Subscription-based model for children shoes. Mussels as a new raw material in fish feed. Educational platform for fish farmers in Nigeria. Software that optimizes crop yields in Nicaragua. These are just some of the innovative solutions developed by the participating companies in SDG Accelerator for SMEs during the the past year. All these solutions were presented in UN City Copenhagen this week. 

On January 15, 2019, more than 200 participants from Danish business, private equity funds, public authorities, universities and civil society came to UN City in Copenhagen to hear about the SDG solutions developed by the participating companies in the UNDP programme, SDG Accelerator for SMEs.

At the conference, Camilla Brückner, director of UNDP's Nordic office and Anders Dons, CEO, Deloitte Nordic gave the welcome speech:

“We are excited about the great interest in the SDG Accelerator and the Global Goals. It confirms that there is an emerging realization that this is an agenda that we cannot ignore," said Camilla Brückner. Anders Dons continued: "The Danish companies in SDG Accelerator may be small and medium-sized, but they are role models for other companies in Denmark and the rest of the world, as their solutions have the potential to benefit both the bottom line and at the same time create a better world".

The next speaker on the podium was Sten Scheibye, chairman of the Danish Industry Foundation: “The results of the SDG Accelerator are examples of the fact that there is no contradiction between doing business and contributing to a better world. Business and a better world must go hand in hand,” Sten Scheibye pointed out.

Following this, the moderator of the day, Pernille Enggaard (Millionærlubben, Radio24syv) led the participants through the 13 company solutions. The solutions that the involved companies have come up with encompass a wide range of innovation in action. Some are pursuing new ground-breaking products and services, others new business models. Ingemann has for instance developed the software platform Agroclimática that will help farmers optimise the cultivation of their crops because it makes them able to prepare for crucial climate change in the region. The software can also help identify different investment scenarios, ensuring farmers increased access to credit and insurance from relevant financial institutions. Niels Ingemann Møller, CEO of Ingemann stated that “at first, we were very unsure of hoe Agroclimática would work as well as how to approach the market. All of this has been validated through the SDG Accelerator with the help of skilled experts. It has brought us a lot closer to real market development.” Based on experience from Nicaragua and Honduras, the solution is expected to be rolled out in other countries in the region and, at a later stage, the world. Another case is Palsgaard who has developed a durable anti-fog coating for industrial food packaging, which keeps food fresh for a longer time, thus helping to reduce food waste. Through its global presence, Palsgaard will market the product worldwide with a particular focus on the major packaging manufacturers in Asia and the United States.

RGS Nordic is developing a digital platform that enables carriers to optimise the use of the many trucks visiting the company’s more than 35 receiving and handling facilities in Scandinavia every day. The solution will significantly reduce the number of empty trucks and, consequently, CO2 and particle emissions. In the long term, the solution will be a best practice example of how sharing of transport data and cooperation between different industry actors can significantly reduce freight on European roads for the good of businesses, the environment and for people.  

DESMI is taking on new, smarter solutions to put a stop to ocean pollution. They are developing equipment that can be used for cleaning some of the world’s most polluted rivers and the solution will stop plastic waste from flowing into the oceans from where it is even more difficult to restrain.

You can read more about the 13 Danish companies' business solutions here. In 2019, we will continue the SDG journey with 18 new Danish industrial companies. Stay tuned!

Contact: Valdemar Satoshi Røjle Christensen, UNDP, valdemar.christensen@undp.org, +45 2628 8151

Foto: Hasse Ferrold