ALWAYS check what the chatbot has written before using it. Likewise, you must always check the facts, as ChatGPT cannot tell the difference between whether something is true or not.

You must also be aware that when you use ChatGPT, the text you upload and the text you write will be stored in the chatbot's system. You must therefore NEVER use ChatGPT to process sensitive data.

To best illustrate what ChatGPT can do, we have asked it to write a little about itself and what it can help companies with.

Note – the text below was written by ChatGPT.

"ChatGPT is an advanced language model developed by OpenAI. It is based on the GPT-3.5 architecture and is trained on a wide variety of texts to generate coherent and meaningful responses. ChatGPT is able to understand and generate text on several different topics and can be adapted to different languages ​​and tones.

With its large knowledge base and the ability to draw on information from various sources, ChatGPT can answer questions, give explanations and participate in conversations in a natural way. It can help users find information, generate ideas, create content and more.

Although ChatGPT is an advanced language model, it is important to note that it has no real awareness or understanding. It generates responses based on patterns and statistics in its training and may therefore occasionally produce inaccurate or inappropriate responses. It is important to note that ChatGPT should not be considered as a source of absolute and definitive information, but rather as a tool to assist in the generation of text and general knowledge.

ChatGPT can be a valuable resource for businesses in several ways:

  • Customer Support: ChatGPT can help answer customer questions, provide product information, and resolve simple issues. It can reduce the load on the customer support team and increase the response time.
  • Lead generation: By interacting with potential customers, ChatGPT can collect information and generate qualified leads. It may ask questions, collect contact information and provide introductory information about the company's products or services.
  • Product Recommendations: ChatGPT can analyze customer preferences and needs based on interactions and suggest relevant products or services. It can improve the customer experience and increase the chances of conversions.
  • Content Production: ChatGPT can help generate content for the company's blog posts, social media updates or marketing materials. It can come up with ideas, write drafts or edit existing text.
  • Market Research: ChatGPT may gather feedback and opinions from customers through interactions. It can help companies gain insight into customer satisfaction, product improvements and market trends.
  • Internal knowledge base: ChatGPT can be used to create and update an internal knowledge base for employees. It can serve as a quick and easy source for finding answers to internal questions or searching for procedures and policies.

It is important to note that while ChatGPT can be useful in many areas, it is important to ensure the quality of the responses generated and regularly evaluate and update the model to achieve the best results.”

The anticipation of ChatGPT's importance for future communication is enormous, and developments in this area have only just begun.

If you want to know more about the area, you can contact our business developer Lars Gadgaard at lg@billunderhverv.dk and 9215 1142.

Iben Rønhoff started out as an independent dog groomer at the age of 19.

"If Danish companies are to grow and compete on the global stage, they will need more specialized and competent international labor and Danish labor with global skills.” In short and precisely, DI expresses the challenge facing Danish companies.

In the Triangle area, we are fortunately already well underway with this development.

Billund Municipality takes first place in the Triangle area, as the municipality where the companies have the most international employees - in fact, as much as 14,9% of the workers in Billund Municipality are non-Danish in origin. It is far above the national average of 11,8% and is on par with the capital area and the municipalities bordering the Danish-German border.

Vejen Kommune comes just after Billund with 14,0%, as there are also several large companies that depend on hiring international employees. The international employees in the Triangle area are characterized by being largely employed within industry (Billund 52,1% and Vejen 38,7%). Other industries include Agriculture, Forestry & Fishing and Construction & Construction.

The international immigrants to Billund Municipality also largely reflect the statistics both locally and nationally in relation to which countries we get the most employees from. Of the 1725 ​​immigrants who came to the municipality in 2021, 157 were from Romania and 54 from Poland – the two largest groups apart from Danes.

The recruitment of international employees requires an extra effort from the recruiter, as there are several administrative and legal tasks for which the employer is responsible, in accordance with the legislation - especially if the employee is from a non-EU/EEA country. Fortunately, there is help available, e.g. at DI and DE, if you are a member. Otherwise, the local settlement consultant can often help you find the right contacts for e.g. The Agency for International Recruitment and Integration (SIRI).

At Billund Erhverv, local companies can also find help and guidance for the actual process of getting the international employee correctly registered AND all the other things that come up when you move to another country and have to make an everyday life work with housing , institutions, networks, etc. Some need to have this clarified already BEFORE they accept a possible job on the other side of the world, and therefore settlement coordinator Marianne Thomsen can also be contacted by both future employee and company already early in the employment process.

Contact Marianne Thomsen at mkt@billunderhverv.dk and 2269 2498.