The Central Denmark Region has very ambitious goals for the future with respect to sustainable energy consumption and environmental management. The industry in the region is specialised in the energy and environmental sector. It has a stronghold particularly in the field of wind and biomass, for example is the share of energy based on renewable resources higher in this region (22% in 2005) than in the rest of Denmark (14% in 2005). It is further the aim of the Regional Council that the share of energy based on renewable resources will be as high as 50 % in year 2025.

The Central Denmark Region is geographically the largest region in Denmark and with 1.2 million inhabitants (22.46 % of the total Danish population) it is Denmark’s second largest after the Capital Region. The region consists of 19 municipalities and several large cities, including Denmark’s second-largest city, Aarhus, with approx. 300,000 inhabitants.

The emission of CO2 per capita is lower in the Central Denmark Region than in the rest of Denmark and several of the municipalities in the region have ambitious goals in minimising the emission further, for example is the goal of the City of Aarhus to be CO2-neutral in 2030.

The Central Denmark Region has great growth and development potential. The region has a vigorous economic life, strong competencies in relation to knowledge environments, research and education, and rapid population growth. The Central Denmark Region accounts for almost a fourth of the total Danish workforce.

In the eastern part of the region, the growth zone Aarhus attracts manpower and investments, partly because of the many higher education institutions including university, business school and engineering academy. Aarhus is also home to Denmark’s largest container port for overseas container transport. In the west, the growth centres around the cities of Holstebro and Herning, where food processing, wood and furniture industry, textiles and clothing, metal and production technology are particular industrial strengths.

ICT constitutes a position of strength which is constantly developing and especially the ICT research at the Alexandra Institute in the Aarhus IT city has attracted many companies. Another major industry is food and agriculture, with e.g. the Danish Institute of Agricultural Sciences’ Research Centre in Foulum which is the centre of livestock and plant research in Denmark, collaborating with many companies.

On energy, the Central Denmark Region has a particularly strong position, with some of the world’s largest wind turbine manufacturers such as Vestas Wind Energy A/S and Siemens Wind Power A/S located in the region. Since 1997, the island of Samsø has been Denmark’s sustainable energy island, while the latest hydrogen technology is being developed in the western part of the region.