Korskro Vest to strengthen Esbjerg in the competition for new investments

Esbjerg has received a state industrial park covering a full 160 hectares at Korskro Vest, close to the E20, Esbjerg Airport, and just eight kilometers from Esbjerg Harbor. The area is also located directly by the national oversized transport route and near both existing and upcoming electricity and hydrogen infrastructure.

– Here, a new, large industrial area has been developed with commercial land for companies in environmental classes 3-7, which is in high demand. The industrial park offers a broad playing field for many different companies, for example, the biopharma industry, circular production, and of course Power-to-X, says Uffe Lundgaard, Head of Business & Investment at Business Esbjerg.

Korskro Vest is also one of the 11 state-designated industrial parks, whose purpose is to create better conditions to retain and attract manufacturing companies to Denmark. The idea is, among other things, to ensure attractive industrial areas and make it faster and more streamlined for companies to move from investment decision to establishment.

A strong area

The new industrial area aligns with the EU's Net-Zero Industry Act, which aims to strengthen Europe's own production of technologies necessary for the green transition.

Mikael Kirk Simonsen, Investment Manager at Business Esbjerg, explains:

– The EU wants to strengthen its own competitiveness and capacity to produce more of these technologies itself. Therefore, there is a need for areas where companies within this type of production can establish themselves and quickly get started. This could, for example, be companies that produce components for future offshore wind farms. Korskro Vest is an especially suitable location due to the good infrastructural conditions.

This is supported by Ulrik Eversbusch, Director at Invest in Denmark.

– At Invest in Denmark, we see the state industrial parks as a very good opportunity to strengthen Denmark's position in the competition for international manufacturing investments. Companies must be able to see that suitable areas are available and that they can move quickly and smoothly through the establishment process. Korskro Vest is a good example of how this can look in practice because the process for local planning, land purchase, and site development is already well advanced.

Many opportunities for Esbjerg’s companies

As a state industrial park, Korskro Vest thus gains a special advantage: The state helps ensure that companies can move faster and more easily through the regulatory process and get started with their projects.

– For us, it is of course an important extra help to have when we go out and offer the area to companies. They get both access to the land and the possibility of a more coordinated regulatory process. At the same time, the area has already been qualified at an early stage, which means we can put Korskro Vest front and center when marketing Esbjerg to relevant companies, explains Mikael Kirk Simonsen.

But the opportunities with Korskro Vest are not only about attracting new, large companies from abroad.

– For already established companies with expansion plans, it can mean that they do not have to move their production to a new location in the country where land is available but can stay in the area where they already have networks, suppliers, and access to labor. This also means that we retain the competencies in the area, he says.
 

New industrial potential

Business Esbjerg also sees great opportunities for the area to support the development of new types of industry – including circular production.

According to the Industry Foundation, the degree of circular material use is under 10 percent in the EU and as low as 4 percent in Denmark.

– Therefore, we also see great potential in Korskro Vest for new circular manufacturing companies. We must become much better at reusing materials and utilizing them in new products and industrial processes, also in the traditional industries we already have. The advantage of Korskro Vest is that many different industries can fit in. The potential for new business development is great, says Uffe Lundgaard.

Korskro Vest can thus both help attract new companies, create industrial development, and give existing companies in Esbjerg better opportunities to grow locally.
 

WORTH KNOWING ABOUT THE NEW INDUSTRIAL PARK

1. Close to important infrastructure
   Korskro Vest is close to the E20, Esbjerg Airport, and Esbjerg Harbor and directly by the national oversized transport route. At the same time, the area is near existing and upcoming electricity and hydrogen infrastructure.
    
2. Opportunity to get started quickly
   The local plan is already in place, the municipality has purchased the land, and the area is close to being developed. As a state industrial park, there is a focus on faster regulatory processing and greater certainty around the process.
    
3. Access to specialized competencies
   Esbjerg has for many years built specialized competencies within, among other things, the energy and offshore industries. This gives companies access to labor, suppliers, and an existing industrial ecosystem.
    
4. Strong local support
   There is strong political support for the development of Korskro Vest and a shared ambition to strengthen Esbjerg as an area for the industry and production of the future.